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Could it be that a pattern has emerged with another Friday edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement? And how will this burgeoning habit be affected by the WTJU Rock Marathon, a weeklong celebration of music that will preempt the April 25 radio edition of this newsletter? I’m Sean Tubbs, and I look forward to seeing how that goes. Until then, here are the stories for this edition: * Albemarle Supervisors will not move forward with a personal property tax rate increase in 2026 (read the story) * However, Supervisors do find an additional $2 million for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (story forthcoming at C-Ville Weekly) * Area planners hear from VDOT about a desire to coordinate transportation projects (read the story) * UVA representative to city PC reports on various projects including new access for Center for Politics (read the story) * Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services announces changes to the city’s Development Code (read the story) A programming note for CCE-1035A The second story uses two soundbites from the first story. That’s because I opted to write up a follow-up piece on Albemarle Affordable Housing Investment Program for C-Ville Weekly. Interested in learning more about decisions I make in the process of reporting? Ask questions in the comments and I’m glad to answer. First PSA: Olympic swimming champion Gretchen Walsh to speak This year’s recipient of the Emily Couric Leadership Forum‘s leadership award is Olympic swimming champion Gretchen Walsh. She will be the speaker at a luncheon to be held at the Omni Hotel Charlottesville on Monday, April 27th at noon. Walsh, a 2025 UVA alum, is one of the most accomplished swimmers of her generation, holding 13 world records across long-course and short-course competition. Online ticket sales for the luncheon are available now. For more information, visit, Emily Couric Leadership Forum dot Org Second PSA: Raising Courageous Humans in an Anxious World The Charlottesville Waldorf School is hosting “Raising Courageous Humans in an Anxious World”, a panel discussion on children, anxiety, and resilience, in partnership with the 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival, Thursday, April 23rd at 6:00PM at the Violet Crown Cinema on the Downtown Mall. This timely panel discussion explores one of the most pressing concerns facing families today - the rise of anxiety among young children. The event is free and open to the public. Community members, educators, parents, and caregivers are warmly invited to attend. Thoughts at the end of CCE-1035A At publication I still have to find seven more minutes for the version that will air on WTJU tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. That is a volunteer activity for me and this podcast is the companion. Next week there is no radio show and sometimes without that deadline it is difficult to get the motivation to produce the podcast. I do not have the capacity yet to hire an editor and in the meantime, producing the audio version before I do the print version goes a long way to improving quality. I am hopeful to hire an editor, but that will take bringing in additional resources. While paid subscriptions through Substack help, I now have a way people can make charitable contributions to this journalistic enterprise. You can do that here. I am not going to give up the audio even though the total amount of listeners is fairly low. I know many enjoy it, and that’s enough for me to keep going as long as I can. For now, I post this image to give Substack something to use as the main frame. Questions? Comments? Leave them in a comments or drop me an email. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Friday has rolled around again which means it is time to scramble out another audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. This time around there is a big focus on municipal budgeting because the purpose of Town Crier Productions is to focus on the details of revenues and expenditures with a hope toward greater community understanding. At least, that’s the way this version of Sean Tubbs is programmed. In this edition: * Charlottesville City Council has adopted a budget for the next fiscal year that increased the real property tax rate by a penny, one fewer cent than had been proposed (full story below!) * Albemarle Supervisors have a few remaining decisions to make for the county’s FY2027 budget (read the story) * Albemarle and Charlottesville commemorate Dark Sky Week (read the story) * A preview of the Week Ahead Shout-out / PSA #1: Friends of JMRL Book Sale The Friends of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library’s Spring Book Sale is running now through this Sunday from 10:00am to 7:00pm each day at Albemarle Square Shopping Center. Additionally, April 11th and 12th are ½-price days. Choose from thousands of books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, games and puzzles, with restocking occurring throughout the sale. Proceeds benefit our regional public library system. Visit jmrlfriends DOT org for more information Charlottesville goes with penny increase on real property tax rate rather than two Note: The podcast edition of this budget story is stitched together from several reports. This is a consolidated version used for a script and lacks hyperlinks and other resources. One of the most important duties of governing bodies in Virginia localities is to adopt a budget for each fiscal year. For Charlottesville City Council, the process began this year on March 2 when Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders introduced a budget that was built on a two-cent increase in the real property tax rate to an even $1 for every $100 of assessed property. Since then, there have been several work sessions in which Sander’s recommended budget gradually became the one that Council adopted on April 9. These were mostly held on Thursdays beginning on March 5 with a work session dedicated to the Vibrant Community Fund on March 12. That’s the process through which the city provides money to nonprofit organizations. Informal budget hearing On March 19, the city held an informal public hearing during what is billed as the Community Budget Forum. The only speaker was Jim Moore who said he has eight rental properties within Charlottesville. “I tend to try to keep my rents a little below market, and I have some tenants that really can’t afford much more than that,” Moore said. Moore said the property assessment for one of those rental units increased by 74 percent from 2021 to 2025. He asked for the city to lower the anticipated rate increase. The budget forum ended up being more like a work session with staff presenting information to the City Councilors on potential ways to lower the rate. But first, budget director Krisy Hammill explained why the two cent real property rate increase had been proposed. “Most of the new revenue for the tax increase was put in the budget to offset the deeper transit investments, the increased match for the schools, and also the impacts of collective bargaining,” Hammill said. That two cent tax increase generates $2,467,724 a year. To help eliminate one of those pennies, Hammill said staff were comfortable projecting slightly higher revenue forecasts and also showed some ways to reduce revenue, including less funding for Charlottesville Area Transit, tapping into a reserve fund, and eliminating funds for Council Strategic Initiatives. “One other option would be to move the schools back to the original 2 million that we had originally built the budget around, thus reducing their increase by $569,000,” Hammill said. The budget anticipates hiring ten additional drivers for Charlottesville Area Transit. Under one potential scenario to reduce funding, money would be in place to hire five in July and the other five would be hired in January as well as additional mechanics and supervisors. That might also mean scheduled service improvements might be delayed. City Manager Sam Sanders said this would defer spending and Council would have to build positions into next year’s budget. That would create a structural imbalance that would have to be addressed. “Any creation of a structural imbalance is a risk,” Sanders said. “The question is how much of a risk are you willing to take. When you create the imbalance this year and solve it this way next year, you’re saying that your reassessment should be higher to start with. And you can’t guarantee that.” Councilor Jen Fleisher said she liked the idea of limiting the real property tax rate increase to a penny as a middle ground option. Councilor Natalie Oschrin said she did not support delaying expanded transit. “I appreciate coming up with the CAT adjustment scenario to try and make it fit,” Oschrin said. “I would prefer not to do that since it just kind of kicks the can down the road a little bit.” Oschrin said she could support using the reserve and eliminating additional funding for Council’s