Whigham Council adopts budget after approving higher water rates and $5 meter fee

Mayor Trey Gainous presided as the Whigham City Council approved a fees and rates resolution and adopted the city’s 2025–2026 budget during its Aug. 12 meeting.

The council approved the water-rate provisions read aloud by Gainous: “the water rate for the first 1,000 gallons shall be $20.00 in the City limits of Whigham, with a charge of $2.32 for each additional thousand gallons thereafter,” and “the water rate for the first 1,000 gallons shall be $25.00 outside the city limits of Whigham, with a charge of $2.32 for each additional thousand gallons thereafter.” The resolution also establishes “a meter availability fee” of $5.00 per month for all electric meter subscribers. Robert Porter moved to approve the resolution and Jimmie Laing seconded; all members present voted in favor.

Mayor Trey Gainous told the council the budget presented to members incorporated the newly approved rate figures. Councilman Robert Porter asked whether revenues from recently installed school cameras were included; Gainous said those figures were not included “as we did not know what to anticipate the cameras would bring in.” Porter then moved to adopt the budget; Andrew Walden seconded and the motion carried with unanimous support from those present.

The council’s recorded actions reflect routine fiscal housekeeping: adopting the agenda, approving minutes from July 8 and July 25, approving the fees and rates resolution, and adopting the budget. The meeting record does not show individual roll-call votes beyond the statement that “all members present voted in favor.”

Next steps: the resolution and adopted budget are recorded in the meeting minutes; the council did not set additional public hearings related to the water-rate adjustment at this meeting.