Collegiate Times

At the Blacksburg Town Council meeting held last night, the council passed two budget ordinances and formally proposed the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2008. 

The first budget ordinance, numbered 1444, passed 7-0 and stated that the council would accept and appropriate $131,347 in intergovernmental revenues to the Police Department, the Planning and Engineering Department, Housing and Neighborhood services. Budget staff reporter Susan Kaiser stated that this money would be given to many different groups in the community. Some of these groups include money to go to the various Housing projects and also to improve water and sewer systems of Blacksburg.

The second budget ordinance, numbered 1445, passed 7-0 and stated that the council would appropriate $183,100 to Westview Cemetery for landscaping and other improvements to be made to the cemetery.

The proposed budget for the 2008 fiscal year will total at around $47 million and will be funded mostly by taxes collected from Blacksburg citizens.

According to the Blacksburg Town Manager, Marc Verniel, the budget will be divided up among many different community issues. Some of these issues include budgeting for the Redevelopment and Rescue of Blacksburg Motor Company Property, increasing personnel and operating expenditures, funding to maintain medians on South Main street, and new funding for housing programs, to name a few.

The council announced that the Blacksburg budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2008 would be voted on and passed after a public hearing on that will be held on April 17, 2007.

All council members, especially Mayor Ron Rordam, said that they looked forward to public input before making any final decisions about the budget for next year.