During the Board of Supervisors’ February 17 Budget Meeting, County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley presented his proposed budget for FY27. Resources from this meeting are available below:County Administrator’s Proposed FY27 Budget Presentation SlidesExecutive SummaryRecording of February 17, 2026, Board of Supervisors MeetingPublic meetings are scheduled through May as the Board of Supervisors work to finalize the FY 27 budget. The public is invited to attend any and all meetings in person or view via livestream. March 3: Presentation of School Board budget request; Authorization to advertise tax rate, request to set fee schedule ordinance amendment March 17: School Board and Board of Supervisors Work Session – 6:00 p.m. March 24: Joint School Board and Board of Supervisors Town Hall – 6:00 p.m. April 7: Budget public hearing – 6:00 p.m. April 14: Set tax rate May 5: Adopt budget and appropriate funds
Goochland County is utilizing a new communication system to keep our community safe and informed with quick and reliable emergency notifications and public service announcements. Goochland County has started using Goochland Alerts to communicate with residents and businesses during emergencies and other critical events, including a recent watermain break in Lower Tuckahoe. Residents are encouraged to register to receive these alerts: www.goochlandva.us/goochland-alerts. Goochland County will use the emergency notification system called Goochland Alerts to notify residents with critical information and resources available to the community as a result of important events, ranging from impactful weather, hurricanes, extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and other emergencies to more routine announcements, such as water and sewer utility maintenance. Messages will be sent to residents on their preferred devices — cell phone, text, home phone, email, and more—to ensure real-time access to critical information. Residents listed in the County 911 database will automatically be subscribed to emergency alerts by phone. The system also allows citizens to self-register, provide additional contact information, or opt out. “We are proud to announce our new emergency alert system, Goochland Alerts.”, said Dr. Raley, County Administrator. “This communication system underscores our commitment to ensure public safety, community awareness, and emergency response. The Goochland Alerts emergency notification system allows us to quicky and easily share important information across a variety of devices, providing our residents with timely and reliable updates when they need it the most.” Goochland Alerts is the result of a cooperative effort between Goochland County Administration, Department of Fire-Rescue & Emergency Services, and the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office. This system replaces the county’s previous alert system, CodeRED, which suffered a cybersecurity incident at the end of 2025. Residents who were previously enrolled in CodeRED and wish to continue to receive emergency notifications will need to enroll in Goochland Alerts. For more information about the Goochland Alerts system or to register, please visit www.goochlandva.us/goochland-alerts.
By now, Goochland County residents and property owners should have received their assessment notices advising them of any changes in value for the 2026 tax season. Anyone wishing to discuss their assessment must contact the Assessor’s Office no later than 5:00pm on February 17, 2026. Informal Appeals can be made by contacting the office via phone 804-556-5853 or via mail post marked by February 17, 2026.The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office would also like to remind residents of the following tax relief programs:High MileageTax Relief for elderly and disabledPhysically handicap personal propertyThe deadline for applying to these programs is March 2, 2026. The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office would also like to remind businesses that Business Personal Property forms are due May 1, 2026. For more information about these programs, please contact the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office at 804-556-5807.For more information on the upcoming tax deadlines, please contact the Goochland County Treasurer’s Office at 804-556-5806.
