Stafford County Board of Supervisors spent more than an hour at its Oct. 27 work session arguing over whether and how to commission a deeper look at county finances after repeated public calls for a “forensic audit.”
Supervisor Crystal Vanuch (Rock Hill) moved to add three items previously discussed publicly: removing by-right data centers in M-2 zoning, removing data centers from the technology zone, and a forensic audit. Supervisor E. Darrell English (Hartwood) seconded. Deputy County Administrator Donna Krauss said the two data-center items are already scheduled for the Nov. 17 work session. The annual county audit presentation is set for Dec. 5.
The board ultimately added a conversation about a “financial analysis” before closed session. Supervisors disagreed on the term “forensic audit.” County Administrator William H. Ashton II and others said it implies fraud or misconduct, even though none is alleged. Vanuch and English distributed a proposed scope covering 2021-2027 (later expanded in discussion to 2017 or 2019-2027), county government, schools, constitutional officers, procurement, personnel, capital projects, grants, and internal controls. The stated objective was an independent accounting of fund management and transparency, “not to presume any wrongdoing.”
All seven supervisors were present. Dr. Pamela Yeung noted she had to leave at 7 p.m. Chairman Deuntay Diggs, Vice Chairwoman Maya Guy, Kecia Evans, and Tinesha Allen also took part. The discussion of existing audit work referenced Andrea Light, the county’s chief financial officer.
The next step is a special called meeting or work session at 4 p.m. Nov. 17, before the regular meeting, to refine the parameters. Cost is unknown until a request for proposals is issued; estimates floated in the millions. The board preferred oversight, with no staff role in scope or vendor selection. Schools and constitutional officers would participate voluntarily in any extra review beyond their regular audits.
No final cost was set, and the board did not vote to launch an RFP that night. No fraud was found or alleged as fact. Data-center scheduling remains context only; those items stay on the Nov. 17 work-session agenda.
Talk of a deeper financial review comes as county supervisors have hiked taxes on residents to fund the FY2027 budget. In February, County Administrator Bill Ashton proposed raising the real estate tax rate from $0.9236 to $0.985 per $100 of assessed value.
Combined with a roughly 10 percent rise in residential assessments that set the median home value at $477,100, the proposal would have pushed the median annual tax bill to about $4,699. Ashton said $40 million in state-mandated tax relief — primarily disabled-veteran exemptions, equal to about 15 cents on the rate — had consumed the reassessment gains. On April 28, the board adopted a lower calendar-year 2026 real estate rate of $0.9675 on a 4-3 vote as part of the FY2027 budget that took effect July 1.
Supervisors Crystal Vanuch, Darrell English, and Pamela Yeung voted against it. During that meeting, Vanuch cited Commissioner of the Revenue figures showing the average tax on a home assessed under $500,000 rising from $2,994 in 2021 to $4,764 under the new rate — a $1,770 increase.
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