The Town of Fincastle could be getting a $6 million museum. And that’s not all Botetourt could receive under the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget

Funds for a new “Fincastle Museum” are in the proposed budget as part of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s amendments, which the Virginia Legislature is taking up on June 17. The funding 

The budget reads that the County of Botetourt would receive the funding “to support the site acquisition, design and construction of the new Fincastle Museum within the boundaries of the Town of Fincastle. As a condition of receiving this amount, the County must provide no less than $500,000 in local matching funds.”

“It’s consistent with some of our recent initiatives and things happening around the county, like the Lewis and Clark Trail and Historic Greenfield. There’s a new interest in our heritage in Botetourt County and this beautifully supports that. It’ll help the county, help tourism. I would think it would provide offices for the genealogy group. It really is an opportunity for us and I’m sure we’ll do everything we can to find the money required to make it happen locally,” said Amsterdam District Supervisor Steve Clinton. “It’s timely.”

This amendment provides the funding in “fiscal year 2023 to Botetourt County to support relocation of the Fincastle Museum. Due to renovation of the Botetourt County Courthouse, the museum requires a new location, which is intended to highlight both the Town of Fincastle as well as its historical significance as it relates to the founding of Botetourt County.”

The county is also slated to receive $261,370 for four positions the first year and $261,370 for four positions the second year from the general fund to support Virginia Western Community College’s participation in the Roanoke Higher Education Center and the Botetourt County Education and Training Center at Greenfield. Additionally, $345,000 the first year and $345,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the annual lease or rental costs of space in the Botetourt County Education and Training Center at Greenfield.

The proposed budget stipulates funding for workforce training, retraining, programming, and community education facilities at the Botetourt County Education and Training Center shall be matched by local or private sources in a ratio of two-thirds state funds to at least one-third local or private funds, as approved by the State Board for Community Colleges.

Additionally, the budget appropriates $310,000 the first year and $310,000 the second year from the general fund is designated to implement a pilot program between Virginia Western Community College, Botetourt County Public Schools, and local industry partners to meet the demand for mechatronic technicians. The program goal is to prepare 100 Mechatronic Engineering Technicians over five years using established career pathways with Botetourt County Public Schools and Virginia Western Community College and a sustainable faculty preparation program.

The budget has an additional line item that offers no funding for a rails to trails project, but states, “Before the Department commits staff and moneys to develop a Rails to Trails project from Eagle Rock in Botetourt County to New Castle in Craig County, the Boards of Supervisors from Botetourt and Craig Counties shall formally agree to match the Commonwealth’s expenditures on a dollar-for-dollar basis.”

                                                                           — Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee