The Witness Tree Challenge

 

Venerable tree on Maidens Road (Goochland County Historical Society image.)

Goochland is blessed with a gracious plenty of trees. In summer, we enjoy their shade, during ice storms we fear their ability to snap power lines and close roads. In autumn, we rake leaves. They form a backdrop to our lives.

Some trees are crops with relatively short lives. Others have been around for generations and bear silent witness to history.

As we approach the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, the Goochland Historical Society is partnering with the Goochland 250 Commission, the Goochland Rotary Club, Goochland Schools, and the Goochland Education Foundation in the “Witness tree challenge” to locate and identify trees that have been in the county since, or even before, our nation was founded.

Go to https://www.exploregoochland.com/187/VA-250-American-Revolution or https://goochlandedu.org/2026/01/15/the-witness-tree-challenge/.

Over the nearly three centuries since its founding and before, trees in Goochland were cut down to clear land for crops, used as firewood, milled to provide lumber to build, and as continues today, grown for industrial use.

There are some trees in Goochland, however, that have stood observing events unfolding around them. The goal of the Witness Tree Challenge is to find and celebrate those venerable trees. As trees add a ring of bark during each growing season, their age can be determined by counting those rings. A forester will drill a small hole in the tree to extract a horizontal core to confirm its age.

All school children, including those in public, private, or home school venues, in the county are encouraged to participate in the following manner:

·         Find a candidate tree. Do not trespass. Obtain permission from landowners. To find out who owns a particular parcel of land go to the wonderfully updated Goochland County GIS site at https://gis.co.goochland.va.us/CivQuest/. (This can be a good way to teach children how to read maps.)

·         Measure the circumference of the tree using a tape measure or piece of twine.

·         Identify the type of tree e.g. oak, sycamore. There are many apps to help with this.

·         Record the location of the tree with street address and with the compass app on a smartphone for precise longitude and latitude.

·         Take a photo of the tree.

·         Submit this information to nominate a tree at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDPPJ-8317zc0f9zO5fuiv2EqvO06-5PamyopQjFuXtHDeWQ/viewform

Submissions must be made by March 1, 2026.

The Witness Tree Committee will evaluate nominations and select the most likely candidates. Metal tags will be placed on trees recording their age and discovered.

Students who successfully identify a Witness Tree at least 250 years old will be honored at a Board of Supervisors’ meeting and at a special recognition event on Arbor Day April 24. On that day they will plant a tree in hopes that it will bear witness to the next two hundred and fifty years of our Republic.

Contact Witnesstree@goochlandhistory.org with questions.

 

 

 

 

Firefly virtual town hall

 Firefly Fiber Broadband is holding a Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, February 3rd at 4 PM for the RISE Project George’s Tavern service zone to learn more about Firefly, ask questions, and find out how you can sign up for service. Firefly’s RISE Project George’s Tavern service zone include Goochland residents served by Dominion Energy who live in the Southwestern area of Goochland as shown on the maps at https://www.fireflyva.com/dominion-energy-rise-goochland-georges-tavern/.  

Residents in this area should register online at https://www.fireflyva.com/town-halls/, there is an option to attend online or by phone.  A recording of the Virtual Town Hall will be made available to those who register. 

Goochland County understands that not all residents can attend the town hall virtually, and as such the County will offer the opportunity to watch it at the County Administration Building.  It will be live streamed in Conference Room 234 in the County Administration Building located at 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, VA 23063.   Residents are encouraged to still register online at https://www.fireflyva.com/town-halls/.  

It's important for interested residents in the Firefly Fiber Broadband project areas register for service at https://register.fireflyva.com/.  Residents can find the latest information for Firefly Fiber Broadband’s projects in Goochland at https://www.fireflyva.com/partners-goochland/.  

About public safety

On this frigid day when travel is still treacherous, let us offer prayers for those tasked with providing law enforcement and fire-rescue service to our community no matter what Mother Nature throws their way.

During last Tuesday’s budget workshop, Sheriff Steven Creasey and Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr., discussed the functions, needs, and challenges faced by their respective agencies.

Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management is an all-hazard agency that responds to a wide range of situations including EMS calls, weather related incidents, fires, smoke alarm activation, and motor vehicle incidents on all county roads and I64 and Rt. 288 where wrecks have become more frequent and complex.

Ferguson thanked the supervisors for their support of his department and commended County Administrator Jeremy Raley for implementing a five-year strategic plan to spread anticipated costs over several budget seasons.

Goochland Fire-Rescue responded to 5,181calls in in calendar 2025, a year over year increase of 6.1 percent, up from 3,843 in 2021. Of those, the vast majority, 3,356 were EMS related.

Resources—people and equipment—needed to respond to those calls are not equal. A “routine” EMS call from Avery Point might require a single ambulance. A multi-vehicle wreck on I-64 could require people and apparatus from several stations and take many hours to resolve, preventing those resources from responding to other calls. Increased “wall time,” waiting for a patient bed, at area emergency departments also keeps ambulances out of the county for extended periods further reducing assets available to respond to other calls.

Goochland, like most Virginia jurisdictions, has a cost recovery policy for ambulance transports, which generates about $1.2 million annually that goes into the general fund.  The county uses a compassionate “soft billing” policy that does not pursue payment and writes off the unpaid amount, which Ferguson estimated in 2025 was $700k. He explained that Medicare and Medicaid have set transport reimbursement rates. This does not cover the cost of providing EMS.

When asked about the large number of EMS calls generated by Avery Point, the continuing care retirement community in West Creek, Ferguson said “Avery Point is a community within a community of senior citizens and we’re going to do our best to serve them. The citizens there could not be more supportive of fire-rescue.”

Ferguson explained how resources from the county’s seven fire-rescue stations move around to provide coverage when units are busy elsewhere to illustrate the need for more career positions. ((go to https://goochlandva.new.swagit.com/videos/372758 at about the 1.07 minute mark)   “Company 3 in Centerville is just about maxed out,” said Ferguson alluding to its 2,004 responses in 2025. All other companies support Centerville. The need for the West Creek fire-rescue station on Hockett Road “just hits you in the face,” said Tom Winfree, District 3 when shown the statistics.  The Eli Lilly facility will be in the Manakin Company 1 “first due” area, which already handles the southeast part of Goochland. The West Creek Station will better distribute the already heavy workload shared by Centerville and Manakin.

Fire-Rescue Station call response (Goochland County image)

The addition of a single ambulance at Sandy Hook Station 8, hopefully soon to be under construction, has had a positive impact on response time in the center of the county.

Ferguson went on to discuss the need for an additional 55 career fire-rescue positions in the next five years, which translates into 15 per station. That would supply two people on an ambulance and three on an engine.

This staffing level would increase efficiency and provide a “relief factor” to ensure adequate staffing so employees can take vacation, sick time, train, and handle light duty when recovering from illness or injury. That would be one for every six firefighters. Board Chair Jonathan Christy, District 1, said that the relief factor is critical for retainment and mitigates employee burnout.

Ferguson said that higher staffing levels would also deal with walk-ins who go to a station for help to find no one there to help them.

Board Vice Chair Neil Spoonhower, District 2, said that the discussion highlighted the need for commercial rather than residential development to fund these operational requests, anticipate growth, and keep the county rural.

Ferguson contended that his job is to explain the needs of his department to the supervisors and it’s up to them to decide what can be funded. The entire leadership team of fire-rescue was present, including Sheriff Creasey and Chief Deputy Major Mike East, both fire-rescue volunteer life members.

Charlie Vaughters, District 4 raised concerns about the county’s repeated deferral of capital expenditures and maintenance. He said that that county needs to be proactive to make sure resources to support economic development are in place sooner than later.

Sheriff’s Office

Creasey began his remarks by acknowledging the challenges facing fire-rescue. “As many of you know, my childhood home burned down when my mother was in the hospital with Covid and passed a year later. I can tell you how it feels personally when you watch the fire department run out of water and watch your house burn to the ground. I’m not saying the fire department did anything wrong that night. I’ve been a volunteer for over 30 years and know the problem was manpower and not being able to get trucks there with water. Just put yourself in someone else’s shoes when you do make that decision on the number of people fire-rescue needs. I support them 100 percent but know firsthand about losing something that meant so much to my family.”

Calls to the Sheriff’s Office, which is Goochland’s primary law enforcement agency, increased 7.7 percent from the previous year.  Dispatch, which is a part of his agency, answered 40,618 Sheriff’s Office calls service in 2025. It also handles many other calls for fire-rescue, animal protection, and other matters, all of which require the time and attention of the communications officers.

 

Goochland Communications where all emergency response begins (Goochland County Image)

For the coming fiscal year, the Sheriff is requesting two additional communications officer positions, two in FY28 and one each for the next three fiscal years to keep up with expected growth in calls for service.

Creasey and East discussed the need for an information technology director position to oversee the law enforcement specific technology that must function 24/7 without interruption. This includes more than 30 applications/ systems that require frequent updates and monitoring.

Given the complicated skill set needed to be a communications officer, it could take at least a year for new hires to be ready to function on their own. All Goochland communications officers are trained in emergency medical dispatch, which enables them provide aid until EMS arrives.

East, who is the de facto Sheriff IT director, explained that public safety hardware and software is specialized and unique. It must work 24/7 because LEOs on the street depend on it. “There’ve been many times when I’ve gotten a call at two in the morning to get the computer aided dispatch back online.” The time he devotes to technology, said East, takes him away from other duties including investigation.

In later fiscal years, the Sheriff is requesting additional court security and bailiffs to staff the new courthouse. He repeated the need to fund a communications tower for the northeast quadrant of the county that was discussed at the December 19 capital improvement plan workshop.

Staffing in relation to growth is an ongoing challenge. Creasey said that he has never been asked if rezoning applications require additional law enforcement resources. Perhaps “fiscal impact” statements in rezoning application should have input from the Sheriff and Fire-Rescue Chief about needed resources.

Unfunded mandates for things like training from the General Assembly are a perennial budget issue. Of particular concern to the Sheriff this is year is legislation that would curtail qualified immunity for law enforcement. “We would lose a lot of people if that went away,” Creasey said.

Excellence in public safety requires an adequate number of highly trained people equipped with the best tools who are well compensated and appreciated. It is up to the supervisors to pay the bills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where the money comes from

People came to Goochland from all over Virginia for DMV Select Services in the Covid summer of 2020

In Virginia, localities like Goochland County must operate with balanced budgets—expenses must equal revenue. Crafting a balanced budget, even for a relatively small county, is a complicated task.

During a budget work session held on the evening of January 20, County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley, Ed. D., and the board of supervisors delved into complexities of the budget process. (Thanks to the excellent work of Dan Stowers and the information technology department, the meeting was recorded and is archived at https://goochlandva.new.swagit.com/videos/372758.)

For the first time in recent memory, county administration discussed funding mechanisms and revenue streams in a public setting. This is another example of Raley’s pledge to improve transparency.

Goochland, Raley explained, assesses property and sets tax rates on a calendar year basis, but budgets on a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. Real estate and personal property taxes are collected in June and December, in two different fiscal years. He characterized the budget as a “spending plan”. The budget process has been ongoing for many months, he said, when all departments and agencies share their needs. He thanked Treasurer Pam Duncan, Assessor Mary Anne Davis, and interim finance director Dave Wilson for their collaboration in the process.

He gave a special shout out to Commissioner of the Revenue Jennnifer Brown and her staff. Not only does this office provide excellent service to Goochland citizens, but to anyone who needs DMV services. Indeed, during the Covid shut down, Goochland DMV Select, which is part of Brown’s office, was one of the few in the Commonwealth that remained open serving all comers. DMV select processes “a significant number of transactions” which generates reimbursement from the Department of Motor Vehicles, more than $400k in FY25.

As 2026 dawned the focus shifted to identifying revenue streams to use taxpayer dollars and make good decisions to carry out strategic goals and initiatives.

The budget for FY27, which begins next July 1, looks 18 months ahead to forecast available revenue to pay county bills.

The Goochland Assessor’s Office values residential and commercial property. Its “heavy lift” is done from July through December including in person visits to properties, looking at sales and a variety of factors to determine, as closely as possible, fair market value. Calendar year 2026 assessments were mailed on January 15. These will be used to calculate property taxes after tax rates are set by the supervisors in April. First half tax bills are mailed in May and due on June 5.

Those taxes will be collected in the current fiscal year, whose budget was approved in April 2025. Taxes generated by personal property, machines, and tools are a significant revenue stream. The Commissioner of the Revenue determines the value of those assets in the county as of January 1. That is the number used in crafting the budget for the next fiscal year. However, said Raley, this amount fluctuates throughout the year as vehicles move in and out of the county. Those values are updated on the 15^th of every month. The constant churn complicates forecasting the amount of that revenue stream.