strategic initiatives. Councilor Michael Payne said he could support a one penny tax rate increase but said the risk to split funding for CAT personnel would be too high. “I don’t like in the past when we’ve set ourselves up with kind of fiscal cliffs,” Payne said. Mayor Juandiego Wade also said he could support a penny increase. “I appreciate the work that I’ve done to kind of bring back because we’ve been hearing from residents about the, the cost of living, the, the tax increase and this I believe is a good, won’t satisfy everyone,” Wade said. “But I think it’s a good, good compromise if we decide to go in this direction.” No decisions on tax rate at March 26 CIP work session The March 26 work session dealt with the Capital Improvement Program. That’s the portion of the budget that sets out what a locality expects to spend on infrastructure over the next five years. “The CIP plan for 27 is just over $47 million with $196 million over the five years,” Hammill said. “If we were to look in terms of dollars spent, education is the highest in this plan, followed by transportation and access, and then affordable housing coming in third.” There were no major changes in this year’s CIP. The Charlottesville Planning Commission had a work session on the capital budget in late November and later had a public hearing in December. The five-year CIP currently includes $500,000 a year for a line item called Parks and Recreation Master Plan Implementation. Sanders said that number will increase in the years to come because the master plan adopted by Council in March 2025 had a $78 million price tag over ten years. “We know that those numbers need to be dramatically different if we’re going to come anywhere close to that,” Sanders said. “But we now have an assistant city manager here who’s going to be working with the team to try to figure out how do we allocate better over the next five year cycle.” Part of the plan calls for major changes to Market Street Park, Court Square Park, Washington Park, and Tonsler Park. Sanders said each will be expensive and staff still needs to work out the timing. Parks and Recreation Director Riaan Anthony said the department will seek grants in addition to tax dollars to pay for the various projects. “In order for us to get there, we have to right size our department and the city,” Anthony said. “We are working in partnership with Public Works, reaching out to their department to say hey, do you have any resources?” There was further discussion of the parks and recreation master plan at the April 6 City Council work session. March 26 work session At the March 26 session there was a further discussion on the possibility of a one cent sales tax increase, what to do with anticipated payment-in-lieu fees for student housing projects, as well as miscellaneous discussions. Toward the end, Sanders hit reset on the discussion of the tax rate. On March 19, there had appeared to be consensus to limit the increase to a penny but Council still had to make decisions. “We’re looking for you to finalize what scenario we are actually going with for offsetting, for addressing the fact that you’re stepping back from two cent increase on the real estate tax to a one cent increase on the real estate tax,” Sanders said. However, that discussion did not happen at the meeting. Instead, Councilors sent suggestions to Sanders and Hammill via email on how to offset the funding if they wanted to proceed. April 2 wrap-up The April 2 budget work session was described as a wrap-up session. “The items that are open for discussion that we’re looking for answers on is closing out the review of the Vibrant Community Fund process and how Council is looking to utilize your Strategic Initiatives fund,” Sanders said. The Vibrant Community Fund process had been covered at the March 12 work session. This is how nonprofit organizations seek funding from Charlottesville. The full report can be seen here. Mayor Wade wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page regarding the penny increase on the real estate tax rate. “We had initially looked at a two cent tax increase, but we saw options where we could do one,” Wade said. “And I just want to make sure if you, if we have that information we can bring them make sure everyone’s on the same page with that. And if I can get a head nod or yes from everyone as we go down the line, make sure we are all okay with that.” As the meeting began, Council had a $228,000 gap to fill if they wanted to go with a penny increase. Hammill displayed the math on a spreadsheet, a spreadsheet made available to the public after I asked for it. T

The term “prevailing wisdom” can only apply if such experience exists, and there is still no certainty about the best time to post the audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. I’m Sean Tubbs, still dreaming that every newsletter edition could still be sonic but this one is ready to go with eight stories where you can hear the voices of local government. In this edition: * Downtown Mall crossings will be closed this spring for repairs (read the story) * City Council gets a briefing on action to get the Downtown Mall ready for its 50th anniversary (read the story) * Business leaders talk the future of the Downtown Mall at a Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention month (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors approve a zoning amendment to allow 40 additional units at Hollymead Town Center Area C (read the story) * Work to begin this year on Crozet park and ride lot (read the story) * The Charlottesville Planning Commission gets transportation update including info on Rose Hill restriping project (read the story) * Charlottesville staff recommends no amendments to city’s homestay rules for now (read the story) PSA #1 The Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards are hosting their 2026 Spring Tree Sale at the Virginia Department of Forestry, 900 Natural Resources Drive, Saturday, April 11th, from 10:00am ‘til Noon. The Stewards maintain their own volunteer-run tree nursery, planting saplings and nurturing them until they’re large enough to be planted out, concentrating on hard-to-find native trees. Spring is a great time to plant, and by purchasing directly from C - A -T - S, you help their mission of supporting forests for present and future generations. Plan to get there early as they sell out fast! PSA #2 The Friends of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library Spring Book Sale runs from Saturday, April 4th through Sunday, April 12th from 10:00am to 7:00pm each day at Albemarle Square Shopping Center. The members’ preview sale is Friday, April 3rd from 5:00 to 7:00pm, and you can join or renew online or at the door. Additionally, April 11th and 12th are ½-price days. Choose from thousands of books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, games and puzzles, with restocking occurring throughout the sale. Proceeds benefit our regional public library system. Visit jmrlfriends DOT org for more information. Thoughts at the end of #1027A Mondays and Fridays are the days where I seem to have the most to do and I would like to try to get the podcast out on this day. I’m much happier with the audio set-up than I have been in the past and even experimented today with doing a live-stream of some of the production work. In any case, this was a busy week but I still lament that I did not get to everything. Much remains and with this podcast out of the way, I can spend my Friday night figuring out how to proceed in the first full week of April. While this may not seem like fun to most, any moment I am working is one in which I am honoring my end of the bargain. I produce stories that you won’t get anywhere else and you can decide if you want to pay me. That come in the form of a paid subscription on Substack or a charitable contribution. Don’t want to pay but want to help out? Share this post, please! Tell a friend or neighbor! Invite me to a panel discussion! All kinds of things are possible. Thanks for reading Charlottesville Community Engagement ! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

