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Blacksburg council adopts FY 2025–26 operating budget ordinances and approves utility and solid-waste fee increases
Summary
The Blacksburg Town Council voted to approve the fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget (amended ordinance 20‑76) and separately adopted ordinance 20‑77 to raise water, sewer and solid-waste/recycling fees; Vice Mayor Michael Sutphen recused himself from parts of the budget vote.
The Blacksburg Town Council approved its fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget by passing amended ordinance 20‑76 and separately adopted ordinance 20‑77 to increase fees for water, sewer, and solid-waste and recycling services.
Council took the budget up as unfinished business. The council first approved amended ordinance 20‑76 with the exemption of certain sections (noted in the meeting as section 4a(2) and sections 6 and 7) that were to be voted on separately. The motion to approve the amended ordinance with those exemptions carried on a roll call vote. The council then voted to approve the exempted sections; that motion also carried by roll call.
The meeting record notes that Vice Mayor Michael Sutphen read a disqualification statement at a prior meeting and did not vote on parts of amended ordinance 20‑76. The transcript identifies Sutphen as not participating in votes on the exempted sections.
Later in the meeting the council considered ordinance 20‑77, which amends the Blacksburg Town Code sections 18‑400, 20‑206 and 24‑602 to increase fees for water and sewer services and for solid waste and recycling. Council members moved and seconded adoption of ordinance 20‑77 and approved it by roll call vote. The transcript records the council’s roll-call “aye” votes for adoption; the fee amounts and specific rate changes were not detailed in the meeting excerpt.
Why it matters: Passage of the operating budget sets spending and policy priorities for the coming fiscal year; increasing utility and solid-waste fees affects residents and ratepayers and will alter user charges collected by the town.
Council action: Amended ordinance 20‑76 was approved in two steps — first with specified exemptions, then the council approved the exempted sections — and ordinance 20‑77 raising utility and solid-waste/recycling fees was adopted. The meeting record does not show any recorded ‘no’ votes during the roll calls in the provided transcript excerpt.
What was not specified: The transcript excerpt did not include the text of the disqualification statement beyond noting Sutphen’s prior disclosure, nor did it include the specific dollar or percentage amounts for the water, sewer, or solid-waste and recycling fee increases.
Ending: With both the amended budget ordinance and the fee ordinance adopted, the council closed unfinished business and moved to announcements. The transcript does not record subsequent administrative steps or an effective date for the ordinances within the excerpt provided.
