Christiansburg Town Manager Kim Eagle’s first proposed budget includes funding for eight new jobs and no tax increases.
The $35.9 million 2026-27 operating budget would increase expenditures by about 5% from the current fiscal year.
Eagle, who is in her fourth month as town manager, wrote in her introductory message that the budget is “structurally balanced, maintains core services, and makes targeted investments in infrastructure, public safety, and emergency services while maintaining long-term financial stability.”
The town council meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. will include a public hearing on the proposed budget. The meeting will be held at town hall, 100 E. Main St.
The budget also includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for employees. A list of the eight new positions was not immediately available. In an email, Eagle said the positions are to meet “service delivery demands.”
An issue the budget includes is the growing town’s significant capital demands. The proposed budget advances $57 million in capital investments through a combination of reserves, grants, enterprise funding and debt proceeds.
Projects include street paving and reconstruction, an aquatic center HVAC replacement and facility improvements, body cams, pedestrian and trail improvements, radio system upgrades, and water and wastewater system upgrades.
The town’s subsidy to the aquatic center has long been a topic of debate among council members. The cost of the aquatic center HVAC project is more than $11 million, with $9.5 million accounted for in this year’s budget, plus another $1.6 million in the proposed plan.
In addition to outlining projects, the budget lists initiatives to improve long-term planning and the efficiency of day-to-day operations. For example, the town will develop a five-year capital improvement plan for 2028-32 and implement a document-scanning initiative to digitize records.
Half of the town’s general fund revenue comes from its main tax rates — and half of that amount is generated by its meals tax, according to budget documents. And 35% of the general fund in the proposed budget would go to public safety.
When all of the town’s funds and debt are added up — beyond the general fund budget including water, wastewater, stormwater and capital projects — the total is $113 million.
Multiple budget-related documents are available online, including the full recommended budget.