Raley said that a three percent increase in real estate values on January 2026 was used in the FY26 budget, which translated into an estimated tax revenue of $52.4 million.  Revenue collected as of December 31, 2025, the first half of FY26 was $23,870,490. Projected collections by June 30, 2026, using those same numbers are $26,942,913 for a total of $50,813, 403, a shortfall of $1,586, 597. However, the actual increase in January 2026 property values was $10.3 billion, eight percent more than projected. Using the 53-cent tax rate this translates into $54.4 million for the FY27 budget. For the first half of 2026, this is estimated at $27,734,705, for an FY 26 total of $54,402,690.

The assessor’s team, said Raley, is predicting an increase next year of at least four percent. However, unknown factors, including an economic slowdown, could reduce that. He said that projects under construction are added to the tax rolls when certificates of occupancy are issued. For calendar 2026, this could include the Honda dealership on Broad Street Road and other commercial projects, which could significantly increase actual collections. Without a crystal ball, forecasting can be complicated and frustrating.

As much of the rise in assessed valuations is driven by new construction in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, it was pointed out that, in addition to paying a 32 cent per $100 ad valorem tax, 55 percent of tax increase on properties there also goes to service the debt that created the district in 2002. All real estate tax collected from land outside the TCSD goes to the county general fund.

Tom Winfree District 3 said “basically the county is forking over 55 percent of the normal real estate taxes collected on the properties in the TCSD. TCSD keeps all the ad valorem tax and 55 percent of the 53 cents per 100 that we collect so we can keep 45 percent for general services. We’re not keeping the full 53 cents. The rest of the taxpayers are not benefitting as much. If you look at it another way, the citizens in the TCSD are only taking up 45 percent of their weight in the general running of the county because the rest of it is going to pay off the bonds.”

Wilson said that the 55 percent TCSD revenue sharing is treated as a negative and subtracted from projected totals.

County Attorney Tara McGee said that the arrangement is not a policy decision made by this board but was pledged by the bond documents in 2002 in order to get the bonds approved. It is a pledge of revenue to support the issuance of the bonds and cannot be rescinded.

 “We get asked the question why can’t we make adjustments to the ad valorem tax and change it on specific case situations, but when it goes into an indenture, the life of that indenture, because bonds are sold to institutions, to other places outside of Goochland County, we can’t go changing any of those rules. They are in a contract as any other bond. I know it is a point of frustration for a lot of people; this goes back 20 years. This is a bond issuance that we can’t unlock or amend, which is why we want to pay it down sooner than later,” said Charlie Vaughters, District 4.

Pencils will be sharpened in coming months to build a FY27 budget. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second annual Hockett Road realignment meeting

 

Latest version of Hockett/Ashland Road connector

On January 13, 2026, VDOT held a “design public hearing” for the Hockett and Ashland Roads “improvement project” in eastern Goochland. This session was 365 days after a similar meeting on the same subject, allegedly to select the best location for the project. The notion of connecting Ashland and Hocket Roads through the parcel of vacant land on the south side of Broad Street Road at the end of Ashland Road, which is planted with crops during the growing season, has been on the local road planning radar since at least 2013.

Residents examine realignment proposal

The latest iteration, which VDOT officials assured GOMM, is the version that will be built, was unveiled on the 13th. This shows a roundabout by the entrance to the emergency veterinary clinic that will move traffic either north south on Hockett, or east west on the connector road.

VDOT literature distributed at the 2026 meeting states “the project proposes to construct a new two-lane road with a left turn lane at Broad Street and curb/gutter with sidewalk on one side of the roadway. The proposed connector roadway will link Hockett Road to Ashland Road at its intersection with Broad Street. A roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Hockett Road and Holly Lane. Concrete sidewalk will be installed on one side of the proposed roadway. Additional northbound turn lanes will be constructed at the new intersection of Ashland Road and Broad Street. An additional southbound turn lane will be constructed at the intersections with Broad Street and Ashland Road.” This is the version that VDOT presented last year as a possible location for the roundabout.

Officials said that the more northerly location for the roundabout removes wetland complications from the project. It will be farther from the Hickory Hill neighborhood also.

Unlike early versions of this project, the traffic signal at Hockett and Broad that allows left turns and through traffic, will not change.

Asked by a Goochland resident why the project shows sidewalks, but only on one side of the proposed road, a VDOT official—there were several at the session—explained that the agency is “all in” on multi-modal transportation, which requires sidewalks. The resident was skeptical that anyone would use the proposed sidewalk and mentioned the exorbitant cost of the half mile or so sidewalk in Courthouse Village—$7 million for about a half mile—as an example. It would be interesting to know how much sidewalks add to the project cost. Curiously, the elevation displayed on January 13 shows the sidewalk on the northern side of the new road, away from neighborhoods to the south.

