Montgomery County’s supervisors are to consider Monday whether to pay themselves an annual $21,000 apiece — a jump of 50% above the stipends they approved five years ago.
Also on the agenda are a possible $925,000 purchase of about three-quarters of an acre in Christiansburg — for a proposed headquarters for the county Department of Fire and Emergency Management Service — and a presentation of the proposed school budget for the coming fiscal year.
The supervisors meeting is to start at 7:15 p.m. in the County Government Center in Christiansburg.
The pay raise, scheduled to be brought up during the new business portion of the meeting, would change the payment rates that supervisors adopted in June 2019. Supervisors’ pay would go from $14,000 to $21,000 per year. The supervisors’ vice chairperson would receive an additional $1,400 annually, and the chairperson $2,000.
The extra pay for the board’s leaders is the same as was set in 2019.
The board of supervisors has seven members, including the chair and vice chair positions presently held by April DeMotts and Steve Fijalkowski, respectively.
The new pay rates would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Supervisors are scheduled to consider several measures Monday related to the possible purchase of nearly 0.8 acres at 305 Roanoke St. in Christiansburg for a new emergency services headquarters. The county is looking at buying the property from Collegiate Investment Services for $925,000, and approving another $165,000 for engineering and architectural plans for renovations to a structure on the site, according to the supervisors’ agenda packet.
Also Monday, school officials are scheduled to present a proposed $154.3 million operating budget, about 5.3% higher than the present fiscal year’s spending plan.
The proposed schools budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year includes a request for $66.9 million from the county, up about 8.8% from the present year.
An earlier version of the schools budget would have asked the county for more, but school officials shaved about $900,000 from the county portion of the plan.
Supervisors will consider the schools request as they take up the overall county budget in coming meetings. Supervisors set a total figure for school spending, but the school board determines the specifics of how the money is spent.
County officials plan to present supervisors with a proposed county budget on March 10, then to have a budget discussion with the school board on March 17.
On March 24, supervisors plan to agree on a proposed budget to officially advertise, as well as set advertised rates for the county’s real estate tax and other county taxes — a measure that effectively establishes maximum tax rates for the coming year. Discussion of both tax rates and spending plan is to continue March 31 at a special meeting, then supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed tax rate and budget on April 10.
On April 21, supervisors plan to adopt county tax rates and budget for the coming fiscal year.
To see supervisors’ complete agenda and accompanying information, go to https://go.boarddocs.com/va/montva/Board.nsf/Public.