What has happened in the last week? There are many different organizations that document current events and affairs through the telling of stories and then packaging a look back. This is a journalistic tradition that dates back many years and Charlottesville Community Engagement seeks to continue with this Monday morning look and listen for people to catch up. Most people read the material while others look forward to every installment of the podcast edition which offers a chance to hear what people sound like. I’m Sean Tubbs and here are five stories you may have missed: * Charlottesville City Council briefed on low-barrier shelter might work groups that provide the programming (read the story) * City Council agrees to hire consultant to develop public arts commission for Charlottesville (read the story) * One of Albemarle County’s community advisory committees weighs in on what they’d like to discuss at this year’s meetings (read the story) * Albemarle County Executive Jeffrey Richardson shares data points on Albemarle services with Supervisors (read the story) * The director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority gives an update on Long Bridge and expansion of service to Christiansburg (read the story) You can help get more information out to more people by sharing the links above or sharing the newsletter! Thoughts at the end of CCE-1023A I really enjoy doing this work. I’m producing this into the evening of March 29, way past when I would usually be working but I need to at least make sure the script is ready to go. I want to make sure this goes out in the early morning of March 30. I know that most people will not listen to the audio when presented as an optional thing to print. You can read the stories so much faster, but there’s something to hearing people’s voices that I feel is important. I like producing long audio versions because I like to use a skill I began to learn a long time ago. One day maybe others will help me with the editing and such. Now it’s the morning of March 30 and it’s taken me an hour or so this morning to put this together, but that’s mostly because I got caught in a research problem related to a new interface the Virginia Department of Elections has for their historical database. In any case, there are no shout-outs in this post because I don’t have anyone underwriting them. That’s in part because I’ve not had time to spend connecting with those who might be interested. I’m more of a journalist than a person who runs a company. You can support the work through a paid subscription through Substack or making a charitable contribution via the Tiny News Collective. There will be another edition later today as well. I have two stories written and will aim to get another two written as well. Thanks for being part of this experiment! Very quick look at the Week Ahead: I am going to memorialize this here as an example of how this gets made. This segment was done to fill a one minute hole in the version for WTJU that aired on March 28. At the time I publish it, I’ve already written a fleshed out version but this served as an initial glimpse that then allowed me to do that work faster. This is from the script for the radio show. Sometimes if I don’t write it down, I’ll go way over length. Improvisation is fun and all, but I mostly have to get the work done. Finally today, a look ahead to what’s happening in local governments next week: * In Albemarle County there will be two more town hall meetings related to the FY2027 budget with one on at 6 p.m. on Monday at Lakeside Middle School and one on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Albemarle High School. * On Wednesday the Board of Supervisors will meet at 1 p.m. and will get an update on transportation before having another budget work session. In the evening session at 6 p.m. there will be a public hearing on the Great Eastern Management Company’s request to add more homes at North Pointe and reduce the amount of commercial space. * Charlottesville City Council will have a budget work session on Thursday at which they’ll wrap up discussions in anticipation for adoption in the middle of the month. * Fluvanna County Supervisors will have a budget public hearing on April 1 And that’s that! Please share with others! Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In a democracy, local governments play a vital role in providing services to the people who live there and the budget process is a glimpse into the priorities of a locality. There are many complexities for decision-makers to consider, knowing their time in office only continues if they have support of the electorate. This podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement is a snapshot of the budgets in Albemarle County and Charlottesville just before the equinox. Here are links to stories as they appear on Information Charlottesville. In this edition: * No major comments at Charlottesville City Council’s first public hearing on two-cent tax rate increase for FY2027 budget (read the story) * Albemarle County Supervisors make adjustments to their proposed budget for FY27 and opt to advertise an increase in the personal property tax rate to dedicate additional revenue to an affordable housing fund (read the story) Comments on CCE-1019A It is entirely there may not be a regular newsletter today. I need to write a story for C-Ville Weekly and I know what it will be so I may go find a place to get a bite to eat and work on that as opposed to working at home. I’ve not been doing that as much because money is getting tighter even as more revenues come in to Town Crier Productions. There is a loose energy in the interstitial moments of the podcast. I began work on this at 5 a.m. because I wanted to get it done so I could move on to the next set of stories. I have so many from this week to get to and I’m looking forward to doing what I can. A reason I don’t work outside the home a lot is that my productivity drops to near zero if I’m in a place where I am likely to see people. In any case, I’m going to repeat the social media info from the other day. * I created a BlueSky account because I missed Twitter but I don’t do much except post links to Information Charlottesville stories. I’m not interested in live-posting anything, but I do miss interaction sometimes. I may experiment. * There are 437 followers of the Town Crier Productions Facebook page which is currently solely used to let people know when a story has been posted to Information Charlottesville. That website is the archive for stories that go out first in this newsletter. There is almost no engagement because that websites’ algorithms prioritize conflict and I’m not trying to manipulate anyone’s emotions. * There are slightly more followers on Instagram, but not many as posts are not quite optimized. I spent time trying to make some fancy images on Sunday but I got the formatting wrong. I’m going to keep trying to experiment because there’s a business owner in Waynesboro who one day I hope to actually impress. * There is Substack notes which I post status updates about newsletters. I don’t really know how people find these. I deleted the Substack app ages ago. * I post a version of the Week Ahead on Reddit each Sunday which is a little shorter. This is intended to attract people to the newsletter and many of you got here from there. But there is no official page and you have to know my username. Maybe I’ll change that in the future? * There is no TikTok page nor anything else with video because I do not know how to do that very well. One day I’d like to experiment, but I also don’t like being seen. * There is no new content on the Charlottesville Podcasting Network but it predates this newsletter by 15 years. I had a good idea and all I wanted to do was use to to tell stories about the community. Here I am still, hoping to get more people involved. So that’s that. Please do follow some of the above and help me share some of the content when you see it. That will help me grow the audience which in turn will hopefully allow me to bring in more revenue. Paid subscriptions are nice, as are charitable contributions! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Sometimes I have big ideas to spend the weekend writing all of the stories I have not yet written. Other times, I send out the WTJU version as the podcast because I want to get the next week started and that work is already done. Which is it this week? You’ll have to just listen or catch-up with the following stories: * Budget preparation is underway in Albemarle County and speakers at a first public hearing asked for more funding for affordable housing while others want to renegotiate a revenue-sharing agreement (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors briefed on next steps for zoning changes (read the story) * Rezoning request for 153 units on Rio Road sails past Albemarle Planning Commission (Read at C-Ville Weekly) * The Albemarle Planning Commission also recommends more homes at the North Pointe development near the airport (story not published yet) * City Council briefed on CRHA’s plans for a new generation of Westhaven housing (Read at C-Ville Weekly) * Albemarle supes delay vote on $3.5 million in housing funds to get more details on process (Read at C-Ville Weekly) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Another week is upon us with the prospect of many more stories about all of the usual topics covered by Charlottesville Community Engagement. I’m Sean Tubbs, the president and publisher of Town Crier Productions, an entity created in the summer of 2020 to help me try to bring in revenue so I can share my research into what happens in local, regional and Virginia government. This is an audio version that is largely based on what aired on WTJU on Saturday morning. This podcast edition adds a few other stories, and even contains one that has not yet been in print form. In this edition: * Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders details the need for a two cent increase on the real property tax rate (read the story * Sanders also announces that Charlottesville’s pre-K center will be at Walker Upper Elementary School, not Oak Lawn (read the story) * Charlottesville has installed equipment at garages to allow customers to pay without a phone (read the story) * The city’s Board of Architectural Review takes a preliminary look at two development projects (read the story) * The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors met this week and the Buildings and Grounds committee learned of a new building on Ivy Road as well as a future road connection between Millmont and Copely Road. (stories not printed yet) A word about shout-outs and the podcast in general The sixth anniversary of the lockdown declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic is this week. That’s also the sixth anniversary of my return to journalism when I decided on March 15 to just put out a podcast covering local and state response. What would become the Charlottesville Quarantine Report began because I had audio production skills that had atrophied, as well as journalistic ones that had nowhere to go. The audience was miniscule for the dozens of episodes I produced, but I knew that research and reporting was how I wanted to spend my time. So I left a job to take a leap of faith to create this newsletter, experiment with Information Charlottesville, and create a business called Town Crier Productions to try to raise enough revenue to cover my bills. Since then I’ve sent out well over a thousand newsletters and written hundreds of stories. For the first four years, all of the newsletters were also podcasts. About two years ago, I stopped that practice when I began producing a radio version for WTJU as a volunteer. I quickly learned I needed to increase attention to detail in the audio. The audience for the podcast is much, much smaller than the print editions. As a result, I’ve tapered back audio production. Beginning in late January, I’ve begun to have equipment failure and these setbacks have made me less interested in producing the audio. Time spent away from the house was also less than ideal. Yet, I do love producing the audio and I love the challenge of trying to balance stories across the newsletter, the website, C-Ville Weekly, the radio version, and the podcast. It will likely always be an experiment and my hopes to get it out at a regular time have been dashed. In any case, this edition includes the public service announcements that aired on WTJU. I’m not going to report the print versions because in 2026 I am trying to transition the shout-outs to something more like formal underwriting. What you see now is a hodge-podge of a lot of different approaches and I have been moving to clean all of that up. I’m also exploring the possibility of a different platform for this newsletter and will be experimenting first with Fifth District Community Engagement. That’s an experiment that has been on hiatus but I’m going to play around with it a little more. There is also a new way for people to contribute. I’ve entered into a contract with the Tiny News Collective to allow people to make a charitable gift. Contact me if interested or visit this page. And now, on to the next set of stories! But first, the obligatory picture posted here so there’s a good picture when it goes out to subscribers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Can anyone prove that February 10, 2026 was the last time there was an audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement? Turns out it is not that difficult as there is clearly a link and the day in question was a Tuesday. This podcast version consists of some stories from recent weeks and links to them if you’ve not read them yet. The next actual newsletter may or may not be out this afternoon depending on how well a new month’s energy sustains itself throughout the pre-spring day. In this edition: * Greene Supervisors appoint former member to fill vacancy (learn more) * Albemarle Planning Commission wants to see another design for Windy Knoll (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors take action on Boulders Road project (need to produce) * Charlottesville PC looks ahead to next set of zoning changes (need to produce) * No tax rate increases included in proposed $724M Albemarle budget for FY2027 (read the story) First shout-out: WTJU Puzzle Hunt returns on March 14 In today’s first shout-out: Cville Puzzle Hunt is back! Organized by WTJU 91.1 FM and designed by Puzzled Bee, the event is a citywide cerebral puzzle for teens and adults of all ages. The Cville Puzzle Hunt works like an escape room, but all of downtown Charlottesville is the “room.” This year’s event takes place Saturday, March 14, 2:30 - 6 p.m. The Puzzle Hunt starts and ends at IX Art Park, with puzzles to solve at various downtown locations. Those participating will have a wild afternoon running around trying to untangle five diabolical, large-scale puzzles inserted into the urban landscape. Advance registration is requested at CvillePuzzleHunt.com. The event is free and a $10 a person donation is suggested or $20 if you want to sponsor someone else. Thoughts at the end of CCE-1007A Things have been off since the end of January culminating in a trip away from the place where I am best set up to be productive. But there were other odd things I’d like to mention to those who make their way to the ends of this newsletters. * It felt off to make a transition from #999 to #1000. I have a hard time believing I’ve actually been doing this for five and a half years. * The WTJU fundraiser pre-empted me for a week which threw off the rhythm. * Something happened to my recording equipment. For one, the audio gain in my headphones was off so I couldn’t hear myself doing narrations. For another, something about the microphone isn’t processing certain frequencies. Today I have to fix that, hence this podcast edition. * I’ve taken the first steps toward a new way people can support the work. I don’t have any sort of campaign planned to promote this, but I’m dropping the link. * I learned I had to go away three days before the trip, which led to me taking some time off to get ready * Being the sole proprietor and sole employee means there are a lot of levers that have to be pushed and it’s just me with arms that can do the work. I was sick for a couple of days and that means some work got displaced. * I do two stories a week for C-Ville Weekly which has a harder deadline than audio work that is consumed by far fewer people. Today I’m making myself do this before I write this week’s stories. Friday was my last day with the family and I needed space. A reality is that if the audio is to continue, I need to have help doing the work. One day I will have a plan to train people who would like to learn, but managing people takes up the most time of all for a former extrovert turned full-on introvert. Still, maybe one day. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

There is a theory that both the next podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement as well as the next written version might be delayed out of some sort of concern about whether the internal numbering system is equipped to deal with the impending approach of the 1,000th edition. At least, that is one possible explanation of why it has taken so long to produce these older stories from the last week. There was a slight disruption in the routine which sometimes results in delays. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I look forward to sorting it all out. Audio versions of stories previously sent out in the newsletter: * Charlottesville City Council agrees to reallocate funding intended to run low-barrier shelter (read the story) * Charlottesville’s finance director presents more details on city’s $8.5 million surplus (read the story) * The 700 block of Charlottesville’s West Main Street is now known as “Mel’s Walk” (read the story) * Albemarle’s Economic Development Authority agrees to spend $500K on Boulders Road Extension (read the story) * Supervisor Mike Pruitt shares information on CARTA with fellow elected officials (read the story) * The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission will try again for federal funding for design of Rivanna pedestrian bridge (read the story) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Today’s shout-out: Cville Village seeks volunteers! Can you drive a neighbor to a doctor’s appointment? Change an overhead lightbulb, plant a flower, walk a dog for someone who is sick, visit someone who is lonely? If so, Cville Village needs you! Cville Village is a local 501c3 nonprofit organization loosely affiliated with a national network of Villages whose goals are to help seniors stay in their own homes as long as possible, and to build connections among them that diminish social isolation. Volunteers do small chores for, and have gatherings of, professors and