Loudoun Now for March 6, 2025

Board Favors Grandfathering Data Center Resolution

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After nearly a year of effort, the Board of Supervisors is poised to adopt sweeping changes to the way data center applications are reviewed. However, after a closed session legal briefing Tuesday night, a majority backed a plan to keep the current regulations in place for many of the 41 pending data center applications through a grandfathering resolution.

Currently, there are areas in the county where data centers are allowed on a by-right basis. This means that if an application meets standards set forth in the Zoning Ordinance, it is subject only to staff-level review, referred to as an administrative application.

Applications in areas where data centers require legislative action are reviewed by the staff and then sent to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and recommendation. The plans then advance to the Board of Supervisors, which also holds a public hearing before making a final determination.

Last year, the board initiated plans to remove data centers as a by-right use anywhere in the county. During discussions in February, there was confusion among supervisors and

DATA CENTER VOTE continues on page 22

Residents Cite Needs as Supervisors Dig into FY 2026 Budget

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Supervisors have begun the process of reviewing the $4.7 billion budget packages proposed by County Administrator Tim Hemstreet—work that started with public hearings featuring speakers asking for more.

Specifically, community members have

turned out to support $10 million for housing vouchers, free afterschool programs, greater financial support for local nonprofits, and an increase in supplemental support for attorneys working as public defenders.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

Members of New Virginia Majority have been leading the effort to make

extracurricular after-school programs free, an initiative included in the School Board’s budget.

“As a working-class person who does not have the minimum wage we face rising rents every year, which limits our ability to cover basic needs and provide our

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Board of Supervisors’ Vice Chair Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) and Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) listen to residents speak about the fiscal year 2026 budget during a Feb. 27 public hearing.

Business, Education Leaders Talk Workforce Challenges

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

With 61% of the country’s workforce not holding college degrees, the challenges for businesses and community leaders are creating a way for employees to build credentials in the workplace, exposing students to a variety of pathways at a young age, and increasing the school system’s reach in career and technical education.

Those were the themes presented during a Feb. 28 Loudoun Chamber of Commerce forum.

The event featured keynote speeches by Claude Moore Opportunities CEO Dr. Bill Hazel and Loudoun County Public Schools Career, Technical and Adult Education Director Michael Grubbs; both cited a need for the county’s business community to engage with educational organizations to provide potential employees with the best opportunities.

For the next generation, Hazel said that means giving students a chance to experience many fields as early as middle school.

“Starting in ninth grade is too late,” he said. “If you’re in a STEM field and you’re

trying to start in ninth grade, if you haven’t had the math, you’re behind.”

Early exposure helps limit how often employees are unprepared for the demands of a job, he said.

“There’s this issue of employers saying, ‘you know, they checked all the boxes, but we get them to work … they show up

with the degree and the certificate. But guess what? They aren’t job ready.’ And they show up and they say, ‘I didn’t sign up for this. This isn’t what I want to do,’ because they haven’t had experience in the workforce and so we lose them,” Hazel said. “We invested all that in their education and training, and then we get them

there, and then invest in more, and then they move on.”

To help address that challenge, Hazel and Grubbs proposed two focus areas –emphasizing credentials that will apply to a variety of industries and building stackable credentials in the workplace.

“If I have a student that is thinking about going to college to go into healthcare, [I will advise them to] also take a business education course. I guarantee there’s going to be skills that are transferable into whatever path that you take and move forward,” Grubbs said.

Education leaders within the county’s school system are constantly reviewing existing programs in collaboration with community partners to ensure Loudoun is providing the right options for students and provides programs in 14 of the 17 career clusters, Grubbs said. But there are more improvements to be made, he added.

“We need more programs, and we need more focus on employability skills. The groundwork is there. We just need more partnerships to get kids into the work-

WORKFORCE continues on page 22

Dulles Greenway Files Federal Lawsuit Over Denial of Toll Increases

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

The owners of the Dulles Greenway are asking the federal District Court to strike down a Virginia law regulating toll rates on the 14-mile highway as well as the State Corporation Commission’s denial of its latest rate increase request.

In the lawsuit, which alleges violations of the federal and state constitutions, TRIP II claims its investors are owed more than $12 billion that cannot be realized under the currently imposed rate restrictions.

The lawsuit alleges that changes to the rate regulations approved by the General Assembly in 2021 and used as the basis for the SCC’s denial of last year’s rate increase request amount to an unconstitutional taking of private property.

The company applied to raise tolls on two-axle vehicles on the highway to $8.10 during rush hour and $6.40 in off-peak hours. Currently, the toll is $5.80 in peak hours and $5.25 in off-peak hours.

The filing also alleges the state action amounts to bills of attainder, acts that un-

constitutionally single out an individual or entity for punishment without trial.

“The Greenway has been open to the public every day for over three decades without spending one penny of public money. And yet, rather than honoring TRIP II’s right to earn a reasonable return on investment, the Commonwealth has instead tried to force it into bankruptcy,” the lawsuit states.

Critics of the Greenway have argued that higher tolls sought by the company were needed to cover the costs of unreasonably high debt levels. In the lawsuit, the TRIP II states that its debt restructurings over the years were executed with the approval of state regulators.

“Faced with growing political hostility to the Greenway’s owners, the Virginia General Assembly amended the [Virginia Highways and Vehicles Authorities] in 2021. The amended VHCA punishes TRIP II by making toll rate increases effectively impossible. And in keeping with that design, the Commission has since denied TRIP II any toll increases, even while acknowledging that current rates

are insufficient to allow TRIP II to even service its Commission-approved debt,” the lawsuit states.

In addition to the allegation that the law unconstitutionally limits the company’s rate of return, the filing claims the legislation’s prohibition on toll rates that would “materially discourage” use of the highway ensures that future increases will not be approved.

“As the Commission interprets that requirement, if a toll increase would ‘materially discourage’ even marginally decrease projected traffic growth, the Commission cannot approve the increase. Because the laws of economics are a stubborn thing and because, unlike with most public utilities, the Greenway’s users have several free alternatives, this requirement effectively precludes all toll increases exactly as its supporters intended,” the lawsuit states.

TRIP II’s investment is structured as a reinvestment earnings account calculated based on the rates of return the SCC approved when the Greenway first received its permit.

“Over the life of the Greenway, the

average authorized rate of return is over 17 percent. But to date, TRIP II’s owners have not received any return on their investment,” the lawsuit states.

“By 2023, the REA’s balance had climbed to $12.7 billion. That means that TRIP II’s investors to that point had received $12.7 billion less than they were authorized to have received based on the Commission’s own approved rates of return on investment,” according to the lawsuit. “And as the Commission has acknowledged, the REA will continue to climb because TRIP II has been prohibited from implementing tolls that would allow it to ‘even begin drawing down REA.’”

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial in Federal District Court to declare both the state law and the SCC rate increase denial to be unconstitutional and to declare that TRIP II is entitled to set tolls at levels that will allow it to earn a reasonable return. The company also seeks compensation under the Takings Clause, additional damages and attorneys’ fees.

The commonwealth has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Inova Director of Government and Community Relations Dorri O’Brien asks Inova University and Community Relations Consultant Nate Mart questions during a Feb. 28 Loudoun Chamber forum.

Loudoun

Kuhn, Thomas Ink 10-acre Freedom Center Land Donation for Burial Ground

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

JK Land Holdings CEO Chuck Kuhn and Freedom Center founder Michelle Thomas on Friday morning inked a deal transferring 10 acres from the company to the African American Burial Ground for the Enslaved at Belmont.

A year ago, Kuhn and Thomas met at the site to sign a resolution of intent to donate the land, valued at approximately $20 million, if Dominion Energy would adjust the route for a planned transmission line cutting through the property.

JK Land Holdings purchased the property adjacent to the burial ground and planned to build two data centers there. However, Dominion’s plans for the Aspen to Golden Line made that infeasible.

Kuhn said he would donate 10 acres to the Freedom Center, which owns the cemetery, if Dominion would collaborate on an option to move the transmission line 70 feet from where it was originally planned – moving it closer to the burial ground – and away from the planned data centers.

The State Corporation Commission approved Dominion’s application with the route adjustment earlier this month.

The land donation serves a “buffer” around the burial ground and protects it by giving control to the Freedom Center, Thomas said.

“We have the history, and then we have the present and the future all sort of colliding in this great moment, in this moment where the descendant community is actually being gifted or deeded an additional 10.5 acres of the former Belmont plantation where our ancestors were forced to work in labor without compensation,” she said.

The donated land also includes a creek, which Thomas said holds historical significance.

“The creek is where things happen,” she said. “… It’s where they would fish. It’s where they would hunt. It’s where they would sharpen their tools. It’s where life happened. It’s where they would bathe. It’s where they would baptize. I’m telling you, the water is sacred.”

Kuhn praised the successful collabora-

tion between his company, Thomas and Dominion Energy.

“It started off very challenging in the beginning,” he said. “And we were trying to navigate the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors’ needs and concerns. We were trying to navigate Pastor Michelle’s concerns, our concerns, and then Dominion Power. And Dominion Power at the time appeared to be a challenge we may not be able to overcome.”

