Composting Program Floated For Vienna Budget Consideration

VIENNA, VA — Composting advocates have pushed Vienna Town Council to fund a permanent program. That item is under consideration for the town's budget and will be part of a Town Council work session Monday at 7 p.m. in the Vienna Police Department meeting room.

A permanent site to drop off compost was not in the budget proposed by Town Manager Mercury Payton. According to town meeting documents, multiple Town Council members expressed interest in a discussion on a composting program. It would take support from four Town Council members to make a change to the budget proposal.

The composting program had been a pilot program in the town's 2024-2025 budget, with a site at last year's Vienna Farmers Market. That pilot program at the farmers market is not returning in 2025. Members of the Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission spoke to Town Council seeking funding of the permanent program, pointing to the success of the farmers market pilot.

The commission identified possible sites to host the program near the Mill Street purple recycling bin and the Northside Property Yard. According to Town Council meeting documents, the composting program would have a one-time $15,000 startup cost and $10,000 cost per year.

Town Council is in the midst of the budget process. A public hearing on the proposed budget and water and sewer rates was held on April 7, and a public hearing on the proposed tax rate is scheduled for Monday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. Final adoption of the budget, tax rate and water and sewer rates is set for Monday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.viennava.gov/budget.