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Waynesboro council adopts FY27 budget, tax and utility ordinances and backs grant applications
Summary
Council adopted ordinances establishing the FY2027 budget, utility rates and calendar-year 2026 taxes, approved a FY2026 budget amendment of $3,512,692, and passed resolutions supporting three economic-development grant applications to fund off-site water/sewer and access-road design. Most votes were unanimous; one councilmember abstained on a CTB item due to employment with VDOT.
The Waynesboro City Council on May 11 adopted several fiscal ordinances and approved resolutions supporting regional economic-development grant applications.
Counsel reported that items related to tax rates for calendar year 2026, amendments to specified city code sections to establish utility rates, and the annual budget for fiscal year 2027 had been properly noticed and subject to prior public hearings. The council voted to adopt the ordinances for taxes, utility rates and the FY2027 budget; those votes were recorded as unanimous (5–0).
Council also opened and closed a public hearing on an FY2026 budget amendment in the amount of $3,512,692; no members of the public spoke and the ordinance amending FY2026 was adopted on a motion and second, with the vote recorded 5–0.
In addition, staff sought council support for three grant applications to advance infrastructure for two economic-development sites: Nature's Crossing Technology Center (a 170-acre site) and the Waynesboro Commerce & Industry Park (35 acres). Staff described the Nature's Crossing site project estimate at roughly $32 million and said the locality was pursuing a mix of state and federal grant funding; one federal application cited a $7.2 million program with the city requesting about $3 million as part of a match strategy. Council voted to support the two economic development grant applications together and then to support the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) Economic Development Access Fund application. One councilmember abstained from the CTB vote because of employment ties to VDOT; other votes on the grant-resolution items were recorded as affirmative.
Councilmembers did not amend the budget items on the floor and directed staff to continue coordination with grant partners and VDOT as appropriate. The grants, if awarded, would fund off-site water and sewer construction, elevated water storage design and an access road design to improve site readiness at priority industrial locations in Waynesboro.
The adopted budget ordinances and the grant-support resolutions represent immediate fiscal and planning priorities; implementation of any grant-funded work will require subsequent design, contracting and construction steps that will be managed by city staff.