Kuhn said he and Thomas traveled to Richmond to work through some of the challenges in person with Dominion representatives.

“We quickly realized that Dominion was not being difficult. Dominion was trying to do everything in their power to protect the historic resource, and they were coming across looking challenging and difficult, when really they were looking out for the best interest of the resource,” Kuhn said. “And when they took time to sit down with us, go over the plans, listen to Pastor Michelle’s plans, the JK Land Holdings’ plans, they made small adjustments that made a large impact on our ability to make this donation today. So, I really appreciate their effort and their willingness to sit down with all of us.”

Thomas also praised Dominion’s efforts, specifically mentioning Regional Policy Director Scott Price and Electric

ON THE agenda

County Launches Federal Workers Resource Page

The county has created a resource page for federal workers and contractors who are impacted by job and spending cuts imposed by the Trump administration.

The page includes links to job opening sites including Loudoun County government, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Virginia Has Jobs and Virginia Values Veterans. The page also includes links to the Loudoun County Workforce Resource Center, which provides employment counseling, interview practice, job announcements, job fairs, job search resources, meet the employer events, resume assistance and workshops.

The webpage also includes information on food assistance, health services, housing assistance, insurance coverage, legal assistance, mental health support, pets, unemployment insurance, veterans benefits, contact information for state and federal representatives and information on federal employment rules and regulations.

Transmission Communications Consultant Rob Richardson.

“These two gentlemen really worked with the Loudoun Freedom Center,” she said. “I mean, there were some difficult days trying to make the negotiations, but as Mr. Kuhn said, they have always been in the best interest of the Loudoun Freedom Center and the cultural resource, as I explained it to them initially.”

The signing was also attended by Del. David Reid (D-28), Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-32), Thomas’s daughter Anna, Freedom Center Executive Director Robin Burke, NOVA Data Center Academy Operations Director LaShawn Bostik, School Board Member April Chandler (Algonkian) and a representative from Sen. Russet Perry’s (D-31) office.

Reid reiterated a point by Thomas, saying Black history is Virginia history, which is American history. The Virginia General Assembly was formed 406 years ago and two weeks later the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia’s shore, tying those two aspects of history together, he said.

“We know that there are issues that we need to address, and some of what you’re doing here today will help to address that,”

LAND DONATION continues on page 7

Learn more at rb.gy/zei89b.

Supervisors Seek Input on Long-Route Trips

The Board of Supervisors in January approved two long-route commuter bus routes as a pilot project to provide service from Dale City and Frederick, MD, to employment centers in the county.

The service is intended to reduce congestion on the county’s roads by offering mass transit options to those commuting into Loudoun for work. During its first year, the pilot is estimated to cost $1.1 million.

Now the county is seeking feedback on the two proposed routes through an online survey designed to help inform and refine route planning and implementation of the new commuter routes. The proposed commuter bus service is estimated to begin in fall 2025.

The routes will be open Monday through Friday and morning service may run from 5 to 9 a.m. while evening service from 5 to 9 p.m.

The survey can be completed at surveymonkey.com/r/CommuterBusPilot. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

JK Land Holdings CEO Chuck Kuhn and Freedom Center founder Michelle Thomas sign an agreement donating 10 acres of land from Kuhn’s company to the Freedom Center Feb. 28.

PJM Approves Loudoun’s First 765kV Transmission Line

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Regional power coordinators last week approved a new list of proposed transmission line projects, including a 765-kilovolt line that is planned to cross through northern Loudoun.

The line is expected to travel along the same route as the 500 kV line that was approved last year. Both are planned to be built near the existing transmission line right-of-way from Jefferson County, WV, through northern Loudoun in the Lovettsville area to Maryland.

“The proposals resolve critical westeast regional transfer reinforcement needs by introducing 765 kV transmission lines connecting the AEP system in the western portion of the [PJM Interconnection] footprint with the rest of the network in the central and southern parts of PJM, primarily Virginia,” according to the announcement.

The line runs from West Virginia to the Maryland substation where the power will be routed through lower voltage transmission lines to demand in the surrounding areas. It is one of three projects approved by the PJM Board of Directors on Feb. 26.

Major need drivers behind these projects include load increase from the Dominion Energy service area requiring more power to be imported from the west. The organization’s load forecast for 2029 in 2024 is 10 gigawatts higher than was projected for 2029 in 2022, according to PJM documents. That is attributed pri-

Land Donation

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he said. “And what I’ve shared with Pastor Michelle in the past, these issues that are 406 years in the making are not going to be solved in the next 26-day session or in the next 46 months, but these small acts of kindness are the things that will help to be able to broach that divide and will be able to shape a future for us, that is a future that we want to be inclusive and representative of everyone in the community.”

The event took an emotional turn when Anna Thomas praised her mother’s efforts at the Freedom Center and thanked Kuhn for the donation.

“Watching my mom all these years work really hard and dedicate her life to

marily to data centers and electrification including electric vehicles.

The state’s increase in power importation was referenced in January by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his State of the Commonwealth address.

“We now import roughly 40% of our power needs versus 18% in 2020,” he said, adding that Virginia will need to nearly double its power generation in the next 10 years.

In January PJM, whose region includes Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and parts of several other states, released its an updated load forecast with its expected demand for 2030 increasing by 16 GW over last year’s 2030 forecast.

Most of increase in forecasted demand stems from Ohio however Virginia imports power from many of the same sources in the midwest as surrounding states. And Virginia’s demand continues to be expected to increase sharply.

PJM is warning that a capacity shortage could affect the grid as early as the second half of 2026.

“The demand for electricity is growing at the fastest pace in years, primarily from the proliferation of data centers, electrification of buildings and vehicles, and manufacturing,” according to a Jan. 30 announcement.

Retiring thermal generators, which provide dispatchable generation needed to maintain generation, and the pace that new replacement resources are being built are also contributing to the capacity problem. n

something, and then when you see somebody win like this, and not only that, but we’re standing on my brother’s grave, where he can see too, that right there, that’s powerful,” she said.

“This is what community looks like,” Michelle Thomas said. “This is what community looks like. I can’t find any more words.”

Thomas said the center’s next steps will focus on plans to create replica buildings and a museum and STEM lab on the site.

“We actually had the students from Virginia Tech architecture and landscape develop a small site plan several years ago,” she said. “So, now we need to just professionalize that. We’re running it through the architects. I know that Dominion was very generous in offering architecture help.” n

AROUND town Leesburg

Town Council Waives Vehicle License Fee, Eliminates Car Tax for Seniors

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Leesburg Town Council last week voted to waive the $25 vehicle license fee, joining other Loudoun towns in accepting a one-time grant from the county government to replace the $900,000 in lost revenue.

The council also debated a significant reduction in the town’s personal property tax rate but fell a vote short of the required super-majority to cut the rate, commonly known as the car tax, from $1 to 75 cents. Instead, the council voted to eliminate the tax for senior citizens and disabled residents.

The town staff recommended the council decline the county’s offer of a grant to reduce the vehicle license fee to $0 this year because of the significant revenue impact and the unlikelihood that grant funding would be available to make up the shortfall in the future.

After the Board of Supervisors voted to reduce the county’s vehicle license fee to $0 in an effort to provide tax relief in the wake of unprecedented data center tax reviews, the mayors of Loudoun’s towns pointed out that their residents would not receive a fee reduction. The board agreed to provide up to $1.2154 million to the towns this year if they waived the fee for their residents. With Leesburg’s action, all the towns except Hillsboro took the deal.

Council Member Neil Steinberg, who opposed waiving the fee, raised a distinction between the town’s budget and the county’s for the council to consider during the Feb. 25 meeting.

“I’m going to put in context, as every-

body knows, the county’s budget is in the excess of four and a half billion dollars,” Steinberg said. “Their surplus is 30% larger than our entire budget. They can afford this … based on the data center money that they have.”

“Everybody’s talking about our data center revenues, and we’ve already seen that there are infrastructure needs within this town, crying for attention,” he added.

Mayor Kelly Burk also opposed the waiver.

“There are many people that have multiple vehicles,” Kelly Burk said. “Now we’re reducing the current rate for $25, which to me says that we’re telling people that cars are king and that we need to make them as available as possible. But we have a philosophy that we’ve talked about which is that

we want communities to be walkable.”

Vice Mayor Todd Cimino-Johnson said the fee was originally charged for the window decals that had been required for every vehicle. That practice was dropped a decade ago, although the fee remained.

“I don’t see why we would keep this vehicle license fee around,” he said. “But we’re no longer issuing the actual stickers, if that’s the case then we need to adjust our personal property tax rates, not keep this $25 around.”

Coincidentally, Feb. 25 also marked the deadline for the town to set the personal property tax rate. After a 5-2 vote to set the vehicle fee to $0 with only Mayor Burk

VEHICLE FEE continues on page 10

Ion Skating Community Airs Frustration Over Closure

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

Parents, hockey players, and figure skaters filled Leesburg’s Town Council chambers during the Feb. 25 meeting to address the impacts of recently announced plans to convert the Ion International Training Center into a convention center.

