Dublin Council Approves Budget for Next Year
By DAVID QUESENBERRY
Patriot Publishing
The Dublin Town Council at its June meeting approved the town’s budget for the FY 2026-2027 fiscal year.
The total budget approved for the fiscal year was $6,961,014. The General Fund was approved at $2,501,178 and the Enterprise Fund at $4,559,863.
Town Manager Darrin Cullip reviewed the current budget’s performance as of May 31, 2026. General Fund revenues stood at 79 percent of the amount budgeted, while General Fund expenses came in at 77 percent.
He said that revenues were a little less than they should be but that expenditures were running even lower. One reason he gave for the lower revenues was that the Franchise Tax line item had come in lower than expected at $130,665 from its budgeted amount of $145,000.
In reviewing the budget, Cullip said the Town had held off making transfers from the DID/Enterprise Fund revenue line item. Some of the transfer might be done, but as yet there were some road funds from VDOT that as yet had not come in. He felt that several items in the budget would level out over the next two weeks and that the budget was still on track but might not reach the 100 percent budgeted amount for both revenues and expenditures.
With respect to General Fund expenditures, Cullip said the Street Department had purchased a used dump truck. The budget set aside $40,000 in the Capital Outlay’ Street Department line item for the truck which cost $57,900.
Mayor Debbie Lyons asked if the dump truck was financed. Cullip replied that the Town had paid for the unit. He added that the Town had also paid off the debt for remodeling Building 112 in the Industrial Park. Cullip said that the only outstanding debt was for a water loan, with loans for the Municipal Building, Building 112 and all equipment now retired.
Staff is currently checking on the water loan to see what was owed and whether or not the Town might benefit from early retirement of that debt. Cullip thought the Town might increase payments annually to able to retire that loan earlier.
For the Enterprise Fund, the revenues were at 107 percent of budget with the expenditures at 67 percent. Increases over budgeted revenues were noted under line items for Penalties on Water Service Accounts and Re-connect Fees.
Councilman Doug Poe asked if the Town was in line with other localities as to when cut-offs are done. Cullip said he was unaware of any “rhyme or reason” to cut-offs by any locality especially after COVID when the time for cut-offs varied widely by community.
Reporting on the brown field and the Department of Environmental Quality grants, Cullip told Council that the NRV Regional Authority and CHA engineering had been working on the documentation required by both grants. He hoped that for the August Council meeting, there would be a public presentation on how work on the grants is proceeding.
Regarding the demolition of the boiler house in the Industrial Park, Cullip said the bids had come back for $1 million for asbestos abatement and demolition.
CHA, the Town’s engineering contractor for the grant, is searching for other grant sources to assist with funding the abatement and removal of the structure. He added there are also options available that could be considered for reducing the cost of demolition.
Cullip informed Council that he had been in contact with the Town of Pulaski on the sewer line repairs for the main line to Peppers Ferry’s treatment plant. Pulaski had been awarded funds on favorable terms with approximately half of the amount being forgiven and the rest to be a loan at a 0.5 percent interest rate.
Pulaski will actually receive the funding, and Dublin Town Attorney Trent Crewe will be working with Pulaski’s attorney on a contract for Dublin to pay Pulaski for its part of the project. Dublin’s part of the loan payment, Cullip said, looks to be about $9,000 per year over 30 years or $13,000 per year for 20 years. He said the situation on the project’s finances turned out much better than he anticipated.
Mayor Lyons asked where Dublin’s portion of the line is. Cullip responded that it is from underpass Exxon on down Rt. 11. The plan is to rehabilitate all of the manholes and placing a poly liner inside the sewer line some of which was already lined. The pipe liner would be installed in sections from manhole to manhole. He felt that most of the expense would involve getting to the sewer line since it was located between the railroad and Route 11.
He estimated it would be next year before payments had to be included in the Town budget given the time involved for the loan’s closing.
Council also held a public hearing on closing the street right of way of the former State Highway 9345 on a parcel located across from the Gateway School and the Adult Day Care Center. With no comments received, Council will consider action closing the right-of-way at its August meeting.
Mayor Lyons told Council about three upcoming community events.
On Friday, June 26th the Town will have its first Good Neighbor Market at the Dublin Town Center, 101 Dublin Park Road from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm. There will be live entertainment, with craft and food vendors on-site. The market is a new addition to the Dublin community which will be held the last Friday of each month through October.
On July 3rd, the Town will join with the Town of Pulaski for the 4th of July Independence Parade starting at 3:00 pm in Downtown Pulaski. It will be followed by Party in the Park at Jackson Park from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The festivities will continue with a baseball game, starting at 7:00 pm at Calfee Park, with fireworks at the end of the game.
On July 4th at 9:00 am, the Town of Dublin will have its annual Flag Ceremony held on the front steps of Town Hall to remember those who have given their lives in service to our country and to reflect on and celebrate the freedoms we enjoy and the price paid to defend them.
The Dublin Town Council will not meet in July, but will have its next meeting at 7:00 pm, Thursday, August 20, 2026 in the Council Chambers of the Dublin Town Hall at Dublin Town Center.