schoolteachers, nurses and lawyers, aides and housekeepers. Time and chance come to all – a fall, an order not to drive, failing eyesight, a sudden stroke. They assist folks continue living at home, with a little help from their friends. Cville Village volunteers consult software that shows them who has requested a service and where they are located. Volunteers accept only the requests that fit their schedule and their skills. Volunteering for Cville Village can expand your circle of friends and shower you with thanks. To learn more, visit cvillevillage.org or attend one of their monthly Village “meet-ups” and see for yourself. To find out where and when the next meetup is, or to get more information and a volunteer application, email us at [email protected], or call them at (434) 218-3727. End notes for #998-A My thoughts were well-intentioned. As I was producing stories last week, I did produce the audio but I did not post them to the Information Charlottesville website. Somehow I forgot that finished audio segments had been made and it felt like a slog to have to do the audio again. This is because the radio version did not air last week and so I didn’t feel the same pressure to follow all of the steps. This week there will be a radio show and I have enough material that I am considering slowing down a little this week to focus on business and administration things. Also, it is going to be in the fifties later and I want to go for a walk and watch the ice and snow melt. So I am going to aim to have the next newsletter out tomorrow. That will be #999 and after that will be #1000. No comma. I think that’s how I’ll get through adding a fourth digit. Another reason things were difficult this week is that my copy of Adobe Audition reset and a lot of my bookmarks disappeared. Because I could not see the recent links to session files, I assumed I had not produced them. I’m writing this as I produce the podcast and also missing are my links to various sound files I use as punctuation in between stories. Youngers versions of me used to love playing around with audio production. I still do, but these days the need to produce takes the capacity away from being creative. Which is why this may be a week I listen to my brain and take a slight reset. All I know is that I’m very glad to have this edition done and to have a few hours off away from writing. There are many stories to tell, but there are also days I need to do a little more. Oh! Another reason this week is weird. For some reason, the gain on the headphones for my recording set-up is really low so I can’t really hear myself while narrating. This is an annoyance but also causes issues. Perhaps I’ll spend the rest of the day setting up a new place to work! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

There is an inkling of a legend that one day scientists will perfect a regular orbit for the audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Or at least, in the current day and age, this podcast edition happens as a secondary or perhaps tertiary by-product of the creation of many stories. The optimal time for this to come is Monday morning but the mini Ice Age has taken its toll on normal routines. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I do hope you’ll take a listen whenever you can. In this edition: * City Council took a look at national financial picture at recent retreat (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council briefed on FY27 budget; assessments up an average of 3.72 percent in 2026 (read the story) * Charlottesville’s FY25 surplus totals $8.5 million (read the story) * The Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Transit Authority meets for the first time in 2026 (read the story) * Albemarle County seeking changes to form-based code at Rio / 29 (read the story) * Council confirms willingness to let group build bridge to Vietnam memorial, accept the infrastructure (read the story) * City Manager Sanders goes through his work plan; Ashley Marshall leaving city government (read the story) First shout-out: Camp Albemarle! Today’s subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for over eighty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.” Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Rebuilt in the early 1980’s, a legacy of 4-H programming thrives along with a wide range of additional activities. Educational initiatives from schools across the region spark environmental learning moments at every turn. Second shout-out: WTJU Folk Marathon running this week WTJU’s volunteer hosts are curating a Folk music mecca, running February 2 – 9, all to raise money for the non-commercial radio station as it continues to find its footing after federal funding cuts. Check out the schedule on the website here! Keep your dial set to 91.1 FM (or stream from their player) for a week of Folk sounds, including old-time, honky tonk, global music, roots, and mind-bending psych folk. There will be deep dives into the work of singular artists, including Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Jesse Welles, Martin Carthy, and many more. There will be tributes to some of the musicians we lost in 2025, including Raul Malo, Danny Thompson, Joe Ely, Michael Hurley, and Todd Snider.The Marathon will boast eight live concerts, open to the public, and broadcast on air, online, and on the WTJU YouTube channel. Stop by to see Mama Tried, Scuffletown, the Buzzard Hollow Boys, Red and the Romantics, Ramona and the Holy Smokes, and others! Every hour of the seven days and nights broadcasts directly from WTJU; even the overnight programming is populated with archived concerts from our very own stage! We have also invited some of our favorite local musicians in to present special programming, including Banjo Hall of Fame member Bill Evans, singer/songwriter extraordinaire Terri Allard, and band leader Waverly Minor. Where else but WTJU can you find such support from the community? End notes on #995-A People who listen to the audio of this one may notice some interesting errors. More than usual, I’m popping my p’s and otherwise hitting plosives. That’s because something weird is happening with my recording set-up that I can’t hear proper gain on my voice when I’m recording. If I can’t hear them when I’m narrating a script, then they end up in the final mix because there’s no choice. I’ll figure it out, but I left it in for this one because this may have been one of the hardest audio editions to have done for a while. I barely took a breather in January and sometimes when I do too much work I don’t process all of the stories properly. So yesterday I took off from writing new stories to get caught up with what I’ve already done. I usually do this work on Saturdays but I wanted to look at the General Assembly. This particular audio version also includes brand new interstitials. Those are the bits of sound in between the audio segments. One of the original ideas was that I would continue to make new ones but I’ve been using the same 20 stings over and over. So, today I made an effort to make new ones from existing weird things I’ve made over the years. Speaking of which, I’ve had an idea. In the coming weeks I’ll be announcing a new way people can support my work, and that also involves changing the Patreon away from reporting and to something more artistic and creative. Probably not at all even close to the mainstream and it may not work, but I don’t want to close the account. In any case, there may or may not be a regular newsletter today. I have to attend to the business of it all and this is a day where I may need to give myself over to that. Then again, maybe I won’t. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

