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At a glance: Council approves fee changes, bond authorization for EMU, easement and budget items
Summary
Harrisonburg City Council on June 10 approved several ordinances and resolutions including stormwater fee increase, water/sewer rate changes, reductions to refuse fees, authorization for EDA bonds for Eastern Mennonite University, VDOT utility easement, and multiple supplemental appropriations and reallocations in the FY26 budget.
Harrisonburg City Council on June 10 considered and approved a series of ordinance amendments, resolutions, and budget actions that were part of the fiscal year 2026 implementation and routine municipal business. Key actions taken on roll‑call votes included:
- Stormwater utility fee increase: Council adopted an ordinance amendment to city code section 6‑5‑4 raising the stormwater utility fee from $6 per year to $8 per year; staff said the increase supports several planned capital stormwater projects over the next two to three years.
- Solid waste/refuse rate reductions: Council adopted a resolution under section 6‑2‑39 to reduce the solid waste management fee by $1 per month, lower the residential collection fee by $3 per month, and reduce nonresidential collection fees by $1 per month. Staff noted the resolution reflects FY26 budget decisions.
- Water and sewer rate ordinance: Council amended city code sections 7‑4‑1 and related subsections to increase water rates by $0.23 per 1,000 gallons and sewer rates by $0.16 per 1,000 gallons. Council also amended section 7‑1‑16 to eliminate a 50% deposit discount previously available for customers who used automatic withdrawal, making deposits uniform across customer types; staff said the change reduces administrative burden and aligns deposit policy across accounts.
- Bonds for Eastern Mennonite University (EMU): Council adopted a resolution approving issuance of Industrial Development and Revenue Bonds by the Harrisonburg Economic Development Authority (EDA) for the benefit of Eastern Mennonite University. Staff and the city attorney explained that the bonds are revenue bonds under Virginia law and federal tax rules, would finance or refinance capital projects (including a new academic building) and do not constitute indebtedness of the city or the EDA; bondholders would look solely to EMU for repayment.
- VDOT easement for stormwater facility (I‑81 project): Council authorized the city manager to sign utility easements requested by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to relocate utilities on a small parcel on Reservoir Street that VDOT will use for a stormwater management facility tied to the I‑81 widening project. Staff said VDOT needs the easement to relocate utilities and engineering work is underway.
- Supplemental appropriations and reallocations: Council approved several budget items including a $748,000 school supplemental appropriation (state funds for staff bonuses), supplemental appropriations for new capital lease accounting (golf cart leases at Heritage Oaks and a connectivity/dark‑fiber lease for the Navigation Center), $205,000 moved from investment earnings to the General Capital Projects Fund for Kids Castle, and a reallocation of roughly $113,000 from a completed jail camera project to the Kids Castle project to cover a funding gap.
All listed ordinances, resolutions and budget motions carried on roll‑call votes with the council members present voting aye. Staff noted several of the fee and rate changes were included in the FY26 budget previously adopted by council and these actions codified those budget items into city code and financial records.
