06/20/2026
🚨Companies are increasingly looking at Spotsylvania and Stafford counties to build data centers.
Some residents told me they feel like the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors is allowing the county to get ripped off.
Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, and the City of Fredericksburg have the lowest tax rate on data center equipment in the region at a $1.25 for every $100 of assessed value. Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William, and Loudoun counties charge a much higher tax rate.
Fairfax County charges data center equipment at $4.57 per $100 of assessed value, Prince William County’s tax rate is at $4.50, and Fauquier County’s and Loudoun County’s tax rates are at $4.15.
Loudoun County Supervisor Kristen Umstattd says Spotsylvania County and Stafford County should raise their tax rates so those counties see the same tax revenue benefits that Loudoun County does.
“What we get out of a $4.15 cent tax rate is money for our schools, 100% of our general fund covered by data center tax revenues,” said Umstattd. “And it's 45% of our entire budget, including the schools.”
And she says the data centers aren’t complaining about Loudoun County’s tax rate.
“I would say to the boards of supervisors in Spotsylvania and Stafford County, do not undervalue what you have,” said Umstattd. “You have an apparent willingness to invite in data centers. Data centers are not small mom-and-pop operations, as you all know. They are very well financed. They do not have problems paying taxes. What we have found in Loudoun County is that when we charge $4.15 per $100 of assessed value on their business tangible personal property, which is their banks of computers, they did not blink. They did not ask us to lower that tax rate. We have in fact envisioned raising it from time to time. I've worked with members of boards of supervisors over the last 20 years in Stafford and Spotsylvania, through VACO, and through the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions, and I know you need more revenue for roads. I know your secondary road system needs funding, and I know it's very hard to get it out of the state. I know your schools need funding. I know every other federal and state mandate needs to be funded. Don't sell yourself short.”
But most Spotsylvania County Supervisors aren’t budging.
Spotsylvania County Planning Commission member Scott Phelps has been trying to get the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors to raise the tax rate for months.
“We're like Dollar General,” Phelps said at last month’s planning meeting. “No offense to Dollar General. But we're a bargain basement dwelling here. We're selling ourselves short. Our I-95 corridor is in high demand. We have the infrastructure in place, and we should treat ourselves with more respect.”
Full story: https://wjla.com/news/local/data-center-spotsylvania-county-centers-virginia-low-tax-prince-william-stafford-lee-hill-niehbrohood-residents-react-support-condemn-environmental-attorney-industrial-supervisors