The group’s message varied across the swaths of parents and players who spoke during the petitioner’s section of the meet-

ing. Some raised the idea of the town using its power of eminent domain to stop the transition into a performing arts center, others asked the council for help with building a new ice rink. The most repeated request from the group was that the council not financially aid Ion’s transition.

“I implore you, do not commit future taxpayer dollars to the owner,” Carrie Drake said to the council.

Several parents listed concerns about Ion’s management and business practices

Town Staff Veterans Retire

The town government is losing nearly 60 years of experience with the retirements of two longtime staff members.

Delane Parks has been a member of the town’s planning staff for almost 35 years, joining town staff in July 1990. Over the years, he served in that role within several town departments, including the Planning and Zoning, Plan Review and Capital Projects departments and the Town Attorney’s Office.

Senior Management Analyst Betsy Arnett joined the town staff in 2002 as director of Economic Development. She served a variety of roles, including research manager, research & communications manager, public information officer, and her final role as senior management analyst.

COPA Seeks T-Shirt Designs for Music Festival

The Commission on Public Art is seeking T-shirt design submissions for this year’s Crossroads Music Festival, which is scheduled for Friday Sept. 19 and Saturday Sept. 20.

The theme for the artwork is related to music, musicians or BENEFIT’s general mission of “uniting people with music to raise funds and awareness for charities supporting children in Loudoun County.” The selected artwork will be printed on the 2025 Crossroads Music Festival T-shirt. Proceeds from the two-day event benefit the local charities.

as reasons to not commit taxpayer dollars. Kimberly Catterton, who did graphic design for Ion, said she “almost always had to ask for payment more than once, often several times.” She said she often didn’t receive payment until months after it was due and questioned the center’s labor practices. “It is an interesting question, how the owners of Ion were able to have volunteers

SKATING COMMUNITY continues on page 10

The call is open to all artists/artist teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. Emerging artists are encouraged to apply and there is no requirement for previous experience. Submissions are due by April 7 and will be reviewed by the BENEFIT board of directors. The winner will be announced by the end of April and will receive two VIP passes to the Saturday night headliner performance, and recognition on the Crossroads Music Festival website.

Submission guidelines and details are available at leesburg.va.gov/publicartnews. n

William Timme/Loudoun Now Council Member Neil Steinberg votes against reducing the vehicle license fee to $0 during a Feb. 25 meeting.

Council Rejects Utility Service Extension for County Goverment Building

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Leesburg Town Council last week denied a request to provide water and sewer service to the proposed Loudoun County Government General Services Building south of the town’s boundaries.

The county’s proposal includes a General Services administration building and a shops and warehouse facility, both alongside Crosstrail Boulevard adjacent to Kincaid Forest on a tract designated as Tuscarora Crossing’s Landbay Four.

The town provides water and sewer service to another section of the Tuscarora Crossing property that has residential development.

The county estimates that the proposed 100,000-square-foot industrial flex space would use 17,000 gallons of water per day. Leesburg Utilities Director Amy Wycks said that the county stated that the majority of the development will be taken up by warehouse space and that 20% of it will be comprised of administrative offices and shops.

The land is located in the Joint Land Management Area outside of the town limits. Under county policies, either the town or Loudoun Water may provide utility service to that area. The town’s utilities are located closer to the future location of the general services building, meaning the town would be able to provide water services to the property immediately. Loudoun Water does not currently have utility connections nearby.

During the Feb. 25 Town Council meeting, Council Member Neil Steinberg asked how long it would take the county to deliver water services to the area and what the construction timeframe would look like if the town instead approved the extension.

Wycks estimated that it would take the county 18 months to two years to deliver water service to Landbay 4.

She said the site plan process would take roughly six to eight months before construction began, affirming that it would take more time to begin if the county had to provide water.

Steinberg asked what negative impacts could come of approving the service. Wycks said there were concerns about the town approaching its water capacity that the possibility that existing customers may use more water in the future than they use now.

Steinberg noted the town’s yearslong effort to annex the Compass Creek property, also part of the Joint Land Management Area, over the county’s objections.

“The one thought I have in our five-year negotiation with the county in terms of the annexation, they made it fairly clear that they didn’t really consider us equal partners in the JLMA,” Steinberg said. “Now all of a sudden, ‘we need you.’ I have to admit, it does give me some pause in this conversation.”

Council Member Zach Cummings made the motion to deny the request.

“When we serve outside of the town limits, the understanding with those customers are that they come into the town, bringing property tax revenue and other revenues into the town to help us serve our residents,” Cummings said. “I don’t believe the county pays property taxes to the town. … We are at a point where in the next 15-20 years, our capacity for providing water is going to be quite on thin ice, and I just would rather reserve that 18,000, even though it’s only 18,000 gallons a day, for residents and for residential uses versus providing water to a facility who provides very little back to the town financially.”

Mayor Kelly Burk said she didn’t believe it was good form for the town to turn down a request for assistance from another governmental entity, although she understood the argument to prioritize service for residents.

The resolution to deny the extension passed 6-1 with Burk opposed. n

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doing activities that employees should perform,” Catterton said.

Catterton noted that USA Hockey recently halted plans to hold the 2025 girls tier 216 youth nationals at Ion in early April, an event she said would have brought additional revenue to the town. She was told by USA Hockey that Ion could not meet the requirements and advance the event.

Melissa Matthews said it was typical for local governments to require a feasibility study and traffic studies before approving a use change, and questioned whether these studies ever took place.

“I believe that these studies would show that Leesburg does not need another conference center and that several alternate locations would be better suited for a performing arts center,” Matthews said. She said that there are over 32 other conference destinations within a 20-mile radius of Ion.

In plans under review by the town, Ion’s transition wouldn’t be viewed as a change in use but be accomplished through an interior alteration permit.

“As a resident of Leesburg, I want a business in my community to operate with proper ethics and morals, and don’t want to see my tax dollars funding future projects with this ownership group,” Catterton said.

Many speakers emphasized the positive impact Ion’s community has on youth.

Jessica Huff said that during the past six years, she was most proud of her time spent on the ice as a volunteer coach for the Loudoun Knights and the girls hockey nonprofit Killer Queens that were housed at Ion.

“The Killer Queens, who started with four six-year-old girls in 2021, have over 50 girls this year with zero marketing and minimal ice,” Huff said.

Last year, the Knights started the first Tier Two girls hockey program and won the league championship in its inaugural season.

Suzanne Vankletk said Ion has been her daughter’s “second home.”

“When I grew up in Norfolk, I was doing other things,” she said. “I truly believe that this is her passion. These hockey kids, these figure skating kids, it truly is their passion and keeps them doing the right thing. My dad always said the busier you are the less time there is to get in trouble.”

Loudoun Knights Club Director Craig Desjarlais also said he wanted to focus on positives.

“I’ve been involved in multiple organizations, and I will say that I’ve had great experiences everywhere I’ve gone,” he said. “Nothing compares to this group of people.”

He said that he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“These kids have to figure out where they’re going to play, if they’re going to have a place to play,” he said. “My question is, if this is going to happen, what can you guys do to help us moving forward? What can you do to help us find land or help us build or give us grants to build something here in Leesburg that can replace this.”

“How can we all win here?” Desjalrais asked.

Brian Cullen, the owner of the Keane Enterprises development firm who helped to build CRP Management Group which provides management services to the Ashburn Ice House and the MedStar Capitals Iceplex, called it “a sad situation.”

“You have 800 to 1,000 skaters with nowhere to go,” he said.

He said skating is a challenging industry.

“What I found is that people involved with designing the facility had grown up as sports enthusiasts, whether they’re figure skaters or hockey players, the rink had a 50% chance of failure if they ran it,” Cullen said, describing his time in 1996 researching the industry before opening the Ashburn Ice House. “People tend to design these buildings for their personal taste, not what the market can afford or accept.”

Cullen said it’s sad that choices are limited. He said there may be companies that can offer seasonal rinks as a potential way forward, but said groups would have to move quickly and find a vacant building that could comply with standards.

In terms of accommodating and finding capacity to bring the former Ion skaters into the other existing rinks around the area, Cullen said, “It’s not possible.” n

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and Steinberg in opposition, personal property tax rate talks began.

Town staff originally recommended keeping the personal property tax rate at $1 for every $100 of assessed value, with motor vehicles for eligible elderly and disabled vehicle owners to be assessed at a 50-cent rate.

Steinberg asked how high the personal property tax rate would have to go to make up for the $900,000 loss in the vehicle fee.

Budget Officer Tamara Keesecker said a 25-cent increase would make up the difference.

Council Member Kari Nacy said she didn’t want to see $900,000 revenue drop made up through the personal property taxes, but rather through budget cuts.

Council member Zach Cummings proposed setting the personal property tax rate at 50 cents.