Goochland County is excited to announce a new feature within its updated Parcel Viewer. This project, spearheaded by Amanda Adams, Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, provides property owners with the ability to view any action taken against their property. This is a significant step forward in helping property owners stay informed and better protected against deed and title fraud. The tool provides a new resource through the county’s online parcel viewer to enable residents to monitor activity related to their property. Deed fraud occurs when individuals improperly file a claim against property they do not own. This has become an increasing concern across Virginia, prompting the Clerk of the Circuit Court to seek proactive solutions. "We are excited to introduce the Monthly Property Transfer Notification system to the citizens and will continue to look for new ways to focus on bringing awareness of deed fraud to the community,” said Amanda Adams, Clerk of the Circuit Court. “The Monthly Property Transfer Notification system will be a great resource for the citizens of Goochland County, allowing them the ability to monitor prior monthly property transfers in an effort to subsequently determine any possible deed fraud." Once a title claim is recorded, it is entered into the Parcel Viewer within approximately 14 days through a coordinated process involving the Records Office and the Assessor’s Office. A monthly report will also be available to notify registered users of recorded activity. This new records system is now live and ready for use by the community. Property owners are encouraged to sign up for an account to regularly review their property records by visiting www.goochlandva.us/MonthlyPropertyTransfer. In addition to the parcel view, residents can view their property records in person at the Goochland Circuit Court Clerk’s Records Room located at 2938 River Road West, Building B. For more information, please contact the Goochland Circuit Court Clerk’s Office at 804-556-5353.
Goochland County is pleased to announce Denise Sandlin as their new Director of Finance. Sandlin comes to Goochland with over 20 years of experience with state and local government finance. Sandlin comes to Goochland from the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management where she served as the Chief Financial Officer and Procurement Manager, overseeing budgets as high as 1.7 billion. She earned her master’s in accounting from Liberty University. On joining Goochland County, Sandlin said, "I am excited to serve the County of Goochland and its citizens. I am motivated by the dedication of the County’s future success, and I am honored to be part of the journey." “We are excited to welcome Denise to Team Goochland,” said Dr. Raley, County Administrator. “Her experience in government finance will provide strong leadership and ensure continued sound fiscal management for our county.” Sandlin will officially begin her role with Goochland County on February 17, 2026.
During the Board of Supervisors’ February 17 Budget Meeting, County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley presented his proposed budget for FY27. Resources from this meeting are available below:
Public meetings are scheduled through May as the Board of Supervisors work to finalize the FY 27 budget. The public is invited to attend any and all meetings in person or view via livestream.
March 3: Presentation of School Board budget request; Authorization to advertise tax rate, request to set fee schedule ordinance amendment
March 17: School Board and Board of Supervisors Work Session – 6:00 p.m.
March 24: Joint School Board and Board of Supervisors Town Hall – 6:00 p.m.
Goochland County is utilizing a new communication system to keep our community safe and informed with quick and reliable emergency notifications and public service announcements. Goochland County has started using Goochland Alerts to communicate with residents and businesses during emergencies and other critical events, including a recent watermain break in Lower Tuckahoe. Residents are encouraged to register to receive these alerts: www.goochlandva.us/goochland-alerts.
Goochland County will use the emergency notification system called Goochland Alerts to notify residents with critical information and resources available to the community as a result of important events, ranging from impactful weather, hurricanes, extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and other emergencies to more routine announcements, such as water and sewer utility maintenance. Messages will be sent to residents on their preferred devices — cell phone, text, home phone, email, and more—to ensure real-time access to critical information. Residents listed in the County 911 database will automatically be subscribed to emergency alerts by phone. The system also allows citizens to self-register, provide additional contact information, or opt out.
“We are proud to announce our new emergency alert system, Goochland Alerts.”, said Dr. Raley, County Administrator. “This communication system underscores our commitment to ensure public safety, community awareness, and emergency response. The Goochland Alerts emergency notification system allows us to quicky and easily share important information across a variety of devices, providing our residents with timely and reliable updates when they need it the most.”
Goochland Alerts is the result of a cooperative effort between Goochland County Administration, Department of Fire-Rescue & Emergency Services, and the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office. This system replaces the county’s previous alert system, CodeRED, which suffered a cybersecurity incident at the end of 2025. Residents who were previously enrolled in CodeRED and wish to continue to receive emergency notifications will need to enroll in Goochland Alerts.
By now, Goochland County residents and property owners should have received their assessment notices advising them of any changes in value for the 2026 tax season.
Anyone wishing to discuss their assessment must contact the Assessor’s Office no later than 5:00pm on February 17, 2026. Informal Appeals can be made by contacting the office via phone 804-556-5853 or via mail post marked by February 17, 2026.
