Waiting is never easy, but it does have its benefits.

The Town of Blacksburg’s patience was rewarded earlier this week, accepting a $17,000 check from the York County Natural Gas Authority to help the town defray expenses incurred while the transaction remained stalled. The two sides will remain at the negotiating table to complete the final steps in the sale of the Blacksburg Gas Company.

Town officials agreed to sell the municipallyowned gas company last year, saying yes to a $2.5 million offer made by the York County Natural Gas Authority. Residents of the Iron City also backed the initiative, with 63 percent voting in favor of the proposed sale by way of a referendum in November.

However, efforts to seal the deal were significantly slowed by 11 landowners in western York County, who appealed a 2006 ruling that the gas authority had the power to acquire land from property owners in Blacksburg, King’s Creek and areas in between.

A S.C. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the York County Natural Gas Authority early last month, allowing Blacksburg town officials like administrator Trudy Martin to breathe a sigh of relief.

“We were certainly doing a lot of hoping and wishing that the court would rule in favor of York County Natural Gas,” Martin said. “Thankfully they saw things the same way we did, and we can proceed with the deal.”

After the deal is completed, Blacksburg’s 624 customers would join the York County utility’s service area, which includes approximately 52,000 customers in York County and the northeast portion of Cherokee County.

The gas authority plans to install 42.2 miles of pipeline from Kings Creek eastward across York and Chester counties. Connecting to the Blacksburg Gas Company is expected to save York Natural Gas customers an estimated $158 million in the first 50 years of operation.

Blacksburg was originally expected to hand over the municipallyowned gas company to the York County utility provider in 2010. That date was moved back a year due to York County Natural Gas’ legal matters in addition to the deal not yet being approved by members of the General Assembly in Columbia, which will return to session in January.

To help accommodate the municipality, the gas authority offered $17,000 to keep the deal on the table. Blacksburg town officials unanimously agreed to accept the money during a meeting Tuesday.

“We have incurred a lot of expenses due to the deal,” Martin said. “Not being able to close, York Natural Gas felt that was the best thing to do in order to continue with the deal.”