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BLACKSBURG - The questions that swirled around last spring's Blacksburg Town Council race have not gone away since Election Day. As Ron Rordam, Don Langrehr and Paul Lancaster, the winners of that race, start their terms today, the council still faces a decision about how to fix a capacity problem in the town's sewers.

And Langrehr, whose ballot eligibility was disputed during the race, faces a fresh challenge to his voting registration. The May 5 election, which saw Blacksburg's largest voter turnout in decades, was dominated by debate over a plan to build a conventional sewer through the Toms Creek Basin. Four of seven town council members had supported the plan despite widespread opposition, prompting a group called Citizens First to label it a symptom of a disconnect between council and residents.

With Citizens First rallying support for two challengers and one incumbent who opposed the conventional sewer, the election overturned the council's support for the project. A week later, the council directed the town manager not to close on a $7.6 million bond issue that had been approved to pay for the sewer. Two weeks after the election, two residents who had gone to court to tie up the bond issue dropped their lawsuit.

The sewer fracas was partly a continuation of an argument that has lasted for at least the 30 years since Blacksburg annexed the Toms Creek Basin - a debate about what sort of sewer, if any, to extend into the parts of the basin that have retained some rural character.

But the sewer plan also would have relieved a capacity crunch that has led to repeated sewage overflows around Webb Street.

"That problem's not going to go away," Town Manager Gary Huff said Wednesday, noting that town staff are waiting for council direction about possible solutions to explore.

Rordam, who is starting his third term on the council, said fixing the capacity problem should be one of council's top priorities. But firstthe council should take "a fresh look at utilities altogether," Rordam said, examining water, recycling and other issues along with sewer in a search for solutions that take into account the effects on residents as well as engineering considerations.

Lancaster and Langrehr also have called for the town to take a new look at sewer alternatives.

Langrehr, who moved into town to run in the election, faces a new complaint about his residence in the basement of a duplex that he owns and rents to two tenants. Langrehr subleased the basement from one of the tenants. But shortly before the election, his ballot eligibility was challenged when he was found to be in violation of the town zoning ordinance. His building lacked an internal staircase connecting the first floor and basement, and his occupancy in effect created an improper third apartment in the structure. Langrehr stayed any town enforcement action by turning in a contract to have a staircase built.

Jeanne Stosser, a developer who lives in Montgomery County but has had many projects in Blacksburg, and who had clashed with Langrehr over his opposition to the conventional sewer and other issues, said she would continue to look into the issue.

Last week, petitions signed by a dozen people were turned in to Montgomery County Voter Registrar Randy Wertz challenging Langrehr's registration to vote as a Blacksburg resident. Wertz said that after consulting Commonwealth's Attorney Joey Showalter and the Virginia State Board of Elections, he had determined that Langrehr's registration was valid, though the matter could be taken to Circuit Court.

Former county supervisor and town councilman Joseph Gorman, a long-time Toms Creek sewer supporter who signed one of the petitions, said he thought the challenge would be pursued, perhaps on the grounds that Langrehr only pretended to reside in the basement while maintaining a house outside town. "Is he a qualified resident of the area for which he's representing?" Gorman asked. "To me it's a matter of principle."

Neither Stosser, her attorney nor Langrehr returned telephone calls Wednesday. Langrehr has previously said he was unaware he was breaking zoning rules when he moved into his duplex, and acted to correct the situation when the town notified him.