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Smyth County approves budget amendment, backs Chilhowie water project with moral-obligation pledge
Summary
The Board unanimously approved Budget Amendment #4 ($930,540), agreed to a moral-obligation pledge to support Chilhowies $6M+ water project pending audits and authorized $10,000 in OAA funding to SWVA Legal Aid; the Board also accepted a Trane energy-audit agreement and several committee recommendations.
The Smyth County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 26 approved a series of budget and infrastructure actions, including a moral-obligation pledge to support the Town of Chilhowies planned $6 million-plus water project, adopting Budget Amendment #4 and approving a $10,000 Opioid Abatement Authority direct-distribution request for Southwestern Virginia Legal Aid Society.
Chilhowie Town Manager Brian Martin told the Board the proposed water project would be funded with a Virginia Department of Health loan/grant package that is roughly half grant and half loan. He said the project is delayed because the town is not current on required audits; Chilhowie recently completed FY23 and expects to complete FY24 and FY25 audits by year-end. Martin asked the County to approve a moral obligation for the bond funding to meet a March 31, 2026 deadline; County staff noted the county would not be liable for the debt as long as the town maintains its commitment.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the moral-obligation pledge and authorized the County Administrator to execute documents on the countys behalf.
County Administrator Shawn Utt presented Budget Amendment #4 totaling $930,540, bringing the amended budget to $142,901,101; Utt said the changes reflect new grant receipts and minor transfers. The Board accepted the amendment unanimously.
The Board also approved a request from the Southwestern Virginia Legal Aid Society for $10,000 in Opioid Abatement Authority direct-distribution funding to support court-appointed attorneys for individuals in recovery; staff said the request is for FY27 and that the funds will be used strictly for opioid-related cases. The committee asked for a decision by April 1 so the group can apply for the OAA renewal grant.
Separately, the Board accepted a Trane Energy & Sustainability agreement to conduct free energy audits of county buildings, EDA properties and public libraries; the audits are free but any subsequent work would be optional and potentially subject to future cost.
Next steps: staff will prepare documents required to finalize the moral-obligation pledge, finalize the budget amendment paperwork and coordinate with Legal Aid on the OAA distribution timeline.