The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office would also like to remind residents of the following tax relief programs:
High Mileage
Tax Relief for elderly and disabled
Physically handicap personal property
The deadline for applying to these programs is March 2, 2026. The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office would also like to remind businesses that Business Personal Property forms are due May 1, 2026. For more information about these programs, please contact the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office at 804-556-5807.
For more information on the upcoming tax deadlines, please contact the Goochland County Treasurer’s Office at 804-556-5806.
On Friday March 13th, 2026 the Department of Community Development will be upgrading our permitting software, Energov (EP & L). Services will be down all day Friday 3/13/26 and Saturday 3/14/26, customers will not be able to schedule inspections or apply for permits via the portal. Inspection requests will be accepted via the inspection line by calling 804-556-5815 or by email to bi-emails@goochlandva.us. Inspections conducted on Friday will be done with paper tickets. Inspection requests received before 3pm on Friday, 3/13/26 will be conducted with paper tickets on Monday 3/16/26 as well. These results will be entered into Energov once the upgrade is complete. We appreciate your patience during this transition.
Goochland County is pleased to announce Casey Littlefield as the new Building Official. Littlefield will succeed Gary Fisher, who is set to retire at the end of January after 15 years of service to Goochland County.
Casey Littlefield CBO/MCP joined Goochland County in 2018, starting as a Senior Combination Commercial Inspector; and was the lead inspector on several large commercial projects such as the Residence Inn hotel, Sheltering Arms Hospital, Avery Point Continuing Care Retirement Facility, several Capitol One building renovations, and Benedictine College Preparatory school , among others.
In 2020, Littlefield became the County’s first Deputy Building Official, overseeing day-to-day operations and logistics for the Department of Building Inspection. In addition to his duties for Goochland County, Littlefield offered support for other counties in the Commonwealth. Following the devastating floods in 2022, including providing damage assessments to Buchanan County. He also served as the acting Building Official for Cumberland County for 5 months while they searched for a new Building Official.
Prior to his time in Goochland, Littlefield worked for Louisa and Hanover Counties and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. He holds a Master Electrician certification in the Commonwealth and spent 10 years as an electrical contractor before becoming an inspector in 2007. In addition, he attained his Master Code Professional designation in 2009 from the International Code Council.
Littlefield also represents Goochland County at the national level serving the Independent Alliance of the Electrical Industry on a National Electric Code Making Panel (CMP) since 2017. He served on CMP-11 for three cycles and was just appointed as Chairman of CMP-8 for the upcoming 2029 National Electric Code. Littlefield is also a lead instructor for the Jack Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy and is the current Chairman of the Virginia Amusement Device Technical Advisory Committee.
On accepting his new role, Littlefield said, “It is an honor and privilege to serve the people of Goochland County. I look forward to leading the department into the future.”
He will officially begin his new role on February 1st
Effective March 1, 2026 all residential building permit applications applied for by a licensed contractor must be filed electronically via the Energov Permitting Portal.
Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the winners of the 2025 Fire Service Awards on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Eddie Ferguson, Chief of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services for Goochland County, was named Virginia’s Chief Officer of the Year.
The Governor’s Fire Service Awards, established in 2002, serves as a formal recognition of excellence. According to the Virginia Department of Fire Programs website, this award is intended to honor a chief officer who exemplifies exceptional leadership, integrity, innovation, and commitment to both their department and the broader Virginia fire service. Chief Ferguson was presented with the award during the Virginia Fire/Rescue Conference in Virginia Beach on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
“This is truly an honor, and you will never know how much this means to me.”, said Chief Ferguson. “This is really a team and organizational level recognition; no one person does it alone. I am so blessed to have had such wonderful mentors, a supportive family, to have been afforded so many opportunities in my career, and to be surrounded by such great people who really do the heavy lifting making the organization successful and run smoothly. Our members drive our success, and I am incredibly proud of the entire team. I am privileged to serve as the Fire-Rescue Chief, and I take that responsibility very seriously.”