If there’s anything I have learned in my thirty years of reporting, it is that there is always more to be learned. One reason to do journalism is to document potential solutions to problems over time. At least, there’s the point of Charlottesville Community Engagement and this edition is a collection of audio stories from the past week. For those of you who do not want to listen, there are also links to this newsletter’s archive at Information Charlottesville. In this edition: * Charlottesville Planning Commission briefed on tax abatement, student housing review (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors begin 2026 with a transportation update (read the story) * Albemarle assessments have increased by 6.17 percent in 2026 (read the story) * Spanberger signed ten first executive orders on first day in office (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council weighs in on student housing changes Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. First shout-out: Plant Virginia Natives The year is now 2026 and time is running out for me to plan for what my yard could look like if I were to get it ready for spring! The invasive plants won again and I’ve got maybe a month until they begin to come back to life. Is this the year I get ahead of the creeper and vine that thrive in the humidity and the hot sun? What else could I plant instead? One resource I could consult is Plant Virginia Natives to figure my way out of my predicament. Plant Virginia Natives is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens. A glimpse of the story spreadsheet Second shout-out: Charlottesville Scholarship Program Today’s second subscriber-supported shout-out goes to the Charlottesville Scholarship Program. Started in 2001 by an initial investment by Charlottesville City Council, the Charlottesville Scholarship Program has grown their endowment to over $1.3 million, and has awarded 201 scholarships totaling more than $1.1 million. The goal of the program has remained constant: to assist low- and moderate-income City residents and City employees who wish to improve their lives through post-secondary education. Many of these students are the first in their family to attend college. Income-eligible Charlottesville Public School System high school seniors, City residents who are Charlottesville Public School System graduates or GED recipients, and City municipal and City School System employees, no matter where they reside, are all eligible for CSP scholarships. In a typical year, CSP awards eleven new, renewable scholarships. Ten of these are designated for eligible high school seniors, and the 11th scholarship is designated for an eligible adult applicant. To learn more about the program, sign up for their newsletter, or make a donation, visit their website. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s edition is sponsored by the Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop When was the last time you played a musical instrument? When was the last time you recorded a song you wanted to write either for yourself or for others? In an attempt to change the tone of these introductory paragraphs of Charlottesville Community Engagement, I decide to look instead at this day in music. Two sources report that on January 22, 1959, Buddy Holly hit record on a machine and captured his final performances on a tape recorder, recordings that would later be posthumously produced professionally after his death in an aircraft crash on a snowy night. I’m Sean Tubbs, and more on that rabbit hole at the end of this edition. In this edition: * There is a vacancy on the Greene County Board of Supervisors as Francis McGuigan resigns * Albemarle and Charlottesville officials are preparing for a weekend storm expected this * The Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority will meet today the first time in 2026 * Albemarle County promotes Amy Smith to be the next Parks and Recreation Director Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. First shout-out: Cville Village seeks volunteers Can you drive a neighbor to a doctor’s appointment? Change an overhead lightbulb, plant a flower, walk a dog for someone who is sick, visit someone who is lonely? If so, Cville Village needs you! Cville Village is a local 501c3 nonprofit organization loosely affiliated with a national network of Villages whose goals are to help seniors stay in their own homes as long as possible, and to build connections among them that diminish social isolation. Volunteers do small chores for, and have gatherings of, professors and schoolteachers, nurses and lawyers, aides and housekeepers. Time and chance come to all – a fall, an order not to drive, failing eyesight, a sudden stroke. They assist folks continue living at home, with a little help from their friends. Cville Village volunteers consult software that shows them who has requested a service and where they are located. Volunteers accept only the requests that fit their schedule and their skills. Volunteering for Cville Village can expand your circle of friends and shower you with thanks. To learn more, visit cvillevillage.org or attend one of their monthly Village “meet-ups” and see for yourself. To find out where and when the next meetup is, or to get more information and a volunteer application, email us at [email protected], or call them at (434) 218-3727. McGuigan resigns from the Greene County Board of Supervisors The Greene County Board of Supervisors will once again need to fill a vacancy now that one of its members has resigned while in office. Francis McGuigan turned in his resignation as the at-large Supervisor today, just over two years after being elected in November 2023. “We would like to thank Supervisor McGuigan for his commitment to the community,” said Board Chairman Steve Catalano in an information release. On January 13, McGuigan had voted for Catalano to be chair during the annual organization meeting. Midway Representative Matt Hartung was not present for the vote but joined the meeting later. The release states Supervisors will discuss how to move forward with a replacement at their next meeting on January 27. In the fall of October 2023, former Supervisor Abby Heflin resigned as the Stanardsville representative and the Board accepted applications for a replacement. The person appointed was Steve Catalano. For more on this story, take a look at this story on the Piedmont Journal-Recorder. Area preparing for heavy winter storm A large winter storm is heading for the east coast this weekend and that’s expected to leave a heavy accumulation of snow and ice. Preparations are underway by first responders and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Albemarle’s Deputy County Executive, Trevor Henry, briefed the Board of Supervisors Wednesday night about what was known at that time. “We have through our emergency manager a process by which we spin up our planning efforts,” Henry said. “And so I wanted to just assure the board but also use this as a reminder to the community that they should be paying attention to this weekend.” Henry said any snow and ice that falls may continue to be a problem as the forecast is for temperatures to remain below freezing through the end of next week. He added public safety will be ready. “Police and fire are really looking at a Saturday morning to at least initially through Monday night,” Henry said. “That may be a longer operational period where there’s going to be additional resources.” Henry said the county is asking residents to be prepared to be without power for up to three days. To that effect, the county set out a message this afternoon with information including a checklist for an emergency kit created by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Soon afterward, the City of Charlottesville announced it has activated the Snow Operations Team with a description of their duty. “The City is responsible for winter operations across approximately 165 centerline miles of roadway, 49 miles of sidewalks (including Safe Routes to School and City-owned properties), more than 45 municipal and school parking lots, City parks facilities, and the Downtown Pedestrian Mall,” reads the message. The city has over 165 people working on snow operations as well as a sizable inventory of equipment including “25 dedicated snowplow trucks equipped with salt spreaders and brine tanks.” Roads will be pretreated with brine and crews will begin clearing snow when necessary. “Snow response follows a priority plan,” reads the message from the city. “Crews will begin with primary routes, including major corridors and roads critical for emergency response and transit service.” Emergency snow routes will also be in effect as of 9 a.m. Saturday. Anyone who parks along these corridors must move their vehicle or it may be towed. Designated Emergency Snow Routes include: * Market Street (Old Preston Avenue to 9th Street NE) * High Street (Preston Avenue to 9th Street NE) * Water Street (Ridge Street to 10th Street NE) * 2nd Street West (Market Street to Water Street) * 4th Street East (Market Street to Water Street) * West Main Street (Ridge Street to JPA) * University Avenue (JPA to Rugby Road) There will be free parking in the two municipal parking garages Friday, January 23 at 6:00 PM through Tuesday, January 27 at 8:00 AM. For the city’s full list, click here. Thanks for reading Charlottesville Community Engagement ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority to meet today In late 2025, an entity known as the Regional Transit Partnership ended and transferred many of its duties to a recently created authority intended to promote greater cooperation and coordination between the area’s multiple transit agencies. Today the Board of Directors of the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority will meet for the first time in 2026 at the Water Street Center. (CARTA website) The agenda for today’s meeting looks much like an RTP agenda with opportunities for Jaunt, Charlottesville Area Transit, and University Transit Service representatives to tell what they’re doing and how they fit into the bigger picture. So far, though, the only two voting members are Albemarle and Charlottesville. Scottsville Supervisor Michael Pruitt will be joined by newcomer Jack Jouett Supervisor Sally Duncan, and Charlottesville City Councilor Natalie Oschrin