Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 16, 1990 TAG: 9005160405
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PETER MATHEWS NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"The proposed fees are in line with the needs," said Mayor Harold Linkous. "Additional services that have been promised and needed improvements will be covered in this budget."
The $8,454,600 budget calls for real estate taxes to stay at 17.5 cents per $100 and personal property taxes to remain at 45 cents per $100.
The budget is nearly half a million dollars lower than last year's because of a reduction in carry-over funds from bonds sold in previous years, Lemley said.
The proposed increases are:
Water rates would increase between 11 percent and 16 percent. A customer who used 12,000 gallons would see an increase of $2.30 on a bimonthly bill, or $1.15 a month.
Town Manager John Lemley said the increase, the first since 1985, is necessary because the town's cost of buying water from the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-VPI Water Authority will rise 10 cents per 1,000 gallons.
Solid-waste collection rates would double to $5 a month, and rates for commercial customers also would go up. A new $15-per-ton landfill tipping fee imposed by Montgomery County will cost the town about $150,000 a year, making the increase necessary.
"Operation costs have gotten ahead of us," said Lemley.
Christiansburg also will incur some one-time costs when it closes its landfill, he said. Those costs aren't known yet, but he conservatively estimated them at $30,000.
The proposed increase is the first since 1982.
The meals and lodging tax would go up from 2 percent to 4 percent, an increase that would bring the town $578,000 more than the estimated revenue for this year.
The budget also includes 5 percent raises for all town employees, a $125,000 increase in the fund to improve streets, the first payment of $65,000 for property the town purchased on East Main Street next to town hall and $550,000 to extend sewer service and install street lights to recently annexed areas.
Another major cost is $100,000 set aside for a new building for the Christiansburg Life Saving Crew, which the town took over this year.
"The rescue squad facilities desperately need to be expanded and no one can dispute that," said Councilman Truman K. Daniel.
The town also would add four public works employees and a police dispatcher, a patrol officer and a secretary/receptionist.
Council set public hearings for June 5 and will vote on the budget June 19.
In other matters, council accepted a resolution to purchase the Corning plant's water service accounts, now being served by Blacksburg, for $65,544.
The transaction will occur on paper only and Christiansburg will start meter readings once both town councils have approved the transfer. Blacksburg has scheduled a public hearing on the sale for June 12.
Kim Sunderland contributed information to this report.
by CNB