Efforts will be made to minimize disruption to existing Hockett Road traffic during construction, VDOT  reps contended without details.

According to the flyer distributed at the meeting, the estimated cost of the project is $19,403, 631. Of that, $2,013,694 is allocated for engineering; $5,653,238 for right of way acquisition, and utility relocation; and $11,736,699 for construction. As project completion is now anticipated for Spring 2031, the final cost will likely increase. According to the VDOT flyer” This project is in the early design phase. Therefore, costs are subject to change. The project will be financed using a combination of federal and state funds.”

Right of way acquisition, purchasing easements for portions of land through which the road passes, includes an appraisal to determine the fair market value of the property in question so that landowners receive “just compensation—VDOT’s term. According to documents shared on January 13, this would affect about six parcels.

Rights of way needed for project

It seems like the proposed project will make the land it subdivides more developable and therefore valuable. In a perfect world, landowners would donate their easements to reduce the cost, and perhaps speed completion of the project or even build the road through their property if VDOT handles the roundabout and related road improvements. We do not live in a perfect world, so these road improvements move through the VDOT process with glacial speed.

Go go https://www.goochlandva.us/1254/Ashland-Rd-Extension for moreinformation.

Let’s hope that the uses the “measure twice cut once” theory to ensure that when this is finally built, it does not create more problems than it solves.

If you would like to comment on the project, email Thomas.Kendrick@VDOT.virginia. Gov with “UPC 105733 Route 623 (Hockett Road) Improve Intersection Public Hearing” in the subject line by January 23, 2026

 

 

Public hearings

 

The Goochland Board of Supervisors holds public hearings in the evening of their regular first Tuesday of the month meeting days. At this time, matters that require public input, mostly zoning and land use issues, are explained to the board in detail by both staff and applicants requesting the change. After that, citizens can comment. This is usually followed by a board vote.

Agendas for both the afternoon and evening supervisor meetings include a citizen comment period at which time people may comment on any subject not on the agenda. These remarks run the gamut from bringing topics to the board’s attention; opposition to various matters; and less frequently, commendations.

On January 6, during evening citizen comment, a resident of eastern Goochland “paid respect and gave a shout out” to providers from Goochland Fire-Rescue for its response to a fire at his home. He reported that six units responded to his farm. “They were beyond professional and their response time was amazing. Not only did they stick around and take care of this issue, but they also made sure that everything was checked before they left and laid down mats so they wouldn’t ruin my rugs. They came back the next day to make sure that everything was okay.” He thanked the amazing men and women of Goochland Fire-Rescue who are a clear example of the leadership of Chief Ferguson.

Next up several people who live in or near Walton Road in western Goochland expressed opposition to a conditional use permit (CUP) application filed by Virginia Sports Park and Training Center for a skeet shooting range and similar courses on 85 acres on Walton Road. The case will be heard by the Goochland Planning Commission at its January 15 meeting beginning at 6 p.m.

They contended that the proposed location of shooting stands is far too close to established homes that would be subjected to hazardous sound levels generated by shooting from morning until dusk 365 days a year. The speakers said that they are not opposed to shooting in general, but not in such close proximity to their homes. Objections included gunfire sound that would interfere with daytime sleep of neighbors who work nights, disturbing peaceful atmosphere, stressing livestock, safety, traffic, lead contamination of their ground water, and reduction of property values.

One person contended that a proponent of the CUP reported roadside signs against the CUP to the county for removal. (Hint, signs farther back from the pavement out of the right of way are still visible and not subject to removal.)

Opponents to this CUP also voiced their objections during citizen comment at the November 19 meeting of the Goochland Economic Development Authority. (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1154/County-Meetings to view recordings of these meetings.)

Public hearings

One parcel west of Hockett Road with a failing septic system was added to the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. It will pay ad valorem tax and a 20 percent connection fee surcharge.

An ordinance amendment to change staff titles to reflect organizational realignment was approved.

A CUP application for a short-term unhosted rental on a 30-acre parcel on Fleming Road in the western end of the county was approved.  The supervisors declined to include  recommendations made by the planning commission to prohibit outdoor amplified sound or music; no outdoor music after 10 p.m.; a one-year expiration date; prohibition of renters’ operating ATVs on the property; and limiting rentals for fewer than 30 days to 12 per year.