will be joined by newcomer Jen Fleisher. Fleisher has attended multiple meetings of the RTP as an alternative representing the Blue Ridge Health District. There are details on both Jaunt and the University Transit Service in the packet, but nothing from Charlottesville Area Transit. One of the main tasks for CARTA this year will be to conduct something called the “Regional Transit Service Prioritization and Implementation Feasibility Study” which builds off of the 2022 Regional Transit Vision Plan and the Regional Transit Governance Study from 2023. Not on the agenda is a discussion of how CARTA might be able to help increase funding for CAT’s mission to hire a total of 108 drivers. That’s the amount CAT Director Garland Williams says is needed to restore full service and make long-awaited route changes. Here’s a story about that from December 2025 as well as a story from August in which a representative from IMPACT said the organization is watching. Patreon-fueled shout-out: Design Develop Architectural firm Design Develop is offering a new service aimed at the development community that the rest of us might want to know about , too — 3D point cloud scanning! This technique uses specialized equipment, such as 3D scanner systems, to gather a large amount of data points that represent the surface of the scanned object or scene. This really comes in handy when working with historic structures, as the firm knows from its experience in Baltimore and Charlottesville. Read their blog post for more information!The applications of 3D point cloud scanning are extensive and cover various fields, including architecture, construction, cultural heritage preservation, virtual reality, industrial design, manufacturing, and more. These applications require accurate 3D spatial information, and Design Develop’s workflow provides precise and comprehensive results, all while being more cost-effective than traditional methods.Design Develop has expertise in this workflow for their own needs and now has a dedicated team offering this service in the Charlottesville and Albemarle Area. If you’re involved in the real estate, design, or construction industry, contact them for more information or

Today’s edition is sponsored by the Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop There are very few editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement that are sent out on a Saturday but there’s enough new information to tell you so here we are. Today is the first day of the administration of Governor Abigail Spanberger and there have already been some big changes. I’m Sean Tubbs and it’s January 17, 2026. In this edition: * Abigail Spanberger is now Virginia’s 75th Governor * There are several media reports that at least three members of the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors has resigned at Spanberger’s request * The Virginia General Assembly has set the stage for a Constitutional amendment this spring for a Congressional redistricting with debate in both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Corrections to start: * In the January 16, 2026 edition, I misidentified Charlottesville’s delegation to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. They are Jen Fleisher and Michael Payne. First-shout: Charlottesville Community Bikes seeing volunteers for the Charlottesville Ten Miler The Charlottesville Ten Miler is fast-approaching so there’s plenty of time to get training. Or so I keep telling myself. Or perhaps you’d like to help out on March 28 and witness thousands of people moving through the streets of our community as they raise money for local groups? Charlottesville Community Bikes is one of the beneficiaries of this year’s Ten Miler and their level of support depends on how many people they can get to volunteer for any number of duties. If you’d like to learn more, visit the Ten Miler website and sign up if you’d like to get involved. Volunteers are encouraged to select “Anywhere You Need Me” for the greatest impact. Spanberger takes office as Virginia’s 75th governor The first woman to serve as the Governor of Virginia took the oath of office at the State Capitol this afternoon after winning the election last November. Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears with over 57 percent of the vote. “Neighbors, friends, and our fellow Virginians. It is my honor to be with all of you today,” said Governor Spanberger. “An inauguration ceremony like this one, with all its tradition and pageantry, represents something profound and in its origin, something uniquely American, the peaceful transfer of power.” Spanberger said the tradition began when George Washington, a Virginian, opted to step down after two terms as President. She thanked former Governor Glenn Youngkin for his service, as well as the time that former Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and former Attorney General Jason Miyares put in while in office. Spanberger also thanked generations that came before her that worked to ensure that women have the right not only to vote but also to hold office. “But who could only dream of a day like today?” Spanberger asked. “I stand before those who made it possible for a woman to also participate in that peaceful transfer of power and take that oath.” Spanberger noted that this is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, drawing attention to Thomas Jefferson’s role as Virginia’s second governor. The first was Patrick Henry, who was sworn in in 1776. “Governor Henry is best known for his call against tyranny at St. John’s Church, just up the road, words that helped launch the American Revolution,” Spanberger said. “But in his final public speech delivered in Virginia Years later in 1799, he made an appeal to his fellow citizens, warning against the divisions that were threatening our young country. His appeal remains timeless. He said, united we stand, divided we fall, Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” Spanberger noted that the steps of the Virginia capitol were used by suffragists to lobby for the right for women to vote, a request denied for many years until 1920 when the U.S. Constitution was amended. She also noted that Virginia did not ratify the 19th Amendment until 1952. The new governor also noted that Virginia decided to call itself a Commonwealth upon independence and not just a state. “What’s the difference?,” Spanberger said. “We, kids, pay attention. Someone may ask you this eventually. There’s no difference. There is no difference in how we operate or function as a state. The difference lies in the intentions of our forefathers and the choice to indicate that here our government should serve the common good. That the voices of everyday Virginians, not kings, not aristocrats, not oligarchs, should. That the voices of everyday Virginian should drive us forward and that our prosperity depends on that union.” Turning to policy and the future, Spanberger said she would help guide Virginia during a time when the federal government is seeking to end support for rural hospitals, support for health care, and other outcomes sought by the current administration. “I know that some who are here today or watching from home may disagree with the litany in of challenges and the hardships that I laid out,” Spanberger said. “Your perspective may differ from mine, but that does not preclude us from working together where we may find common cause.” Spanberger said she looks forward to working with the General Assembly over the next four years and thanked her Cabinet for being willing to serve. “As we mark 250 years since the dawn of American freedom, what will our children, our grandchildren and their descendants write about this time in our Commonwealth’s history? This chapter, 50, 100, 250 years from now, will they say that we let divisions fester or challenges overwhelm us? Or will they say that we stood up for what is right, fixed what is broken, and served the common good?” You can watch the entire inauguration ceremony on VPM or read the remarks on the website of the 75th Governor. Thanks for reading Charlottesville Community Engagement ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Several members of the Board of Visitors have resigned at Spanberger’s request The Cavalier Daily is reporting that four members of the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors have resigned following a request from Governor Abigail Spanberger before she was sworn in. Shortly after Spanberger was elected, she asked the Board of Visitors to suspend a search for a new president following the resignation of Jim Ryan in June 2025. Former Governor Glenn Youngkin told her to stop interfering and the Board hired Scott Beardsley on December 19. Beardsley resigned as Dean of the Darden School of Business to take the job. The Board was already down to 12 appointees, all named by Youngkin, following the failure of five new nominees to get confirmed by the General Assembly. Rector Rachel Sheridan, Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson, and