Essex County, VA elected officials: supervisors or council members, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Essex County: 15 seats on 7 elected bodies.

Board of Supervisors (counties) or City Council (cities)

Essex County Board of Supervisors

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, CentralJohn C. Magruder source
Supervisor, SouthRonnie G. Gill source
Supervisor, Greater TappahannockRobert L. "Rob" Akers, Jr. source
Supervisor, NorthJoseph Allen Henry source
Supervisor, At LargeJ. Calvin Haile, Jr. source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of the Circuit CourtChristina A. Ambrose source
Commissioner of the RevenueKristen Andrews Foster source
Commonwealth's AttorneyJames Michael Sitton, II source
SheriffW. A. "Arnie" Holmes source
TreasurerB. A. "Penny" Davis source

School Board

Essex County School Board

OfficeWho holds it now
School Board Member, CentralCharmaine D. Young-Waddy source
School Board Member, SouthChris W. Hundley source
School Board Member, At LargeRoger D. "Butch" Gross source
School Board Member, Greater TappahannockJaime M. Gomes source
School Board Member, NorthGarlyn R. Bundy source

Official website

How many local governments Essex County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 5 local governments in Essex County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships10
School districts (school boards)01
Special districts (elected boards)30

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Essex County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Essex County

10,623people
47.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$56,520 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
16.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$238,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.8%U.S.: 8.4%
52.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
30.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.6% · White 53.2% · Black 36.8% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 4.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Essex County

4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.2%. Virginia: 3.6%.
203people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
4,739people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
4,942in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Essex County 0.0%2.1%4.2%6.3%8.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.1%2034,7394,942
August 20264.0%1974,7374,934
July 20264.0%2004,7394,939
June 20264.2%2094,7814,990
May 20264.0%1974,7824,979
April 20263.8%1894,7734,962
March 20264.3%2124,7464,958
February 20264.5%2234,6884,911
January 20264.7%2304,6864,916
December 20254.2%2054,6654,870
November 20254.6%2244,6804,904
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.2%2084,7134,921
August 20254.2%2084,7624,970
July 20254.2%2064,7324,938
June 20254.2%2124,8555,067
May 20253.9%1944,7664,960
April 20253.6%1794,7854,964
March 20254.2%2114,7564,967
February 20254.6%2214,6324,853
January 20254.5%2214,6844,905
December 20243.7%1794,6754,854
November 20244.1%2024,6754,877
October 20243.8%1854,7134,898
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.2%2084,7304,938
20244.1%2024,7724,974
20233.7%1874,8455,032
20223.6%1744,7174,891
20215.2%2524,5924,844
20208.0%3894,5024,891
20193.8%1874,7364,923
20184.2%2064,7374,943
20175.1%2584,7665,024
20165.0%2584,8575,115

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Virginia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.6% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Essex County

242.2 per 100,0002025. Virginia: 205.9.
903.8 per 100,0002025. Virginia: 1,353.5.
0murders2025, 26 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202526242.297903.8
202424224.71241,161.0
202325234.61151,079.1
202231292.71091,029.1
202113119.265595.8
202023210.681741.6
201938350.91161,071.2
201839355.194855.8
201716144.11501,350.7
201620180.81421,283.3
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Essex County Sheriff's Office202515488,531
Tappahannock Police Department202511492,202

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Virginia · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.80 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 10,733 people.
30sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
9civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Essex County Sheriff's Office1888,531
Tappahannock Police Department1212,202
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025302.8092
2023282.6392
2022282.6482
2021242.2092
2020252.2972
2019211.9442
2018222.0092
2017221.9892
2016191.72122

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Essex County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Christina A. Ambrose is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Essex County, Virginia.
Who is the Essex County Commissioner of the Revenue?
Kristen Andrews Foster is the Commissioner of the Revenue of Essex County, Virginia.
Who is the Essex County Commonwealth's Attorney?
James Michael Sitton, II is the Commonwealth's Attorney of Essex County, Virginia.
Who is the Essex County Sheriff?
W. A. "Arnie" Holmes is the Sheriff of Essex County, Virginia.
Who is the Essex County Treasurer?
B. A. "Penny" Davis is the Treasurer of Essex County, Virginia.
Who are the Essex County commissioners?
John C. Magruder (Supervisor, Central); Ronnie G. Gill (Supervisor, South); Robert L. "Rob" Akers, Jr. (Supervisor, Greater Tappahannock); Joseph Allen Henry (Supervisor, North); J. Calvin Haile, Jr. (Supervisor, At Large).
Who is on the Essex County School Board?
Charmaine D. Young-Waddy (Central); Chris W. Hundley (South); Roger D. "Butch" Gross (At Large); Jaime M. Gomes (Greater Tappahannock); Garlyn R. Bundy (North).
What is the population of Essex County?
About 10,623 people, with a median age of 47.1; the median household income is $56,520 and 12.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Essex County?
4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 203 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,942, against 4.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Essex County?
5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal and 3 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Virginia Department of Elections' certified results (its Historical Elections Database) of each seat's last election; officials appointed or resigned since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

Essex County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Virginia county + independent city · Virginia's members of Congress

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