Neighbors of the subject parcel raise objections including maintenance of the private road that accesses the property, traffic on Fleming Road, and behavior of guests.

Although the county requires property owners to obtain a CUP to operate these facilities and pay lodging tax, the applicant had been renting out the property through an online short term rental company without the CUP.

Overnight occupancy is limited to six guests based on septic system capacity. County regulations prohibit hunting and discharging firearms on the property. No trespassing signs must be posted at property boundaries.

The supervisors unanimously approved the CUP for a five-year period. They contended that any bad behavior by guests would be a law enforcement issue. The applicant said he has no way to control what renters do. There was no discussion of zoning violations, which are not law enforcement issues, or how they are enforced. There seemed to be no effort to collect lodging tax for the rental income generated by the property before the CUP was granted. Surely the applicant has this information available on tax returns from previous years.

These short-term rentals fill a need for guest lodging in a county with only one hotel and a handful of bed and breakfasts, generate income for property owners, and taxes for Goochland, which are all positive. However, there seems to be little vetting of the guests, beyond a valid credit card. The vast majority of those who avail themselves of these places are considerate responsible people, but what about those who do as they wish and cause problems? What recourse do neighbors, who get no benefit from the arrangements, have against the property owners?  (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/966/Short-term-rental for county rules.)

The supervisors will hold a capital improvement work session on Tuesday, July 20 beginning at 6 p.m. in room 270 of the administration building. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed.

 

 

 

On to 2026

 

Jonathan Christy (l) and Neil Spoonhower

The Goochland Board of Supervisors rang in 2026 with its annual organizational meeting on January 6. Jonathan Christy, District 1 and Neil Spoonhower, District 2, were unanimously selected to be chair and vice chair respectively.

The supervisors then unanimously approved resolutions adopting updated codes of ethics and standards of conduct for both board members and county appointees. They also unanimously approved Supervisors’ rule of procedure and the 2026 board meeting schedule. (See January 6 board packet for details)

Tom Winfree, District 3, board chair for 2025, reflected on the past year. He said there is a lot to be thankful for. One of the most significant developments was hiring Dr. Jeremy Raley as county administrator. “The board of supervisors deliberated this at length, took our time, thankfully so, and I think you will all agree that we made a good choice.”

Winfree said that Raley’s strengthening staff and bringing onboard professional personnel resources proved beneficial to county operations and overall staff morale. He cited the announcement that Eli Lilly will build a $5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in West Creek to be transformational for the county. He regretted that there was “some unpleasantness, which he contended is part of the job but that everyone is entitled to their own feelings. “We’ve made some tough decisions that laid a pathway for more economic development, which will be beneficial for Goochland County as we mature and become more of a regional presence. Stay tuned.”

Raley summed up the first six months as Goochland’s CEO with a closeout of his entry plan (go to https://www.goochlandva.us/m/newsflash/home/detail/1349 for the document.) He hit the ground running by holding 190 listening sessions with people and groups around the county to learn about strengths, challenges, and concerns to better serve our citizens.

Residents, said Raley, cited the strength and focus of public safety, the Sheriff’s Office, Fire-Rescue, and Animal Protection, the quality of our schools and the importance of preserving our county’s identity. Employees celebrate each other for their teamwork, accountability, and commitment to serving our residents well.

To that end, employees of the quarter were recognized. Since taking office, Raley regularly celebrates the excellent work of county staff at all levels acknowledging their vital role in the success of local government.

They are: Leader of the Quarter Don Leftwich, Solid Waste and Recycling Manager; Employee of the Quarter Shannon Grayson, Chief Deputy Registrar; Team of the Quarter Treasurer’s Office; Rookie of the Quarter Tiffany Hitaffer, Assistant County Attorney; Customer Service Star of the Quarter Abigail Cordova, Animal Shelter Attendant.

Goochland  Treasurer's Department

Raley also shares factoids about county agencies. He lauded the recent adoption of making whole blood available to county EMS providers in the field, which is a game changer for survival of trauma victims. Goochland Fire-Rescue said Raley is one of 20 EMS agencies in Virginia to have this protocol and one of 280 nationwide.

He also complimented Deputy County Administrator Sara Worley for working hard to review and streamline the permit approval process in the Community Development Department to reduce the backlog from 109 to 15.

Raley said he hopes to establish a community engagement committee, which will act as a two-way channel with residents and create a “public facing dashboard” to share critical information.

