Dublin Council Holds Public Hearings on the Budget and Utility Rates
By DAVID QUESENBERRY
Patriot Publishing
The Dublin Town Council at its May 15th meeting held two public hearings on the Fiscal Year 25-26 budget and on proposed rates for utility services. Council also discussed potential agreements with Pulaski County on leasing the Dublin Fire Department and taking over residential trash pickup in the Town.
For the next fiscal year, the proposed total budget for Dublin is $6,540,604, with the General Fund budgeted at $2,332,856 and the Enterprise Fund budgeted at $4,207,748. Dublin Mayor Debbie Lyons opened the public hearing with no comments heard from the public. Council will consider formal approval of the budget at its June 25th meeting.
A second public hearing was held on proposed water, sewer and garbage service rates and fees for the next year. Water rates are anticipated to increase 7 percent overall due in part to the price increase by Pulaski County for water supplied to the Town of Dublin. Sewer rates were projected to increase 20 percent to fund work needed on the main sewer line to the Pepper’s Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority. After the hearing, Council unanimously approved the proposed rate increases which will be effective on July 1, 2025.
Council next considered a memorandum of understanding and an agreement for Pulaski County to lease the Dublin Fire Station to house the County Fire Department’s Squad 10. In previous discussions, Councilman Doug Poe expressed concern that the agreement did not specifically address the continued use of the station or its equipment by members of the Dublin Volunteer Fire Department. Town Attorney Trent Crewe noted language was included in the agreement for the Dublin firefighters continued provision of fire protection services. Poe said his concern was that an issue might arise later and the Town’s hands would be tied. Crewe said that since fire protection services were specifically mentioned, it implied that the volunteers would have access to the facility and its equipment, but that language could be strengthened if Council desired.
After further discussion, Crewe said that he understood Council wanted two amendments to the agreement. The first was that volunteers “shall continue to be afforded access to and storage of all Dublin Fire Department equipment and apparatus and the building” and that “volunteers shall be reasonably included in events as are the career firefighters.” Council unanimously voted to adopt the agreement as proposed with the addition of the two amendments. Additional discussions on the amendments would take place with Pulaski County. If the amendments were approved, the agreement could be signed and enter into effect and if not, it would be returned to Council for further discussion.
Council also discussed a potential agreement with Pulaski County to take over residential trash pickup service within the Town. Town Manager Darrin Cullip reported that due to two members of the Town sanitation crew being out for medical reasons, the County had taken over the Town’s commercial dumpsters. A potential agreement allowing the County to begin residential trash pickup in Town was given to Council for their review. In the meantime, the Town Manager and Town Attorney would continue working on the wording of a final draft of the agreement to submit to the County.
In other action, Council voted unanimously to renew its membership in the New River Valley Home Consortium. Cullip said the group was involved with the Dublin High/Middle School apartment project. He said the Town joined last year so its membership could help the group in getting funding for housing projects and give the Town a voice in housing matters.
Cullip also updated Council on the status of grants by the Town and the April budget. He said that staff at the New River Valley Regional Commission had been working on requests for proposals for the grants. In addition, left over funds from the Lead-Copper Grant had been used for additional testing. Cullip said he had been working with the regional commission to determine the process for the close out of the Town’s COVID funding. The federal government he said, had not yet issued its final procedures for completing the grant.
As if April 30th, Cullip said the budget continued to perform well with some tax revenue yet to come in. He said that the Town “had held tight” on spending and that the budget appeared “on target.” Council was told that real estate taxes and personal property taxes due in June would increase those revenues in the monthly report which showed them as being lower at this point in time. Additional revenue would also be coming in from the bank franchise tax. Cullip said that the overage in the Electrical Signaling line item in the Street Department budget would be offset by a transfer of funds from a vehicle account. The transfer of funds was needed to offset the expenditure for a new traffic light control cabinet at the intersection of Giles Avenue and Broad Street. Cullip said the funds would be transferred between the accounts at the end of the fiscal year.
Council approved a change in office hours for the Dublin Town Offices. Starting July 1, 2025, the town offices will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The next meeting of the Dublin Town Council will be at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in the Council Chambers of the Dublin Town Center.