“I see this vehicle tax as a regressive tax,” Cummings said. “We this year, without data center revenue, whether it comes or goes, already increased our revenue to the town by 5 and a half million dollars. … From my point of view as an elected official, I’m just trying to help my families and our residents who are struggling right now with inflation the last couple of years, as well as uncertainty with their jobs for some of them.”

Steinberg said Leesburg’s infrastructure is suffering from underfunding in previous budget years.

“I haven’t heard one word identifying how we’re going to maintain the level of services,” he said.

The mayor agreed.

“We know what happens when you underfund a budget,” Burk said. “The whole concept of a budget is to make sure that you are providing the services you are expected. To do this now seems to me to be very irresponsible when we have the numbers that are coming in for the data centers, and we’re going to have a meeting in July to look at those numbers to see if we can use any of that money in a different way. To me that would be the responsible thing to do. … I’m disappointed that we are at this point.”

Keesecker said a 50-cent personal property tax rate, combined with the removal of the vehicle license fee would result in a $3 million

revenue loss.

The council voted 4-3 to reduce the rate to 75 cents from $1 after an amendment to Cumming’s proposal but was later told by Town Attorney Chris Spera that state code require a two-thirds majority to set tax rates.

During a second round of discussion, the council voted 5-2 to keep personal property tax rate at $1 and reduce the elderly and disabled motor vehicle fee to $0. Cummings and Nacy opposed that measure.

The town grants reduced vehicle tax rate eligibility for people at least 65 or older or those who are permanently and totally disabled on Dec. 31, 2024. The rates only apply to one vehicle per qualified applicant and eligibility is only granted to applicants whose net worth doesn’t exceed $195,000. Rates can also apply to married couples, so long as one spouse is 65 or permanently and totally disabled. Applicants whose gross combined income in 2024 exceeded $52,000 are also ineligible.

“I was hoping that we’d be able to pull that off,” Cummings said after the meeting. “I was hoping that we could cut significantly, and even was willing to compromise, just to give a little bit back to the residents. With the uncertainty happening in Washington, DC, inflation and the general cost of living here in Leesburg, I think the folks deserve it.”

He added that he wanted to see the money expected to come from data centers go “back into residents’ pockets.” He pointed to the results of a survey he conducted in which 69.2% of respondents said vehicle taxes in Leesburg are too high. He noted that with real estate value going up residents are paying more in taxes, regardless of the town’s rates.

“We’re gonna keep fighting,” he said.

Cimino-Johnson said he was frustrated by the process.

“Last year I asked multiple times to start the budget earlier,” Cimino-Johnson said. “We have that power. What happened? Absolutely nothing. We’re at the same schedule. We have been, probably for 20 years. … I’m sorry, but this is where we’re at. I asked to start the budget last year a lot sooner, and what happened? Nothing. So unfortunately, we’re going to have to make this decision tonight and then other decisions later.” n

William Timme/ Loudoun Now Parents of skaters who were active at the Ion International Training Center spoke in front of the Leesburg Town Council onFeb. 25, asking the council not to give the mangers at Ion any government funding as they convert the complex to a conference center.

Seclusion Officially Banned in Schools

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

The School Board last week voted 8-0-1 to ban the practice of seclusion previously permitted when a teacher believes a student poses a danger to themselves or others. It is used almost exclusively for special education students.

The banning of seclusion proved to be a controversial topic for the board, gathering many differing opinions from board members and public comment. Revisions to Policy 5345 on restraint and seclusion started last April and the changes were recommended by the School Board’s Student Services Committee in January.

Seclusion is defined as “the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving until the student no longer presents imminent danger to self or others. This includes any time a student is involuntarily alone in a room and prevented from leaving regardless of the intended purpose or the name of the area where the student is secluded.”

taining to instances of isolation outside the definition of seclusion could be drafted. She abstained from all votes on the matter for this reason.

Linda Deans (Broad Run) originally supported keeping seclusion as an option for teachers, but said at the Feb. 25 meeting that after reviewing research from multiple sources she determined it was harmful and she decided to support the ban.

“There has been a lot of discussion, but according to documented research, and we generally try to make our decisions based on policies that are researched, and all the recent research says to get rid of it. But I want to say that while I might vote because of the research, my experiences tell me that it should not be deleted,” Deans said.

SCHOOL notebook

3 Businesses Nominated For VSBA Honor Role

The 2024 Virginia School Board Association Business Honor Role nominees were announced Feb. 25 by Executive Director and CEO of the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation Stacey Metcalfe, who is also the chair of Loudoun’s School-Business Partnership Executive Council.

The nominees are Ridgetop Coffee and Tea, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, and Apple Federal Credit Union.

Ridgetop was nominated for its work in providing jobs and work experience for students with special needs at Dominion High School.

Concerns from board members include tying teachers’ hands in the case of an emergency where a student poses a danger.

Vice Chair Anne Donohue (At Large) said, while she doesn’t condone seclusion, she worries the prohibition could have adverse effects on educators if they use seclusion in an emergency where a student becomes a danger. She advocated delaying the policy change until another policy per-

April Chandler (Algonkian) concurred, saying that while the practice a few years ago was to use seclusion, the thinking and research has since changed direction. Now experts raise concerns that seclusion only worsens symptoms and cause injury, she said.

SECLUSION BANNED continues on page 15

Oak Spring Garden Foundation partnered with Banneker Elementary School to provide school workshop, field trips, summer camps and after-school programs to the students. During 2024, over 100 kids participated.

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK continues on page 15

Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now

School Board member April Chandler (Algonkian) speaks in support of banning seclusion at the Feb. 25 school board meeting.

Fusion Students Open Leesburg Elementary School Store

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

A school store at Leesburg Elementary, first opened in 2024 after a year of planning, is proving to be a successful business and learning opportunity for the fourth and fifth graders in the school’s FUSION program. In its first four months it made nearly $500.

“What’s nice about it is that it benefits all the students in the whole school, not just my students who are learning how to run a business, but it helps the others as well, because these students are helping younger kids learn how to spend their money,” Gifted Resource Teacher Gayle Sarman said.

The store is completely run by the fourth and fifth grade FUSION students, which is the school-based gifted program in Loudoun County Public Schools. It sells school supplies, fidgets, rubber ducks and even slime, which sells out incredibly fast, according to student Collin Everhart, who is responsible for training other students to work in the store.

Sarman, who teaches the FUSION classes, said the idea started when the students saw that there was a lack of school supplies among their classmates. They then brainstormed ideas on how they could solve that issue.

“We just saw the middle school, there

was a school store, but they don’t have any more, and we thought it would be cool, because younger kids, they would want toys and school supplies. Ms. Sarman saw that, and we were like, ‘We’re gonna do a school store,’” said student Emma Wright, who helped start the store.

The students, including current sixth grader Wright, had to present the idea for approval from Principal Shawn Lacey. They also had to apply for a grant from the Loudoun Education Foundation, which Sarman said the students did themselves.

Wright said that all of the classes helped apply for the grant. She said all the students helped with spelling and editing ideas in the text.

After they received approval and the grant, the students then had to decide what to sell, order the inventory, and do math to make sure their prices would keep the store running. Sarman said that everything in the store is affordable, with the most expensive item $5.50.

“It went really smoothly because we were prepared with, you know, we’d already done all of our research. We had, you know, our pricing, all of those strategies, all that was set before we rolled it out, and the students did all the advertising for IT and marketing,” Sarman said.

The students created many different advertisements for the store by themselves, including commercials that play on the mon-

itors around the school and even doing the morning announcements.

The store opened in 2024, and in four months it had made $497.19. All of the proceeds were donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which the students also researched and chose, Sarman said.

Wright, Everhart, and student Madeline Coddington said they have learned a lot from this experience and loved meeting different students through it.

Everhart said that he learned a lot about business by working in the store and training other students.

“It teaches me more about money, business and buying something and then making profit out of it, pretty much just making how to make money, how to give change and how business works,” he said.

The students also learned about the challenges of business, including learning to talk and communicate with all sorts of people.

“Well, there’s a lot of different parts to it. If you can’t talk to people, then it’s really hard. And there’s the counting money part, and sometimes people don’t actually speak your language that much. You have to figure out what they want,” Coddington said.

The store is open to all Leesburg Elementary students from 7:40 to 8 a.m. every day. Students in charge of running the store do everything from stocking, transactions and cleanup. n

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Teacher Gayle Sarman and the FUSION students run Leesburg Elementary School’s store on mornings before school starts.

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School Board Retains Calendar Structure for 2026

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

The Loudoun County School Board Feb. 25 voted to continue the current school calendar structure for the 20262027 school year. The vote came after the review of four alternative proposals that started in November.

The option approved by the board closely mirrors the current school schedule. It keeps all the current holidays, a twoweek winter break and one-week spring break. Maintaining the current break and holiday schedule was supported by results of a survey given by LCPS last fall. The option also maintains the traditional total of 180 instructional days with classes beginning Monday, Aug. 18 and ending Friday, June 11.

