10-12-2026 11:39pm

ELECTION 2026: COUNTY BOND QUESTION 4

John Williams Editor

VOTERS TO DECIDE $33.7 MILLION ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOLID WASTE BOND

Landfill work, additional disposal capacity and convenience-center improvements are included in the proposal

By John L. Williams | The Spotsylvania Gazette

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY — The fourth and final county bond question on the Nov. 3 ballot asks voters whether Spotsylvania County should be authorized to borrow as much as $33,657,353 for environmental and solid-waste projects.

Question 4 focuses on the Livingston Landfill and county convenience centers. The ballot includes required landfill-closure work, additional permitted disposal capacity, recovery of landfill space at an older landfill area and improvements to convenience centers used by county residents.

QUESTION 4 AT A GLANCE

Maximum borrowing authority: $33,657,353.

Projects include closure of landfill cells, construction of additional landfill capacity, recovery and reuse of landfill space, and convenience-center improvements.

YES authorizes the county to issue up to the ballot maximum in bonds for the purposes described.

NO does not authorize that borrowing.

Each of Spotsylvania County’s four bond questions is decided separately.

WHAT DOES THE BALLOT ASK?

The ballot asks whether Spotsylvania County may issue general obligation public improvement bonds of up to $33,657,353 for environmental and solid-waste management.

The official question identifies four broad purposes:

Mandated closure of Cells 3 through 6 at the Livingston Landfill, including final grading, protective-cover systems and environmental controls.

Construction of Cell II-C at the Livingston Landfill to provide additional permitted waste-disposal capacity.

Excavation, processing and recovery of landfill space at the Livingston site to extend its service life and reduce long-term environmental liabilities.

Improvements to convenience centers, including safety features and upgraded infrastructure intended to improve access to solid-waste and recycling services.

WHERE WOULD THE MONEY GO?

The county lists six major project areas:

$9.7 million — Livingston Landfill Cells 3 through 6 closure.

The county says the closure work is mandated and includes final grading, protective-cover systems and environmental controls required for compliance with state and federal regulations.

$8.8 million — Livingston Landfill Cell II-C.

The project would create additional permitted waste-disposal capacity. County information says the landfill has less than five years of remaining capacity without the new cell and that Cell II-C would add approximately 10 years of capacity.

$6.9 million — Livingston Landfill No. 1 excavation and landfill-space recovery.

The county says waste in the older Livingston Landfill No. 1 would be excavated and placed in a modern lined cell. The footprint of the older landfill would then be redeveloped as a modern landfill facility. According to the county, the work would reduce potential environmental impacts from the older landfill and add approximately 10 years to the overall life of the Livingston Landfill.

$1.8 million — Livingston Convenience Site expansion.

The project would add collection bays and make changes intended to improve residential traffic access and the customer experience at the site.

$1.7 million — Convenience-center lighting.

The county says installing lights would allow convenience centers to remain open until 6 p.m. throughout the year.

$4.6 million — Chancellor Convenience Center improvements.

The county says the Chancellor Convenience Center handles an average of about 2,000 vehicles on a weekday and as many as 3,500 on weekends. Proposed improvements are intended to address traffic flow, operational safety, site security and aging structures used for refuse collection.

HOW DID IT GET ON THE BALLOT?

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in May to establish the amounts and categories for a four-question bond referendum totaling about $400.6 million.

The county has traditionally included schools, transportation and public safety in bond referendums. This year, supervisors added approximately $33.7 million for solid waste as a fourth category.

WHY SUPPORTERS SAY IT IS NEEDED

County information describes some of the work as necessary to continue landfill operations and meet environmental requirements.

The closure of filled landfill cells is mandated. The county also says additional disposal capacity is needed because existing capacity is limited.

Supporters can also point to the convenience-center projects as investments in safety, access and infrastructure as Spotsylvania continues to grow.

WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS?

Question 4 would authorize as much as $33.7 million in additional county borrowing.

The amount printed on the ballot is the maximum principal that could be borrowed. Repaying bonds also requires interest.

Voters may also consider the difference between financing capital improvements and decisions about daily solid-waste operations. Earlier this year, Berkeley District Supervisor David Goosman raised complaints from residents about reduced convenience-center availability in rural portions of the county.

Approval of the bond would authorize borrowing for the capital projects described on the ballot. It would not by itself establish convenience-center operating hours or determine other day-to-day solid-waste policies.

WHAT COULD IT MEAN FOR A HOMEOWNER?

The county estimates a potential tax-rate equivalent of $0.012 per $100 of assessed real-estate value for the Environmental and Solid Waste bond.

That is 1.2 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The county lists both the gross and net debt-service equivalents at $0.012 for this bond category.

At that rate:

A property assessed at $100,000 would have an equivalent of about $12 per year.

A property assessed at $300,000 would have an equivalent of about $36 per year.

A property assessed at $400,000 would have an equivalent of about $48 per year.

A property assessed at $500,000 would have an equivalent of about $60 per year.

These figures are illustrations of the county’s projected debt-service impact. They are not an automatic tax increase or a prediction of an individual homeowner’s future tax bill. The Board of Supervisors sets the real-estate tax rate through the annual budget process.

THE DECISION BELONGS TO VOTERS

A YES vote authorizes Spotsylvania County to issue up to $33,657,353 in general obligation bonds for the environmental and solid-waste purposes described on the ballot.

A NO vote does not authorize that borrowing.

The decision belongs to Spotsylvania voters.

The Spotsylvania Gazette does not endorse a YES or NO vote.

This is the fourth and final article in the Gazette’s series examining Spotsylvania County’s 2026 bond referendum. The four questions total approximately $400.6 million and cover schools, transportation, public safety, and environmental and solid-waste projects. The Gazette’s earlier voter guide lists the Environmental and Solid Waste question at $33,657,353.

Spotsylvania_Gazette_Page_3_Election_2026.pdf

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Gazette welcomes letters about Question 4 and the other county bond questions. Use the Gazette QR code to reach the publication’s submission page.

Letters may be edited for length, clarity and style. Publication is at the editor’s discretion.

SOURCES

Spotsylvania County 2026 Bond Referendum

Spotsylvania County Potential Impact on Tax Bill

Official Nov. 3 sample ballot

Fredericksburg Free Press, May 28, 2026, “Spotsylvania supervisors set amounts and categories for November bond referendum”