Vithoulkas recaps Henrico's achievements in state of the county address

During his annual State of the County address last month, Henrico County Manager John A. Vithoulkas walked community leaders through a variety of the county’s accomplishments in 2022.

During the hour-long speech Nov. 16, Vithoulkas spoke about how Henrico County officials are working to achieve their goals related to safety, education, affordability, opportunity, prosperity, growth, accessibility, and sustainability.

Reaching many of these goals, he said, would become more possible thanks to the overwhelming approval by county voters of all four bond referendum questions posed to them in last month’s election. The approval of more than $511 million in bonds clears the way for fundings to be allocated for school projects, recreation and parks projects, public safety projects and flood prevention projects.

To further achieve these goals, Vithoulkas said, the county is in the midst of updating its comprehensive plan, called HenricoNext, for the first time since 2009.

“Through HenricoNext, we’re creating a blueprint for how we want the county to grow,” he said. “Our comprehensive plan update will be a major focus over the next 18 to 24 months.”

Speaking to the goal of safety, Vithoulkas referred to the addition of 88 positions in public safety, as well as the forthcoming opening of Fire Station No. 20 near Staples Mill Road and construction of Fire Station No. 23 near Nine Mile Road.

He announced that Henrico County has started design work on the region’s first public 24-hour detox center, which will contain 30 beds and be located near the Eastern Henrico Government Center.

“This is how you create and sustain a safe community,” Vithoulkas said.

To address the goal of education, Vithoulkas said that the county is building a budget that will devote the lion’s share of resources to education, and focus on initiatives that deliver immediate benefits for students and their families.

Such projects include the renovation of the old Highland Springs High School as the Oak Avenue Complex, renovations at Adams Elementary School, and the Academy at Virginia Randolph rebuild.

Additionally, Vithoulkas discussed the formation of the Center for Allied Health and Human Services at Hermitage High School.

“This will propel students into high demand jobs in nursing, emergency services, pharmacy and more,” Vithoulkas said.

He also championed the tax relief that was provided to Henrico residents in the past year.

“We delivered a rebate equal to a two cent cut on the real estate tax rate,” Vithoulkas said. “With that, we became the first ever locality in Virginia to return surplus real estate tax dollars to taxpayers.

“For the second part, we cut the real estate tax rate by two cents, from $0.87 to $0.85,” he continued. “That gives Henrico County the lowest real estate tax rate among Virginia’s 10 largest localities.”

In total, Vithoulkas said the board of supervisors delivered $51 million of tax relief to residents in the past year, including a reduction on the personal property tax rate by $0.52 and enhanced tax relief for seniors and residents with disabilities.

To outline recreational projects coming to the county, Vithoulkas introduced Dennis Bickmeier, the executive director of the Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority.

Bickmeier spoke about the new sports complex at Virginia Center Commons, which will be completed next fall.

“Anything you can do from an indoor sports standpoint, we’ll have in this facility,” Bickmeier said. “We’ve made it multipurpose so we can do concerts and special events.”

He also briefly touched on the arena planned at nearby GreenCity, near Parham Road and I-95, which will hold as many as 17,000 spectators for sports and entertainment events.

In addition, the county is making significant investments to improve infrastructure in various communities. In particular, 1,100 residential units are planned to be built at Regency Square, and other utility infrastructure investments are being made in the Westwood area of the Near West End.

“The board spends a lot of time focusing on these projects and the needs of maturing areas,” Vithoulkas said.

To further improve infrastructure, Vithoulkas credited officials in the Public Works department, who are working with the Virginia Transportation Authority to establish a baseline for investments in transportation. The department has 120 active projects totaling $530 million.

“We’re focusing on accessibility and safety like never before,” Vithoulkas said.

Vithoulkas also described how the county is meeting its sustainability goals through the integration of solar panels at all new county and school buildings, with more on the way.

In addition, public water and sewer is being brought to homes with aging wells and septic systems, and the Cobbs Creek Reservoir will begin drawing water from the James River by next summer. This project will help residents meet drinking water needs and serve to protect the river.

For the first time, Vithoulkas said, the county’s comprehensive plan will include a chapter on environmental sustainability.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve prepared and equipped for the journey,” he concluded.