Chief Ferguson has over 40 years of experience with Fire and EMS and began serving as a volunteer in Goochland County at the age of 16. In addition to his service to Goochland County, Chief Ferguson served for almost 17 years as a career Firefighter Paramedic with Chesterfield Fire & EMS. He continues to serve as a Flight Paramedic assigned to VA State Police EMS Med-Flight 1. Chief Ferguson was hired by Goochland County in 2004 as Deputy Chief and has been serving as Chief since 2019.
“This well-deserved honor shows the rest of the Commonwealth, what we in Goochland already know – Chief Ferguson is an exceptional leader.” said Dr. Raley, Goochland County Administrator. “Goochland County is extremely fortunate to have Chief Eddie Ferguson serving our community.”
The Virginia Department of Forestry 4 p.m. Burn Law is in effect from February 15th through April 30th.
The 4:00 PM Burning Law specifies:
No burning until AFTER 4:00 p.m. February15 through April 30 of each year, if the fire is in or within 300 feet of woodland, brushland or field containing dry grass or other flammable material.
Fire shall not be left unattended if within 150 feet of woodland, brushland or fields containing dry grass.
No new fires set, no fuel added, or fire rekindled after midnight.
Law applies to campfires, warming fires, brush piles, leaves, household trash, stumps, fields of broomstraw and brush or anything capable of spreading fire.
The law provides for a penalty of up to $500, plus payment of court costs and fire suppression costs if the fire escapes.
Beginning January 1, 2026, Goochland County Community Development Department is implementing a streamlined process for development plan submissions aimed at improving efficiency and enhancing service delivery for residents and developers. This is a part of the department’s overall strategy to improve customer experience that began in the summer.
Starting on January 1, all Plan of Development, Land Disturbance Permits, and Storm Water Management Permits, must be submitted through the online Enterprise Permitting and Licensing (EP&L) portal, accompanied by a single paper plan set required for record keeping purposes.
The move to electronic submission for development plans comes after the implementation of the new permitting system, Tyler Technologies’, Enterprise Permitting and Licensing (EP&L) in early 2023.
“Moving to electronic submissions will increase efficiencies and streamline the development plan process” said Sara Worley, the Deputy County Administrator for Economic and Community Development. “The Building Inspection department already utilizes electronic submissions so many of our customers are already familiar with the online portal. We are excited to implement this efficiency for our customers and are ready to assist with any questions as customers navigate the online portal”.
The Enterprise Permitting and Licensing (EP&L) system is available at https://land.goochlandva.us/EnerGov_Prod/SelfService. Tutorials, guides, and frequently asked questions can be found under the ‘Helpful Links’ tab.
The goal of Goochland County’s sign removal program is to control litter and enhance the community’s roadways by removing signs within the road right-of-way (ROW). In addition, this program furthers the county’s strategic goals of high-quality core services, especially public safety and community health as roadside signs can limit visibility creating potentially dangerous situations.
Goochland County General Services staff are monitoring visible crossroads and corridors for prohibited signs. When identified, staff will contact the sign owner or organization listed on the sign, who will need to remove the sign within seven calendar days. Following that seven-day period, the sign will be removed and taken to the Central Convenience Center for another seven-day period, after which time, the sign will be disposed. Please note: sign owners will only be contacted when identifiable information is present on the sign.
For more information on this program, please visit www.goochlandva.us/littercontrol. To report a sign placed in the right-of-way, please contact Goochland County General Services at 804-556-5331.
Goochland County announced the creation of the Historic Map Viewer during the April 1, 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting. This interactive map allows users to view maps of the County dating as far back as 1820.
This initiative is the result of a public-private partnership between the Goochland County Geographic Information System (GIS) Department and the Goochland County Historical Society.
The Historic Map Viewer enables users to overlay the current online digital mapping system with historic maps from 1820, 1863, 1880, 1919, and 1932 when county roads were taken over by the Virginia Department of highways.