Since the schedule remains largely consistent with the current schedule, there is no change to the length of summer or the number of holidays. Other options considered by the board included plans to shift year to start and end earlier. Easter is also still consistent with spring break in the adopted calendar.

Two options presented in November changed the start dates to early August and the end date to late May, with Option 2 keeping 180 instructional days and Option 3 shortening classes to 174 days. A fourth option proposed 174 instructional days, starting mid-August and ending in late May, but ending the tradition of aligning spring break with the Easter holiday.

A compromise calendar option proposed by Board Member Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) earlier this month failed to gain support from the community and fellow board members. Her plan, with 179 class days, shifted the start and end date earlier and changed four holidays previ-

ously recognized by the county – Eid, Yom Kippur, Diwali and Lunar New Year – to cultural observance days, which still have instruction but allow excused absences for students. Shernoff said a goal was to maximize instruction time before standardized testing in May.

The other School Board members said that the option had potential but raised concerns about the lack of time for public input. Linda Deans (Broad Run) specifically supported sticking to the staffcreated options.

“My thoughts are that [Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Boland] and her staff have already vetted the full options with all of the different groups that we would not venture away from those options that have already been given to the public and to staff and to principals and to student groups. I think that venturing away from what Mrs. Boland and her staff have legitimately vetted with the different groups would be something that would not be as acceptable as those that have already been vetted,” Deans said.

Members of the public opposed changing holidays to cultural observance days, saying that it was not fair to the minority groups that celebrate them.

Nicole Korsen, a teacher at Heritage High School who sponsors the Jewish Student Union, said that Shernoff’s plan was a “step backwards,” and that before the holidays were added to the school calendar many Jewish students still felt pressured to remain in school despite the ability to receive an excused absence.

“Minority students in LCPS have reported feeling seen and celebrated when the Muslim, Hindu, Asian and Jewish

Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now

The School Board discusses the calendar options for the 2026-2027 school year on Feb. 25.

Seclusion Banned

continued from page 11

Kari LaBell (Catoctin) also supported banning seclusion, saying in her career of teaching she has used restraint four times and seclusion never.

Public speakers at board meetings have uniformly supported its prohibition.

Liz Crotty, chair of the division’s Special Education Advisory Committee, said special education students especially will benefit from banning seclusion.

“Policy 5345 is a policy that applies to all students, but we know from the LCPS data that seclusion has only been used as a tool for our students with disabilities, which is why SEAC feels so strongly that it must be prohibited. We appreciate that our district has prioritized training our staff to better ensure both staff and student safety. We also are appreciative of the amendments that have been put together so carefully and thoughtfully,” she said.

Valerie Schoenfeld, a parent of a special education student, said that her family was experiencing a nightmare after seclusion incidents with her child last year without her knowledge. She said that her child has been unable to attend school since last February because of the trauma and distrust of adults since the incident. The current

policy requires that parents be notified of any incident and any first aid administered on the day.

Several amendments to the changes originally made to the policy passed last week as well.

Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) proposed two amendments, one to allow students who communicate with sign language to keep their hands free during instances of restraint and another to continue the requirement for training on seclusion even though it is prohibited practice. Both amendments passed 8-0-1, with Donohue abstaining.

Chandler won support for an amendment that stipulated that any teacher who uses seclusion in an instance of imminent danger during an incident that aligns with training provided on seclusion would not face adverse employment action. She said that it would outline what is appropriate in the case of an emergency.

Donohue had concerns that if the investigation by the school system, required by law in every instance of seclusion, found the teacher to be in compliance and the family disagreed and filed a complaint, then the teacher could still face adverse actions for acting during an emergency. The amendment passed 8-0-1, with Donohue abstaining. n

keep the change. seriously. we mean it.

School Notebook

continued from page 11

AFCU was nominated for its support of Loudoun County Public Schools through financial contributions and community outreach, including partnering with Loudoun Education Foundation to support the SHINE initiative.

School Social Work and Arts Recognized

March is being celebrated as Nation-

Calendar

continued from page 14

holidays were first granted. Take them away now would be even more exclusionary than ever having had them in the first place. Replacing them with cultural observance days is problematic in many ways, including varying degrees of enforcement at different school locations,” she said.

The motion to adopt the Shernoff plan failed 3-5, with only Vice Chair Anne

al Social Work Month and Arts in Our Schools Month.

National Social Work Month is to recognize the role of social workers in the schools and in the community. This includes family services, professional mental health perspectives, prevention and intervention screenings, and strengthening the link between school, family, and the outer community.

Arts in Our Schools Month recognizes the positive effect that fine arts in schools has on students. This includes enhancing creative thinking, boosting morale, transferring skills across subjects and deeper learning opportunities. n

Donohue (At-Large), Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) and Shernoff supporting. Kari LaBell (Catoctin) was absent for the vote.

Sumera Rashid (Little River) proposed adopting the fourth option presented in November, which would sever the connection between spring break and Easter. Only Arben Istrefi (Sterling), Deans and Rashid supported that plan.

The motion by April Chandler (Algonkian) to adopt the first calendar option presented in November passed 6-2, with Donohue and Shernoff opposed and LaBell absent. n

Public Safety Alexandria Man Charged in Fatal Sterling Stabbing

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

A 40-year-old Alexandria man is in custody following a Saturday night stabbing outside a home in the Sugarland Run area of Sterling.

The victim, Wesley Richard Scott, 40, died Sunday at the hospital where he was undergoing treatment for multiple

stabbing injuries.

The incident was reported just after 10:20 p.m. March 1 on Carolina Court. Deputies converged on the scene to find Scott with serious injuries and were told the assalliant had fled. Deputies established a perimeter and launched an extensive search.

The suspect, Lathius Noel Martin, was arrested in a vehicle during a traffic stop nearby. He was arrested on a charge

of aggravated malicious wounding and held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

According to the investigation, Scott and Martin were known to each other and were involved in an altercation at the time of the stabbing. There is no threat to the public.

Investigators ask that anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact Detective

King at 703-777-1021. Those wishing to remain anonymous, may call Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.

The Sheriff ’s Office is working with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to determine additional charges in the case.

Martin is scheduled to appear in General District Court on March 10. n

Leesburg PD Announces Dept. Restructuring, Welcomes New Captain

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Leesburg Police Department on Feb. 24 announced the appointment of a new captain and staff restructuring.

With the hiring of Capt. Loriann LaBarca, who ended her 25-year tenure with the Fairfax County Police Department at the rank of major, Leesburg’s Police Department will operate under three

bureaus.

LaBarca leads the Investigations and Operations Support Bureau, which oversees the Criminal Investigations Division and other support functions. The Professional Standards Bureau is led by Capt.

Jaime Sanford and is responsible for officer training, accreditation, and internal affairs. Capt. David Smith leads the Field Operations Bureau, which manages patrol operations and emergency response.

In an announcement of the actions, the department said the restructuring is “designed to enhance the department’s ability to prevent crime, respond effectively to incidents, and foster stronger relationships with the Leesburg community.”

Police Chief Thea Pirnat said she’s excited to welcome LaBarca to the team.

“Her vast experience and leadership will be a tremendous asset to our department and the Leesburg community,” Pirnat said. “We look forward to working together to uphold the highest standards of public safety and service.”

LEESBURG PD continues on page 17

LaBarca

Red Flag Warning: Rural Loudoun Hit by 2 Brush Fires

During a weekend when the region was under a Red Flag fire watch because of dry conditions and high winds, more than 100 acres burned in rural Loudoun.

Just after noon on Saturday, firefighters were called to Rosemont Farm Place near Waterford where an unattended burn pile led to a brush fire that covered 100 acres before it was brought under control. The burn pile was ignited as a controlled burn three week earlier, on Feb. 10, but was not properly extinguished, according to Loudoun Fire-Rescue.

Open burning policies require that fires be attended at all times, that provisions be in place for fire control, and that they be fully extinguished.

The next day, firefighters were called to Lewis Court south of Leesburg where a brush fire spread across six acres. According to investigators, that fire originated from a “campfire” used for warmth while someone was working outside.

According to fire-rescue, campfires are defined in the local ordinance as “An outdoor recreational fire, no larger than 3 feet in diameter by 2 feet in height used

Leesburg PD

continued from page 16

With the Fairfax County Police Department, LaBarca served in several leadership roles, including as commander of the Organized Crime and Narcotics Division, commander of the Mason District and West Springfield District Stations, and

for cooking purposes.” Campfires are not technically classified as “open burning,” but providing warmth is not included in the definition for campfire. In this case, the fire was started outside of permitted open burning timeframes, dispatchers at the Emergency Communications Center were not notified in advance of the outdoor burning plans, and there was no means for extinguishment.

The incidents spurred this warning from the agency: “Loudoun County residents must know the code before they conduct open burning, period. Open burning must always be attended. Open burning must always be called in to the ECC. The responsible party conducting the open burning must always have a means for extinguishment readily available. Violations are a Class 1 Misdemeanor, and the responsible party will be held accountable for damages associated with the violation, which may include cost for firefighting efforts and damage/loss of personal property for others.”

