The Shadow
COVINGTON, VA (VR) – Old Town Covington has joined an elite group of Main Street communities as city council members face a tight budget year that may soon require higher water and sewer rates and a tougher stance on blighted properties.
During Tuesday night’s regular meeting, Executive Director Kester Dingus announced that Old Town Covington Inc. is now fully accredited by Virginia Main Street and Main Street America. Only 31 programs in Virginia and 838 nationwide currently hold that status.
“Accreditation opens up many opportunities and grants and higher dollar amounts… that can help make our downtown stronger, more vibrant and even more beautiful than it already is,” Dingus told council.
Dingus presented the council with an accreditation certificate and a $2,000 check from the People’s Bank Foundation. The donation will help fund upgrades to the walkway at Hotel Collins Park. Old Town has also applied for a $75,000 Virginia Main Street grant to assist with a planned restroom project at the park. In addition, there is a pending T-Mobile application for downtown improvements.
City Manager Alan Dressler praised Old Town’s volunteers. He also described the organization’s “long road” to accreditation and linked it to a broader push to enliven downtown parks, art installations, and events.
“We’re getting there. People are comfortable in their downtown. They’re walking. They’re enjoying the green spaces,” Dressler said, citing Hotel Collins Park, and the city’s LOVE sign.
Manager Dressler presented a proposed Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget totaling $25,783,937, balanced in part by drawing approximately $1.47 million from the city’s fund balance.
He stressed that rising costs for fuel, food, and services are hitting both residents and city operations.
“We too have a local service business… to manage and make sure it’s on stable ground with finances,” he said, adding that the city’s department heads submitted “not a lot of fluff” and that the budget reflects essential needs.
Key general fund highlights include:
Street paving: About $400,000 in city paving funds, with plans to ask the council to carry over additional paving money into the next fiscal year.
State of Good Repair grant: $1,375,764 from the Virginia Department of Transportation for street work, with a $45,866 city match.
Sidewalks: Continued work in South Covington along Jackson Street, with funding for both concrete and brick sidewalks.
Public safety: Money for police camera and data system upgrades, and an E911 radio system installation.
Equipment: A new Public Works pickup. Technology upgrades. A mower and trailer for Parks and Recreation. Continued funding to tackle overgrown properties.
Dressler said Covington is managing about $50 million in grants for water, sewer, stormwater, sidewalks, bridges, and paving. He added that this helps keep the tax rate “down a couple nickels.”
Dressler updated the council on several ongoing projects:
Sewer improvements: A $7.7 million EQ basin project in Edgemont and continued cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
Peters Mountain Landfill: The closed landfill is expected to cost an estimated $2–3 million to cap, with 30 years of post-closure monitoring.
Columbia Gas work: Gas line replacement on Route 18, Alleghany Avenue, and into downtown will be followed by coordinated paving, with a request that downtown work occur at night.
Code Red emergency notifications: The city is negotiating with a vendor to launch a telephone alert system for water breaks, weather events, and other emergencies.
He also highlighted strong turnout at the farmers market, Youth Day, and local prom events. He then discussed the city’s spring cleanup, which collected 167 tons of refuse and 446 tires this year.
During the new business segment, council members discussed blighted and vacant properties. In response, some suggested stronger registration requirements and proposed studying approaches used in Bristol, Fairfax, and Petersburg. Transitioning to the legal context, City Attorney Mark Popovich explained that Covington already has a spot blight ordinance, but warned that enforcing and demolishing properties is costly and could burden taxpayers if owners are unable to pay.
Popovich recommended a future work session with Building Inspector Eric Tyree to review options, including grant programs that help owner-occupants rehabilitate homes.
Before adjourning, the council tabled the appointment of a new vice mayor until a future meeting, ensuring an incoming member from District 2 has a voice in leadership decisions, as Popovich advised.
