Blacksburg hears funding requests from local nonprofits ahead of FY2025–26 budget

Blacksburg Town Council on the night of the meeting heard presentations from local nonprofits and community groups seeking support in the town’s FY2025–26 budget process. Presenters outlined services ranging from early‑childhood book distribution to adult literacy, arts and cultural programming, community gardens and food access.

The presentations opened after the council approved the consent agenda. Speakers representing about a dozen organizations described missions, recent activity, and how town funding would be used. Several groups named specific dollar requests; where a request was not stated in the presentation, the article notes that it was not specified.

Why it matters: The organizations seeking support provide services used by Blacksburg residents — including preschool literacy, adult education, senior services, arts programming and food access — and several presenters said local government funding composes a portion of their operating budgets.

What presenters told the council

- Anne, a representative of a local choral group, opened with a short demonstration and told the council the group requested $1,000 for scholarships. She said the chorale paid for scholarships that year and used town support to defray dues for singers who could not otherwise afford them.

- John Byers, representing Wonder Universe/Children’s Museum, asked the town to increase support to $5,000 and described the museum’s 15,000 square feet of exhibits and roughly 35,000 annual visits, including field trips from six counties.

- Fran Machella, president of the New River Land Trust, thanked the town for past support and outlined conservation work; a specific dollar request was not specified during the presentation.

- Casey Hodges, representing the Blacksburg Community Band, said the volunteer band operates without dues and that its annual budget is about $17,000; the band’s request amount was not clearly stated in the remarks (the presenter said it was a modest request, around $600, but also said he was unsure of the exact figure).

- Wendy Baldwin, executive director of the Imagination Library of Montgomery County, described enrollment and costs: the program has enrolled about 2,200 county children so far, of which 34% live in Blacksburg, and the local program’s net cost is about $16 per enrolled child per year; she did not state a single‑year town request during her remarks.

- Ginny Ayers, executive director of Literacy NRV, asked councilors to continue local support for adult literacy services, noting that local government funds make up more than 10% of the nonprofit’s budget; she did not specify a single request amount during her presentation.

- Ray Parks, director of the New River Valley Agency on Aging, and Sherry White, executive director of the Montgomery Museum of Art and History, described services to older adults and museum programming respectively; the Montgomery Museum requested $5,000.

- John Walker of the Cayenneus Institute asked for $1,000 to support rehearsal and performance space for a growing Sinfonietta that plans more concerts in town.

- Live, Work, Eat, Grow requested $15,000 to maintain and expand community garden infrastructure across four garden sites and to support staff who manage plot assignments and site logistics.

- The Lyric Theater’s executive director, Seth Davis, described increased attendance, expanded youth programming and an ongoing capital campaign; the Lyric also submitted a separate capital request in addition to its operating request, but a single dollar figure for operating support was not stated in the presentation excerpt.

- Diana Francis, executive director of the Black Spirit Museum and Cultural Foundation, thanked the town for prior support and described ongoing preservation and interpretive work at Alexander Black House and Saint Luke Knottfeld’s Hall; she did not state a precise funding request in the remarks presented to council.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of consent agenda (approval of town council minutes for March 4): motion moved and seconded on the record; roll‑call votes recorded as “Aye” from council members and the clerk. Vote tally: yes 8, no 0, abstain 0. Outcome: approved.

Details and documentation: Several presenters provided program statistics during remarks — for example, the Imagination Library reported enrolling about 2,200 Montgomery County children and said 34% of eligible county children live in Blacksburg — and multiple presenters emphasized that town funds are leveraged to attract state or private grants. When presenters did not state a specific dollar request in their remarks, this article records the request as “not specified.”

Council next steps and context

Councilors did not take formal votes on the agency funding requests during the meeting; the presentations were submitted for council consideration as part of the town’s budget process. Town staff will include the requests and supporting materials in budget documents and upcoming budget deliberations.

Sources: Presentations made during the public portion of the council meeting by representatives of the Blacksburg Master Chorale (representative identified as Anne), Wonder Universe/Children’s Museum (John Byers), New River Land Trust (Fran Machella and John Eustice), Blacksburg Community Band (Casey Hodges), Imagination Library of Montgomery County (Wendy Baldwin), Literacy NRV (Ginny Ayers), New River Valley Agency on Aging (Ray Parks), Montgomery Museum of Art and History (Sherry White), Cayenneus Institute (John Walker), Roanoke‑Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (Suzanne Gardner), Blacksburg Farmers Market (representative), Lyric Theater (Seth Davis), Live, Work, Eat, Grow (Lena Schneider), Black Spirit Museum and Cultural Foundation (Diana Francis) and others who presented during the agency funding slot.