Learn more about open burning rules at Loudoun.gov/openburning. n

assistant commander of the Special Operations Division.

“I look forward to working alongside the dedicated men and women of this department as we continue to build trust, enhance public safety and serve with integrity,” LaBarca stated.

Sworn in by the Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens, LaBarca began her role Feb. 24. n

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Firefighters were called to Rosemont Farm Place near Waterford on March 1 where an unattended burn pile led to a brush fire that covered 100 acres before it was brought under control.

Towns

Police to Get Staffing Boost in Middleburg Budget

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Middleburg Town Manager Danny Davis is proposing a $5.3 million General Fund budget for fiscal year 2026, a 5.7% increase fueled by continued growth in hotel and meals tax revenue along with higher real estate values.

Davis presented his recommendations to the Town Council on Feb. 27.

Unique among Loudoun’s localities, property taxes generate only a small part of the town’s budget revenue. The $683,740 expected from real estate and personal property taxes represent only 12.7% of the total General Fund budget. By comparison, the town is expected to collect $1.5 million in meals tax revenue and $1.4 million from the transient occupancy tax charged on overnight stays at hotels and other hospitality venues.

Real estate values have grown from increasing assessments generally as well as $9.5 million in new construction, largely in the upscale Residences at Salamander neighborhood. As a result, Davis is recommending a decrease in the real estate tax rate from 12.36 cents to 12 cents. That is 3% above the equalized tax rate of 11.65 cents, the rate at which homeowners’ bills

AROUND towns

LOVETTSVILLE

Council Cancels Regular March 6 Meeting

The Town Council has canceled its regularly scheduled March 6 meeting due to staff availability.

The body will next meet Thursday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the council chambers on East Pennsylvania Street.

MIDDLEBURG

Council Approves Contract for Visitor Tracking Service

The Town Council on Feb. 27 approved a one-year $8,000 contract with

would remain level on average.

Davis noted that new homes being built in town are larger and more expensive than the town’s older homes, a trend that is driving up values across the board and making even small homes less affordable. Over the past two years, the council has developed zoning regulations aimed at limiting reconstruction in the town’s traditional neighborhoods to preserve smaller homes.

While tourism continues to be the foundation of the town’s economy, the council has been working to limit the scale of special events to avoid overwhelming weekend crowds while investing more in community-focused events targeting local residents.

Davis said that a welcome trend is a resurgence of group travel returning to Salamander Resort and Spa, bringing more mid-week visitors. He said the staff will closely monitor that as well as any impacts that come from the federal government downsizing efforts.

“We are forecasting about 16 months ahead into the future. So, while the current data remains positive … we will continue to keep a close eye on the impact of federal decisions on the local economy,” he said.

In his budget proposal, Davis plans to continue to boost Police Department

Placer.ai to gather detailed data on visitors to town.

The technology uses location data gathered from smart phone apps to provide reports about the demographics of visitors and their activities in town.

According to a staff report and vendor briefing the platform would provide a baseline of visitor activity throughout various seasons of the year and help the town staff and Police Department to understand the impacts of various events. The service also may be used to help businesses better understand trends related to visitor traffic.

“By leveraging Placer.ai, we can make informed decisions that maximize tourism dollars, improve business success, and enhance the visitor experience—all while preserving the charm and character that makes Middleburg unique,” according to the staff report.

staffing. The council last year approved a number of measures—including creating new ranks and allowing take-home vehicles—aimed at improving recruitment and retention of officers. This year, Davis proposes adding two new officer positions.

“The chief and I have embarked upon a strategic review of our Police Department and an effort to enhance the public safety and better ensure the wellbeing of our officers,” Davis said.

Currently, the town’s patrol officers work a 12-hour shift. That means most of the time there is only one officer on duty during evenings, nights and weekends, with the town relying on support from the Sheriff ’s Office.

“There are limitations with only one officer on duty. Obviously, they are only available to respond to one call at a time, which can delay response to residence or require waiting on the Sheriff ’s Office,” Davis said.

But he said that best practices for law enforcement call for at least two officers to respond to most incidents, especially domestic cases, to provide for the safety of both the officer and the victims.

“We recently had a call in the community where an officer responded to a disturbance, the citizen answered the door with a gun in hand. Thankfully, there was a

Town Loses 300K Gallons in Water Line Break

After a President’s Day water line break resulted in the loss of 300,000 gallons, the town’s water system is returning to normal operations.

According to a briefing during the Feb. 27 Town Council meeting, the leak stemmed from a failure of a cap on a 12inch water line in the Residences of Salamander neighborhood. Before repairs could be made the town’s Stonewall storage tank was significantly drained. That required the town’s wells to be pumped longer hours to refill the tank.

As of last week, the tank and the wells had recovered. The town staff was considering options to potentially bill the development for the lost water.

Sheriff ’s Office deputy on scene who happened to be in town because of a prior incident. But if our police officer had been responding alone, it could have been a much different situation. Having a two-person response is something we should strive for in our operations,” Davis said.

With the hiring of two more officers, the department would create a 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift to provide double coverage during the busiest periods of the day. Additional staffing would decrease overtime costs, provide more opportunities for training and reduce burnout, he said.

The proposed $1.47 million Police Department budget is a 29% increase over fiscal year 2025.

Davis proposing a 3% increase in utility rates expected to generate $1.6 million in total revenue. As the town continues to see higher water consumption levels while wrestling with frequent drought conditions, it is gearing up for a comprehensive long-term water capacity planning study.

The Town Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed tax rate and a budget work session March 13, with additional meetings to be held as needed in advance of a planned May 22 adoption vote.

Learn more at middleburgva.gov/314/Town-Budget. n

PURCELLVILLE

Council Scheduled 9

Budget Work Sessions

The town is planning nine work sessions to discuss the fiscal year 2026 budget, which will be presented by Interim Town Manager Kwasi Fraser.

The meetings are set for Tuesday, March 11; Wednesday, March 19; Tuesday, March 19; Tuesday March 25; Wednesday, April 2; Tuesday, April 8; Wednesday, April 9; Tuesday, April 22; and Tuesday, May 13.

All of the work sessions are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will include question and answer sessions between the council and town staff. n

Purcellville Council Divided Over Planning Commission, Staff Interaction

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Escalating friction between Purcellville’s Planning Commission and its planning director has moved up to the Town Council level, with the mayor last week defending the actions of the commission chairman during a confrontation during a recent public meeting.

At the council’s Feb. 25 meeting, the council convened for an unscheduled closed session to discuss Zoning Administrator Summer Wilkes’ performance.

Wilkes, who joined the town in November 2023, has clashed with the commission over work to revise the town Zoning Ordinance. The commission adopted the revised ordinance last July but during presentations to the Town Council, Wilkes has presented additional and alternative changes to the draft proposed by her department. Those were halted following the November election to allow for new council members to be present for them, but the newly elected council has not permitted her to resume that work. Last week Mayor Christopher Bertaut blocked an effort by Council Member Caleb Stought to have Wilkes make a final presentation of the department’s recommendations to the council.

While there have been disagreements on

planning and zoning policies, it was a dispute over administrative issues that erupted into a controversy during the commission’s Feb. 6 meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting Rise said he had four agenda amendments. Those included adding an item to extend the terms of the chair and vice chair by a

month to align with procedures outlined in the commission’s bylaws, tabling a vote on previous meeting minutes, adding two items to the agenda, and removing a website overview of the Zoning Ordinance adoption process.

Following the end of former Chair Nan Forbes’ and Vice Chair Ed Neham’s terms last summer, Rise and Green were elected to serve in those leadership positions. The motion appointed them to the positions until Feb. 6. But, the commission’s bylaws state the officers should be nominated during the second regular meeting in March.

During the agenda amendment portion of the Feb. 6 meeting Rise asked for a motion to extend the officer terms until the second meeting in March to align with the bylaws.

As a motion was being made by Commissioner William Hombach to extend the terms, Wilkes attempted to say the commission first needed to vote to add the item to its meeting agenda. Rise abruptly cut her off.

“Mr. Rise, can I …” Wilkes said. Rise banged his gavel. “No. No, thank you,” he said.

Wilkes asked for a point of order, but

PURCELLVILLE COUNCIL continues on page 21

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Purcellville Zoning Administrator Summer Wilkes listens to comments from the Town Council during a Feb. 13 meeting.

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

The Town of Leesburg proposes to increase real property tax levies.

1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 13.93 percent.*

2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.1557 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate”.*

3. Effective Rate Increase: The Town of Leesburg proposes to adopt a tax rate of $0.1874 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.0317 per $100, or 16.91 percent. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase.”*

Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage, depending upon the type of dwelling and individual property assessments.

4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total General Fund budget of the Town of Leesburg will exceed last year’s by 6.7 percent. The proposed total budget (all funds) of the Town of Leesburg will fall below last year’s by 1.1 percent.

*The amounts shown in #1-3 above are affected by the annexation of Compass Creek which does not meet the Va. Code definition of new construction and improvements. These properties were not part of the Tax Year (TY) 2024 assessed values and skew comparisons to the prior year. Restated to exclude the prior year values for the annexed property known as Compass Creek ($609.5 million) since this property is “new” to the Town of Leesburg, the rates would be as shown below. Increases for the current year for the annexed property ($570 million) are included in these rates.

1. Assessment Increase – 8.59%

2. Lowered Rate – $0.1634

3. Effective Rate Increase – $0.0240 or 12.81%

The Town Manager’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget is based on an unchanged real property tax rate of $0.1774 per $100 assessed value.

A public hearing on the proposed real property effective tax rate increase will be held by the Leesburg Town Council on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chamber, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA, at which time any resident of the town shall have the right to provide written and oral comments on the proposed real property effective tax rate. If the public hearing is canceled for any unforeseen reason, the public hearing will be held during the next Town Council regular business meeting.

People requiring reasonable accommodations should contact the Clerk of Council at 703-771-2733, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

Valley Vipers Kick Off First Basketball Season in Purcellville

March 1.

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Virginia Valley Vipers professional basketball team, which moved to Purcellville last summer, kicked off the season last weekend with games Saturday and Sunday.

The team is part of The Basketball League, the third largest professional basketball league in North America, and is family owned by Rodney, Tina and Rze Culbreath. Rze also plays on the team.

They came out of the weekend with a Saturday night loss to the Capital Seahawks in 103-95 score and Sunday afternoon victory over the Connecticut Crusaders 99-91.

Saturday night’s game brought out a crowd, filling the Patrick Henry College court and members of the community’s nonprofits who are partnering with the team.

Mayor Christopher Bertaut, Council Members Carol Luke and Erin Rayner, former mayor Stanley Milan, Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) and Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) also showed up to support the team’s season opener March 1.

Prior to weekend games, Rodney and Tina said they were feeling excited and

nervous about the season.

“We’re definitely appreciative of the community and the impact with our players and what we have done in the community so far and what we’re going to do,” Rodney said.

“I am feeling blessed and appreciative. We’ve been able to collaborate and bring on many partners that believe in our mission and our vision,” Tina said.

The team’s mission is to strengthen the community through positive, family-friendly entertainment and provide athletes with the financial opportunity to continue their passion while giving back to the community and they have been collaborating with Purcellville-based Tree of Life nonprofit as one way to do that.

Head Coach Darien Almond said while the team is looking ahead to a successful season, the first weekend would be all about learning how to work as a team and play at a high level. Aside from three players, everyone on the team, including himself and the assistant coach are new to the league.

The team’s next home game will be March 15 at 7 p.m. Learn more at virginiavalleyvipers.com. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

The Virginia Valley Vipers faced off against the Capital Seahawks in the season opener losing 103-95

Purcellville Council

continued from page 19

that was also declined by Rise who then asked for discussion by the commissioners.

As Rise was calling for a vote, Wilkes again attempted to speak.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Rise, could I introduce a point of order?” she asked.

Rise banged his gavel. “Point of order. Point of order,” he said.

The commission voted to approve the term extensions.

Rise said he was also proposing two additional items because he had requested them to be included on the agenda but they were not. He said the planning team had delivered the agenda two days after it was due according to town’s administrative policy, which states the draft agenda should be emailed to the commission no later than noon 10 days before the scheduled meeting.

Rise said he had not received the agenda until Wednesday, eight days before the meeting. Requests from the chair or vice chair on matters to be included in the agenda were due by the end of that business day.

Rise said he requested two items – a five-year Comprehensive Plan amendment status update and a bylaws update – be added to the agenda that night. They did not

appear on the published agenda.

Rise also proposed taking an item titled Zoning Ordinance Adoption Process – Website Overview off the agenda saying neither the commission nor the public had not had time to review it in advance.

Hombach asked Wilkes if the item was something that required a response by the commission.

“It’s just an informational item that will take probably five minutes. It didn’t really require a staff report. I’m happy to put something together. I think Mr. Rise is right that every agenda item should probably have material that could be prepared for, such as the four agenda amendments that he’s proposed,” Wilkes said.

“Which we probably would have had if we got everything on the Monday due date,” Rise said.

The interaction between Rise and Wilkes was scrutinized by council members Erin Rayner, Kevin Wright and Stought during the Feb. 13 Town Council meeting.

“Summer, on behalf of at least me and some of the town, I apologize. You should not have been treated in the way that you were treated, doing your job, attempting to point out the mistakes that were being made in how a meeting and a motion was being conducted,” Wright said.

Those comments were met with applause from members of the public in the

audience.

“Our planning director Summer Wilkes politely did a point of order trying to correct something that she felt was wrong was gaveled 10 times which I thought was a little excessive, really rude and it just lacked courtesy,” Rayner said.

Stought said the action by Rise was not in line with the town’s code of conduct for commission and committee members. Reading the document, Stought said it directed members to “‘allow citizens, staff and collogues sufficient opportunity to present their views.’”

Wright said the staff’s job is not just to provide opinions but to make sure the council and commission members are doing this correctly.

“They have, let’s face it, the most knowledge of how motions and other things are supposed to be done,” he said.

Vice Mayor Ben Nett said he did not see the meeting but questioned why Rise needed to use his gavel saying there have been occasions recently where council meetings have been disrupted requiring the mayor to use his gavel as well.

“It looks like there are some hurt feelings,” he said. “You know what, politics is a rough and dirty business. I’ve been on the receiving end of quite a few things I could complain about. Maybe we need to concentrate on being nicer to each other

PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

Pursuant to Section 58.1-3321 of the Code of Virginia, the LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 1 st Floor, Leesburg, Virginia 20175 at 6:00 P.M. on March 18, 2025, in order to consider a proposed increase to real property tax levies.

The County of Loudoun proposes to increase real property tax levies as follows:

1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 16.9 percent.

2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.74 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate.”

3. Effective Rate Increase: The County of Loudoun proposes to adopt a tax rate not to exceed $0.805 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the maximum proposed rate would be $0.065 per $100, or 8.8 percent. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase.”

Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.

4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the maximum proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of the County of Loudoun will be lower than last year’s by 10 percent.

going forward. How about that?”

During the Feb. 25 meeting, Mayor Christopher Bertaut, who also serves on the Planning Commission, said he would like to publicly apologize to Rise.

“I am issuing a public apology to Mr. Rise for the way the conduct of his meeting has been presented to the public in online forums and emails sent to town council and in public statements made by many. I also reviewed the video. Chair Rise’s meeting was at all times conducted in a professional and respectful manner as is guided by Planning Commission Bylaws, town policies and last but not least, Robert’s Rules of Order,” he said.

Bertaut said points of order may only be made by members of the public body.

At the end of the Feb. 25 closed session meeting with Wilkes, Rayner, Wright and Stought declined to certify that the information discussed during the closed session met the requirements protected by Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Rayner and Stought told Loudoun Now that they were concerned that information reviewed by the council that did not meet legal or personnel requirements for a closed meeting. n

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/ meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may signup during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on March 14, 2025, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 18, 2025. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Board of Supervisors, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, Virginia, 20177 or by e-mail to loudounbudget@loudoun.gov. If submitting written comments, information or materials at the hearing, 10 copies should be provided for distribution to the Board members and for the Clerk’s records.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF: PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

2/27 & 3/6/25

Data Center Vote

continued from page 1

staff members over exactly how many data center applications already submitted would be affected by adopting the change.

During Tuesday night’s meeting, Project Manager Abdul Jaffari said there are a total of 41 applications that would be impacted. Of those, 20 are legislative and 21 are administrative.

A motion by Vice Chair Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) to have the staff prepare a grandfathering resolution that would exempt administrative data center applications submitted by Feb. 12 for projects that are more than 500 feet away from residential units provided the application is “diligently pursued,” passed 5-3, with supervisors Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River), Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) and Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run) opposed and County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) absent.

An amendment by Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) to extend the grandfathering date to March 18—the date the final vote is planned—failed to garner support.

“I don’t support grandfathering resolutions on by-right applications,” TeKrony said. “The public has been asking us to improve transparency and to negotiate better standards and minimize impacts.”

TeKrony said the board had already been generous with a grandfathering resolution for applications submitted prior to adoption of the county’s new Zoning Ordinance in 2023.

Briskman agreed, saying this was the

Workforce

continued from page 3

force to apply these skills. We’re helping them discover these skills. We’re showing them these skills. We need them brought to life through you all,” Grubbs said.

Once in the workforce, continuing education is an important way to retain and grow employees, Hazel said.

He gave an example of a 37-year-old nurse who decides one day that she needs a change.

“What do we do? How do we think about retooling enough skills so we can take advantage of that experience? And she’s going to need a job. One thing we know for sure in today’s world is that we’re all going to be needed to work earlier be-

chance for the board to get “managerial control,” which supervisors have been working toward since 2021.

“Our community has been begging us to do something, and tonight is our opportunity,” she said, adding that while she appreciates revenue from the industry, it is time to make a change.