member Paul Manning all resigned on Friday. The New York Times reports that Doug Wetmore resigned today and their earlier reporting Spanberger has also asked Stephen Long to resign. The Cavalier Daily obtained a copy of Sheridan’s resignation letter to Youngkin that blamed “political warfare” for the Board’s inability to stabilize a University community where several groups expressed concern that Beardsley was appointed without their input. On Thursday, the Faculty Senate adopted a resolution calling for Spanberger to act. “The Faculty Senate calls upon Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to exercise her statutory authority, review the actions of current Board members,remove those whose conduct has fallen short of the responsibilities of Visitors, and appoint qualified individuals to fill all vacancies on the Board,” reads one part of the resolution. The resolution also asks the new Board of Visitors to review the search process to determine if there need to be changes. As of publication, the Board of Visitors website has not yet been updated to reflect any resignations. However, Deputy Spokeswoman Bethanie Glover confirmed the four resignations. “President Beardsley and University leaders thank them for their service to UVA,” reads a brief statement sent in response to a query. The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors is next scheduled to meet on March 5. This is a developing story. Soon after being sworn in, Spanberger signed ten executive orders. One of them seeks reform of the way that members of governing bodies of state institutions of higher learning are appointed. For more details, visit the Virginia Political Newsletter. Second shout-out: Alliance Française de Charlottesville The Alliance Française de Charlottesville promotes the French language and francophone culture through educational and cultural programs. Visit the Alliance Française website to learn more about group classes, private lessons, cultural events, and social activities for both kids and adults. Special election on redistricting highly likely this spring on new Congressional maps in Virginia The Virginia General Assembly has set the stage for a special election this spring in which voters will be asked whether they would allow the state legislature to redraw the Commonwealth’s Congressional districts in order to elect more Democrats. The move is a response to efforts by President Donald Trump to urge Republican-led legislatures across the nation to redraw boundaries for the House of Representatives to guarantee members of his party win. So far, both Texas and California have moved ahead with new maps. This week both the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates kicked the 2026 legislative session off by passing a second reference of a Constitutional amendment to set up that ballot question. Under Virginia’s Constitutio

The month of January 2026 is halfway through and the pace of the previous year appears to have continued with no days off in a period of transition and tumult. I’m Sean Tubbs, and Charlottesville Community Engagement is a newsletter with stories about a part of the world I’ve been covering for a long time with a focus on growth, development, housing, and whatever else comes together. In this edition: * Albemarle Planning Commission recommends approval of a rezoning near junction of I-64 and U.S. 29 (read this story over at C-Ville Weekly) * Sanders welcomes new staff to Charlottesville (read the story) * Council names two to Charlottesville Planning Commission (read the story) * Developer named for UVA student housing on Emmet / Ivy (read the story) * Charlottesville City Council gives direction on affordable housing spending (need to produce) * Alternatives coming for payment at Charlottesville’s municipal garages (read the story) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Today’s shout-out: Town Crier Productions When I was a kid decades ago, I dreamed of creating my own newspaper or having my own radio show. I lived on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood in a community that was not the most exciting, but my imagination put me on the pathway to now when I’ve somehow managed to cobble together a newsletter with over 4,600 subscribers. This week I’m trying to clear out the backlog from 2025 which includes at least a couple of newsletters of regular content before there will be a series of editions that look back on the specifics of the year. My upbringing as a first generation American fueled me with a passion to understand a country so different from where my parents had grown up. For an entire career now I’ve been powered by a desire to know what’s going on, and to share what I know with people who also are curious, thoughtful, and independent. What I am not is a business person, and the growth of Town Crier Productions has been slow and steady because my focus is on putting forward as much information as possible while pointing people to the places where they can contribute should they want to do so. Here are some current options: * Take out a paid subscription to Substack with the yearly option being the most beneficial * Consider a Patreon contribution to support more than just this newsletter * Send a check to Town Crier Productions, PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, VA 22902 * Consider becoming an experimental sponsor of both this newsletter and Information Charlottesville. I’m still dreaming of what this could all be, knowing I’ve got a lot of growth to do in terms of being a business person. I believe there is value in what I do each and every day, and I am able to pay my bills because there are enough of you who agree. If you’re not sure, please keep reading and listening to the content. Share with friends. Share links to social media. Leave a comment! The goal of this work is intended to advance conversation about complex topics in a country experiencing a lot of soul-searching as the 21st century steam-rolls on. Thoughts at the end of CCE-985A A behind the scenes fact! I work alone and so I have a lot of inside jokes to amuse myself. I name each of the podcast. This one is CCE-984A-stunted-moats for some reason. I’m an odd person. I also created a couple of new audio bumpers that separate the stories. These also amuse me. The ad-lib shout-outs also amuse me. Are these still worth doing? I think so. As I said in one of the pieces of continuity, the podcast marks the end of one week and the transition to another. This particular edition begins with a story that is actually a C-Ville Weekly story that I did not produce a CCE version and now will not. I produced that story for them about a month ago but it got lost somewhere along the way. I’m only putting in this section today because I need to put an image at the top. Now, on to CCE-986 which will not have a name because it is not audio. There are rules to this madness, after all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

What will the podcast edition be like in 2026? This particular edition features a set of stories of things that happened between December 15 and January 7, stories that have already gone out in Charlottesville Community Engagement but not yet in sonic form! This edition has already aired on WTJU at 6 a.m. on January 10. The idea was to send this out yesterday, but there are eddies in the space-time continuum. In this edition: * Charlottesville City Council says goodbye to Councilor Pinkston (read the story) * Council elects Wade as Mayor through 2027; Oschrin to be Vice Mayor (read the story) * Ned Gallaway to serve as Chair of Albemarle Board of Supervisors in 2026 (read the story) * Albemarle Supervisors appoint Puckett as new fire chief * Regional tourism body endorses creation of new tourism region (read the story) * Louisa endorses support for new Virginia Piedmont tourism district (read the story) * Louisa Supervisors want General Assembly to pay for redistricting special election if held (read the story) * BAR denies approval required for current plans for Fifeville apartment complex (read the story) Sponsored message: Learn to Pitch with Denise Stewart Coaching on January 17 Are you a professional who wants to sharpen your message, elevate your delivery, and have your audience walk away with a clear, powerful version of a pitch/speech/story? Executive Coach and public speaking expert Denise Stewart is holding a one-day, hands-on speaking intensive called Pitch! - Master the Speech that Matters! This full-day, in-person workshop will be held at Studio IX on January 17, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Designed for professionals who want their message to land with clarity, confidence, and presence, Pitch! focuses on refining short, high-stakes speeches through hands-on coaching, practice, and feedback. Ideal for anyone preparing for presentations, pitches, interviews, or leadership moments where their voice matters. Visit Denise Stewart’s website to learn more and sign up! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe