[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6056942,"mediaKeyId","3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188","parentId",3308140,"title","Blacksburg holds public hearing on roughly $108 million FY2026 budget; adoption set for May 27","audioSeconds",433,"startMs",689000,"endMs",1122000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188&start=689&end=1122","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188/thumbnail_689000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6056942/Blacksburg/Montgomery-County/Virginia/Blacksburg-holds-public-hearing-on-roughly-108-million-FY2026-budget-adoption-set-for-May-27","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6056942-d961bc7987c7c478b679595a06522e09/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165617&Signature=PeJ63PXBDfaIZ0VkHyDNfFXwnmBX6py323q9lZPja55epiFRjpgYHTpS0ZolBGR7N8sV50NSiX~N9RnRTo08omTUjoD1e6AZJs~Jd~ApvoZ~0hpem2cqBbLmaG8JuMXsrCOhVltiay9lWy0TD4Eabe4CpwcO-7fTmpRWTVnU7hIV5UPNcPSIINBNEov8KNwVrN91OFQjSvuvMN0Uy-lr-Y7nCzHDmSMNOE7uXxUQivcXQz0sI8f1H-KIZmWMP-A-o05ha45nskrZAMMzLzcwomcyjE1IzW3t3iaRFwUyMVv46Dms-JjhLXkqElPNAIwpcFk~SP6~Yfs2IFVL1gWkeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-14T10:55:38Z","article","Blacksburg — Town staff presented the fiscal 2025–26 recommended budget and the Town Council held a public hearing; adoption is scheduled for May 27.

Staff described the combined budget package (ordinances 2076 and 2077) as \"just over a hundred and 8,000,000\" including capital and debt, with an overall increase of roughly 2.9% and a larger operating increase when one-time capital and debt are excluded. Staff said the town will keep the real estate tax rate at 26¢ per $100 of assessed value and projected moderate revenue growth driven in part by higher costs for goods and services.

The presentation said the general fund is about $53,000,000 and is increasing approximately 4.4% excluding capital and debt. Staff explained that utility funds (water, sewer, solid waste and recycling, stormwater) make up roughly a quarter of the budget and that the average utility bill would rise about 4.5% for a typical customer under the proposed rates. The presentation said stormwater rates would not change.

Notable budget items discussed included funding for affordable housing incentives, contributions to a passenger-rail station project, debt service for a regional 911 radio upgrade, continuation of the police behavioral health co-response program required by the Marcus Alert law, restoration work at Saint Luke and Odd Fellows Hall, athletic-field and skate-park improvements, and a zoning-ordinance rewrite with consultant funding. Staff also noted planned transit investments: 18 electric buses expected to be in service by the fall and additional on-route charging capacity tied to a new transit center at Virginia Tech.

Staff said personnel and benefits remain the town’s largest expense; the budget adds several positions in finance and transit and reclassifies a budget analyst to budget manager. Several nonprofit and cultural agencies received increased funding following council direction, including literacy programs, the Agency on Aging, the Summer Arts Festival, YMCA Virginia Tech, the Blacksburg Partnership and the Lyric (the council funded $70,000 toward the Lyric’s capital campaign). The presentation also mentioned support for the Imagination Library of Montgomery County and a new Caiambas Institute for Latin American Studies in Music grant request.

No public comments were recorded at the hearing. Council will consider budget adoption at its May 27 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Blacksburg — Town staff presented the fiscal 2025–26 recommended budget and the Town Council held a public hearing; adoption is scheduled for May 27.","taxTitle","Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Virginia","taxId",4264,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6056948,"Blacksburg council approves HOME and CDBG annual action plan",72,269000,341000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188&start=269&end=341","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188/thumbnail_269000.jpg","/articles/6056948/Blacksburg/Montgomery-County/Virginia/Blacksburg-council-approves-HOME-and-CDBG-annual-action-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6056948-1865d32a644831ea11eb5bf8ad8e313a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165617&Signature=K6bD1Jn9ym4pbtNI77aUOKdQ2TcYTBvLjMhgtaU7UzYZV-YCJ53BFNTZYouPSeuJHw4hAjUi1w3l-XtyGjl48jY5s-430dTgHrHwUR2Prt0D8UNWwqwKDRqD-LX2~ELa9-nFHiaHDWf2MB4itXX5dQooAl1jAAPSKK4PLrK5AUWahlSfYFJwAhrRtdtsyLYE3sTVJprPNhw~070SrCNLBkF68UdHWuLiaRRwslEhcf73ZPIVlOQrY0A3uky6q3e7cHgGkkEk8hwZqCSVApTQBHsej2z3WqRBH~55LBi4ufAZjZJfcaUe79pvosSGzt~SpfCRsekPtxdMnx7Wql7OZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blacksburg — The Town Council approved the HOME and CDBG program action plan during its consent-agenda votes, authorizing the town’s use of HUD-funded HOME and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) resources for the coming program year.

Council removed the action plan from the consent agenda for separate consideration before voting. A councilor moved approval of the HOME and CDBG program action plan; the motion passed in a roll-call vote with Edgar Smith, Mattingly, Sutphin, Watson, Anderson and Ford recorded as voting aye.

The annual action plan is the town’s submission for HOME and CDBG funding under HUD rules and describes proposed uses for those funds. The plan was introduced as part of the consent agenda and received no public comment at the meeting.","The Town Council approved the annual HOME and CDBG program action plan after removing it from the consent agenda for separate consideration; the plan will guide use of HUD funds in the coming year.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6056953,"Blacksburg council approves broader utility-fee waivers for affordable housing",238,386000,624000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188&start=386&end=624","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3308140-1f0fda5df8779a9325c8228d7a1c2188/thumbnail_386000.jpg","/articles/6056953/Blacksburg/Montgomery-County/Virginia/Blacksburg-council-approves-broader-utility-fee-waivers-for-affordable-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6056953-73c6d0772e5eb279e462f3ae3ced558d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165617&Signature=PeBKQmh3hm8YSEdhDbOxnTFEzqwwqTp6MbJ8fLcRoQ46f2kxWOmiC6ysj1Q9csXKHQvIITqE0I8gsiraaKA6fXB-5K-udNZSbhfnplhHvqHb3h7IxD7~EbugkCILxVGpxTX0D2hsj1aBYuEQZSzrouQxBEc35MOEcf34CHMrwRVm5xjCiiGuIgyAA1GZxs1e6XPDZj0vBiHhRfqTFdVhDeAGVYkbCPyQkcSsvj9UBvxzy6PiQucH1S598V7QPTjzE7~9FD5JtNmvk7kMEaxoO0XY74F9qa6zZUHNUiVkANHK0UNB~c~~6Two~W2KIr6w83PgpxJp8H4oxF-uTcDgrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blacksburg — The Town Council approved Ordinance 2069 on first reading to amend town code provisions that govern waivers of water and sewer availability fees for affordable housing.

The ordinance broadens eligibility, extends minimum affordability terms and gives council discretion over fee waivers, staff said. Matt Hanratty, a town staff member who presented the item, said, \"the proposed change is to bump that up to a 20% of the area median income.\" He also described a proposed 15-year minimum affordability term and language to allow a wider range of federal, state and local financing programs to qualify for waivers.

The changes are intended to give the town flexibility to support projects with deeper affordability levels and to coordinate waivers with a broader set of funding sources. Hanratty said the amendment would also allow projects on land owned by the New River Home Trust to be considered for fee waivers. He described the change as moving from an automatic waiver for some programs to a structure that allows Town Council discretion on a project-by-project basis.

There was no public comment on the ordinance at the hearing. A motion to approve Ordinance 2069 passed on a roll-call vote with councilors Mattingly, Watson, Anderson, Ford and Edgar Smith recorded as voting aye.

The ordinance text and the staff presentation describe four policy changes: (1) expand income eligibility to developments serving households at 20% of area median income or below; (2) set a 15-year minimum affordability period; (3) broaden eligible financing sources beyond HOME and low-income housing tax credits; and (4) give Town Council discretion to approve waivers across programs. The ordinance does not specify an effective date in the presentation heard at the meeting.","The Town Council adopted Ordinance 2069 to expand when water and sewer availability fees can be waived for affordable housing, raising eligibility to developments serving households at 20% of area median income or below, establishing a 15-year minimum affordability term and giving council discretion over waivers.","actionData","errors"]

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Blacksburg holds public hearing on roughly $108 million FY2026 budget; adoption set for May 27

Blacksburg council approves HOME and CDBG annual action plan

Blacksburg council approves broader utility-fee waivers for affordable housing