Lynchburg City Proposes $620.7 Million Budget for 2027

City Manager Wynter Benda presents balanced budget with no tax hikes, investments in schools and public safety

Mar. 27, 2026 at 10:24am

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Lynchburg City Manager Wynter Benda presented the city council with a proposed $620.7 million budget for fiscal year 2027 during a special meeting. The budget is balanced and does not include any tax increases. Key highlights include an additional $2.1 million in local funding for Lynchburg City Schools, $30 million in capital improvement funds for school construction needs, and investments in public safety such as pay raises for police and firefighters.

Why it matters

The city's budget reflects its priorities and plans for the upcoming fiscal year, impacting services, infrastructure, and the financial burden on residents. This budget proposal aims to maintain high-quality municipal services, invest in education and public safety, and keep taxes stable despite economic uncertainties.

The details

The proposed budget includes $2.1 million in additional local funding for Lynchburg City Schools and $30 million in capital improvement funds for major school construction projects. The city also plans to allocate $3 million to renovate Fire Station 1 and $8.6 million for renovations at other fire stations across the city. While the budget does not include any tax hikes, it does propose the return of a refuse collection fee and motor vehicle license fee that had been suspended for the past three years. Water and stormwater rates are also set to increase, resulting in an average $1.06 increase to residential water bills.

  • The city council will hold a budget retreat next Friday to further discuss the proposal.

The players

Wynter Benda

Lynchburg City Manager who presented the proposed $620.7 million budget for fiscal year 2027.

Chris Faraldi

Lynchburg City Councilman who played a role in ensuring capital improvement funds were accessible to the school division.

Lynchburg City Schools

The local school district that is set to receive an additional $2.1 million in funding and $30 million in capital improvement funds under the proposed budget.

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What they’re saying

“Fiscal year 2027 is a maintenance budget. Maintenance is not a pause - it is stewardship, discipline, and delivering on promises - promises to provide high-quality municipal services to protect our priorities and to ensure that residents benefit from our prior investments.”

— Wynter Benda, Lynchburg City Manager

“It's my hope that as we break open this budget and really read through it, we see it's going to the classrooms, we see it's going to the teachers, we see it's going to the people who are working with your kids at home.”

— Chris Faraldi, Lynchburg City Councilman

“No time is good to raise taxes, certainly not right now with so many question marks in the economy. We wanna continue having as few tax hikes as possible, so that's gonna be something I'm focusing on. I have a few ideas that I am going to share with the city as well.”

— Chris Faraldi, Lynchburg City Councilman

What’s next

The Lynchburg City Council will hold a budget retreat next Friday to further discuss and potentially make changes to the proposed $620.7 million budget for fiscal year 2027.

The takeaway

Lynchburg's proposed budget for 2027 aims to maintain essential services, invest in education and public safety, and keep taxes stable despite economic uncertainties. The city's focus on fiscal responsibility, community priorities, and long-term sustainability reflects its commitment to serving residents' needs.