Agency presentations:

Goochland 250 Commission

The Hon.Manuel Alverez, Jr., former District 2 supervisor and interim county administrator, and current chair of the Goochland 250 Commission said that the Commission is working on plans to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. This will include reading the Declaration of Independence and the names of Goochlanders who fought in the Revolution. The second annual Run to Revolution 5k was held last October at Elk Hill. The 2026 run will be held in a different location, closer to Courthouse Village to increase participation.

Commission member Robin Lind, who is also the Board Chair of the Goochland Historical Society, announced the “Witness Tree Challenge” to be launched in concert with the Goochland Historical Society, the 250 Commission, county schools, and the Goochland Education Foundation. Open to all students, including home schoolers and those in private schools located in Goochland, the goal is to find living trees that have been alive since 1776, which have stood silent witness to history.

The submission deadline is March 1. A celebration event will be held on Arbor Day, April 24 at which time a tree will be planted in the hopes that it will witness the next 250 years of history in Goochland. Details will be released soon.

Animal Protection Report

Job Greene, Animal Protection Director, (notice in Goochland we call it animal protection, not animal control) gave a brief overview of his department. The animal shelter is a public safety, law enforcement, and community service partner. Its work protects people, animals, and county resources, often simultaneously. Its main components are field service, shelter operations, and veterinary care.

Field service responded to 2,537 calls for service and increase of 6 percent over the previous year. This included 951 calls for stray and nuisance animals, 112 cases of potential rabies exposure, and 316 calls for wildlife service.

Animal protection is available 24/7/365 for emergency calls. It is a mandatory report for child welfare and elderly neglect.

Last year, the department processed 788 adoptions, up 39 percent from the previous year. There were 1060 impounded animals, an increase of 21 percent. The euthanasia rate dropped by 25 percent.

Greene said that his department wants to set the standard for animal care in Virginia. “Our reputations gotten out that we’re doing the best we can for every animal that comes through the door. We’ve been awarded the No Kill Excellence award for the last three years from the Best Friends Animal Society.”

An important part of the Shelter, said Greene, are the volunteers who do thousands of hours of work a year. “We couldn’t do it without them. We have 94 and they’re amazing.”

He also commended Goochland Pet Lovers, the private non-profit that partners with his department to enable them to say yes to animal care situations that other shelters turn away.

The shelter has a full veterinary clinic that enables offering “turnkey” adoptable pets.

Greene also praised support of the community where people donate items and money to support the shelter almost every day. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/299/Animal-Protection to learn more.

The shelter, Goochland Pet Lovers, and adoption center grew out of the vison of the late Rebecca T. Dickson. Her formal portrait hangs in the lobby of the shelter.

Goochland Cares

Andrea Ahonen, CEO of Goochland Cares, the private non-profit (https://goochlandcares.org/), which provides a wide variety of crucial services to the economically disadvantaged in the county discussed how the county’s financial support for the past 20 years has helped offset its costs.

Among them is the critical home repair program, which helps keep people in their homes. In the last year, the county provided $130k, which represents 27 percent of the program’s cost. Ahonen reported that 98 homes with 159 projects including plumbing, HVAC, ramps, roofs, and electrical were repaired. Of those 38 percent were urgent repairs, and there are 31 carry over projects from 2025. She attributed the need for this service to the fact that 62 percent of the critical home repair clients are over age 65. The situation is exacerbated by inflation. Ahonen contended that one of every five homes in Goochland has one or more substandard housing conditions like lack of plumbing or kitchen facilities, a high number of residents per room, and housing costs that exceed 50 percent of income.

She said that that residents most vulnerable to being forced to leave substandard homes are single female African American seniors. The cost of emergency housing averages $2,500 per person per month, while the average total cost of a home repair is $2,600.

Ahonen asked for a 20 percent increase in funding for Goochland Cares to support this and its other programs.

In FY2026, which began July 1, 2025, the county contribution to Goochland Cares was $292,250 in support of all of its programs.

Alvarez, who serves on the Goochland Cares board advocated for the funding increase, citing the way that Goochland Cares supports less fortunate citizens in a cost-effective manner. He said the home repair program, which helps older people stay in homes where they’ve lived for most of their lives, is very important. Alvarez pointed out that money spent by Goochland Cares stays in the county.

These presentations illustrate the complexity of the county budget. To view these presentations in their entirety go to the  county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ click on watch county meetings and select BoS for January 6.