DILLWYN – Whoever wins in November’s elections for Buckingham County’s Board of Supervisors, they’ll take a seat with a higher salary than the current group. By a 5-1 vote, with Cameron Gilliam absent and Don Matthews in opposition, Buckingham supervisors agreed to increase the next board’s salaries.  

Coming in, a regular Buckingham County supervisor made $6,000 per year with the chairman making $6,500. After the change, which takes effect July 1, 2024, supervisors in the county will make $10,000 per year, with $10,500 for the chairman. 

The group was revisiting a discussion they had tabled in April, when the majority agreed to hold off on increasing supervisor salaries, due to questions surrounding the state budget. At the time, there had been a proposal on the table to increase supervisor salaries to $12,000 and $12,500 for the chairman.

With state revenues higher than expected and a state budget that could be finalized within the next two weeks, board members picked the discussion back up from where they left it in April. Danny Allen made a motion Monday night to go back to that increase to $12,000, while others suggested something smaller. 

“I agree that we all should get a raise, but the dollar amount that was in the budget originally, I came up with (different) numbers,” said District 1 Supervisor Dennis Davis. Instead, he proposed raising salaries to $8,000 per year for board members and $9,000 per year for the chairman. 

“That puts us on par with some of the other counties,” Davis said. “We’re paid less than Cumberland and I know we do a heck of a lot better job than they do.” 

For those curious, Cumberland pays its supervisors $6,000 per year, with $7,200 set aside for the chairman. 

Allen suggested they meet in the middle, which is where the $10,000 and $10,500 numbers came from. Buckingham County Administrator Karl Carter reminded the group this wouldn’t take effect until next year. 

“That’s why you have to do it during an election year,” Carter said. “You’re voting on salaries for the new board members. Not for yourselves, unless you win re-election.” 

Second change made by Buckingham supervisors 

This marks the second salary increase approved by the board in 2023. As part of their Monday, April 24 meeting, Buckingham supervisors agreed to increase salaries for the planning commission by a unanimous vote.
In that discussion, District 4 Supervisor Jordan Miles made the motion, which will increase planning commission salaries to $6,000 annually, with the chairman of the planning commission making $7,000. 

This comes during the same budget season where supervisors approved increasing the real estate tax rate from the current 0.52 cents to 0.55 cents per $100 of assessed value. Also, aircraft taxes will jump from 0.52 cents to $1.10 per $100 of assessed value and the public service corporation tax rate will go from 0.52 to 0.55 as well. 

As for how that compares to the rest of the region in terms of real estate tax, Lunenburg County is the lowest at 38 cents, Nottoway is at 48 cents and Prince Edward will be right above that at 51, when their tax increase takes effect. The highest in the region by far is Cumberland, which currently stands at 75 cents. Appomattox County is behind that at 63 cents and Charlotte County is at 62. Buckingham County is right above Prince Edward at 55 cents.