Smyth County adopts FY24/25 budget, approves GO bond and capital actions; multiple budget amendments passed

Smyth County supervisors adopted the Fiscal Year 2024/25 operating budget and approved multiple capital and budget actions during 2024. In March the Board conducted a public hearing and voted to authorize the issuance of General Obligation bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $13,450,000 to finance county facility and infrastructure projects. Davenport & Company recommended using the Virginia Resources Authority pooled financing option; the Board voted to proceed. County Administrator Shawn Utt told the Board the bond proceeds would be used for county buildings, public safety, and solid waste transfer station improvements. "Davenport's recommendation was to move forward with the Virginia Resources Authority proposal," Utt said at the March hearing. The Board also approved the FY24/25 operating budget in June and set tax rates: real estate $0.59 per $100, tangible personal property $2.30 per $100, and other rates as listed in the adopted resolution. The Board adopted the schools' FY24/25 spending plan by category and approved first-quarter and subsequent appropriation packages to reflect grant awards, operational carryovers and capital needs. Over the year supervisors approved several named budget amendments (Amendments #1–#10 recorded in the minutes) that added grant funding and appropriations for school and county expenses, including a request tied to the Teleperformance/Teleperformance Building project and supplemental appropriations to reflect disaster-related costs after Hurricane Helene. The Board also ratified bond closing documents and adopted a resolution authorizing the County Administrator to execute necessary financing documents and accepted a Certificate of Refunding of a local school bond where required. On capital project specifics, the Board approved change orders and contracts for the Sheriff's Office relocation, the Dispatch/911 relocation, and transfer station building repairs, and approved procurement steps to close and award contracts. Many of these capital steps were later adjusted by change order to address required design corrections and code requirements. Taken together, these actions established a multi-year capital plan funded by a mix of bond proceeds, grants, and local appropriations and positioned Smyth County to move forward with prioritized facility improvements and storm recovery work.