“We are to the point of becoming fiscally irresponsible because of the amount of revenue the data centers are bringing into our county. We have got to diversify our revenue. Voting tonight to approve 21 more data centers when we have the chance to vote no, I think is irresponsible and not serving our constituents,” she said.

But a majority of the board said they felt grandfathering was the fair move.

cause we’re needed, we need the young people to do physical work because the older folks can’t, and we need the brain power and the experience of the older folks,” he said.

Hazel said students don’t need to spend their entire education budget at once on a four-year degree but that there are cheaper options such as community college to earn credentials and join the workforce sooner.

“We have to take this sort of view and think about, ‘how do we make the journey out of it?” he said.

A panel of business leaders also told the group they are looking more and more at a potential employees’ qualities over technical qualifications.

“Inova has moved away from asking questions about technical expertise in our interviews to asking behavioral-based

industry that is almost entirely supporting this county.”

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) highlighted the 500-foot caveat in the motion that would keep byright data centers from being built near neighborhoods.

“That is where the conflict points have been most acute in the county,” he said.

Kershner said the board needed to be cautious when making regulatory changes for the industry that provides much of the county’s revenue.

Turner won support for three additional motions

The first grandfathered legislative applications filed by Feb. 12 provided it was diligently pursued and underwent no substantial modifications.

Turner disagreed with Briskman’s assessment that a vote to provide grandfathering would be a vote to support 21 new data centers.

“Voting yes on this ordinance means that 21 data centers will continue with the process they’ve entered,” he said.

“Regardless of which applicant or what type of applicant was before the board, by making this fundamental a change to our rules, disallowing by-right data centers where they have been allowed, I think is, is fundamentally unfair,” Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) said. “And I think the one thing that saves it from being completely unjustified is a grandfathering clause. This is especially critical, I think, when we’re dealing with the one

interviewing questions where we’re more interested in learning about your behaviors in certain situations. We believe past behavior can predict future behavior, and that’s how we start to determine who our team members need to be,” Inova University and Community Relations Consultant Nate Mart said.

FNRC Director of Production Brian Hamilton said oftentimes his company will notice potential in an employee and work with them to have them trained and credentialed in an area of need within the organization.

“You can hire somebody for a role but that might not be the role that they want to do or what they fit. It could just be that ‘hey, I need to work. I have to have some money. I’m trying to pay some bills. I’m going to work in the warehouse.’ Well,

The second motion defined substantial modification to include “changing or adding proposed uses or changing or increasing the land areas subject to the application.”

Turner’s final motion provided that affected legislative applications approved after Dec. 13, 2023 – when the Zoning Ordinance was adopted – are deemed to include an approved special exception.

“We picked this one up because, basically we wanted to go back and grant legislative applications that had been approved, that we have already seen, that we have discussed, that are not a surprise subsequent to the Zoning Ordinance agreement on Dec. 13,” he said.

The board is expected to take a final vote on the data center zoning changes and the grandfathering resolution at its March 18 meeting. n

they’re brilliant, right? They should never be working in the warehouse. They should be doing a different job. So, that’s when we try to look at it specifically that way to find the best fit for him,” he said.

Microsoft Data Center Development Community Affairs Manager Kelly Arnold said soft skills—like showing up on time and being engaged at work—are things her company looks for in potential employees.

“We as a company really strive to encourage the employees that we hire on career grade pathways, and that’s important for us. We try to make sure that they have opportunities if they want to,” she said. “… I think that we want to always try to focus on is developing individuals, and it’s important to invest in that and make sure that you help those people achieve more.” n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

A view in Ashburn showcases several data center buildings.

Obituaries

Raymond Owen

RAYMOND JOSEPH OWEN, 92 of Leesburg, Virginia passed on Monday, February 24, 2025, in Leesburg, Virginia. Born Sunday, March 6, 1932, in San Francisco, CA. One of twelve children, a son of the late Raymond G. Owen and the late Dorothy Maguire Owen. He was a devoted husband to Lorraine Kathryn Owen for 67 years, and father to Michael, Anne Marie, and Thomas. Raymond’s life was marked by dedication, service, and enduring love for his family. He attended Saint Ignatius High School in San Francisco. After graduating from the University of San Francisco, he joined the United States Army, where he served with honor and distinction. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War serving two tours and earning a Bronze Star. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, retiring in 1974. After retiring from the Army, he worked for the Department of Labor in San Francisco for 20 years. For 85 years he was a member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Raymond will be remembered for his kind heart, vast knowledge and intelligence, and unwavering love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife Lorraine; his children Michael and wife Kara, Anne Marie, and Thomas and wife Amy; 9 grandchildren Kathryn, Jonathan, Madeleine, Matthew, Ryan, Margaret, Ashley, Anna, and Timothy. He also leaves a brother and four sisters. The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 2, 2025, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, VA 20175. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 1:30pm. The mass will be held at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 21371 St. Theresa Lane, Ashburn, VA 20147. Interment services with military honors will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10:30 AM at the National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Raymond’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.ALZ.org. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753. fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TOWN OF HAMILTON, VIRGINIA

NOTICE

OF EFFECTIVE TAX RATE INCREASE

SUMMARY OF REAL ESTATE PROPERTY TAX RATES

Pursuant to Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, §§ 15.2-107, -1427 and 58.1-3000, -3007, -3201 and -3321, the Hamilton Town Council will hold a public hearing at the Hamilton Town Office, 53 East Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia, on March 17, 2025, beginning at 7:00 p.m., for the purpose of receiving comment on the proposed real property tax rate for fiscal year 2026. The previous year’s real estate tax rate was $.27 per $100 of assessed value and the Town Council proposes a tax rate of up to $.29 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal year 2026.

The tax rate will increase from that of last year. The tax revenue will increase. Assessment increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction/improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 12.42 percent.

Lowered rate necessary to offset increased assessment: the tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusion mentioned above would be $.241 per $100 assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate.”

Effective Rate: The Town of Hamilton proposes to adopt the tax rate of $.29 per $100 assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be an additional $ 7.41 per $100 in taxes. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase”. Individual property taxes may increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.

A public hearing on the proposed budget for the next fiscal year will be advertised and held separately from the public hearing that is being advertised herein.

Following the public hearing, the Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting, at which time it will consider the adoption of an ordinance containing the FY26 real property tax rate. Copies of the proposed ordinance and related documents are available for review on the Town website and at the Town Office, by appointment, Monday through Friday, 8 am through 4 pm. All interested residents are invited to participate in the public hearing by following the instructions on the Town website: hamiltonva.gov or emailing comments to Sherri Jackson, Treasurer at treasurer@hamiltonva.gov.

Kenneth C. Wine, Mayor Town of Hamilton

LIVE MUSIC

JASON MASI

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 7 Quattro Goombas Winery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

QUEEN FLASH

7 p.m. Friday, March 7

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $25 to $50. tallyhotheater.com

TEJAS SINGH

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 7

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com

WILL SHEPARD

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

KELLEY JEANNE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

SHANE GAMBLE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7

Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

JASON MASI

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

BAILEY HAYES

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

EMPTY POCKETS BAND

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 7 Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade West Drive, Sterling. solacebrewing.com

JET CAPRIEST

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 7

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

MACDOWELL, AULT,

MELTON: FIRESIDE SESSIONS

7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 7

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. $25. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 25

Why I Love Loudoun – Tracy Hamlin

BY VISIT LOUDOUN

Acclaimed Loudoun songstress Tracy Hamlin fuses the boundaries between jazz, soul, R&B and dance music. She has performed with the likes of Carlos Santana and Gloria Gaynor and taught music appreciation for dyslexic children. She created the annual Tracy Hamlin’s Sweet Jazz Festival, which takes place April 11-12 at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott.

FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT IN LOUDOUN?

The Conche is one of my favorites. Everything is outstanding but the Braised Lamb Shank and the Fetish, a specialty cocktail, are truly exceptional.

FAVORITE PLACE FOR A CRAFT BEVERAGE?

I visit many and my preferences change depending on the day! However, my top three are Stone Tower for its Blanc de Blancs, Breaux Vineyards for the Breauxmance sparkling and Walsh Family Wine’s rosé.

BEST HIDDEN GEM IN LOUDOUN?

Harvest Gap Brewery on a farm outside Hillsboro is a true find.

WHAT’S A MUST-SEE PLACE FOR AN OUT-OF-TOWN VISITOR?

Bluemont Vineyard. It sits high in the Blue Ridge and offers stunning panoramic views of the Loudoun Valley – perfect for wine lovers and anyone who enjoys a beautiful backdrop.

FAVORITE EVENT IN LOUDOUN TO GO TO?

Of course, my Sweet Jazz Festival, but I also enjoy the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival in late April.

WHAT’S A FUN FACT TO SHARE ABOUT LOUDOUN?

It’s known as DC’s Wine Country with more than 50 wineries and vineyards, more than any other county in Virginia. I’ve hosted family and friends from out of state and they’ve all been blown away by the winery experience. Many are regulars in Napa but after visiting Loudoun they’ve become huge fans of what this area has to offer.

WHEN DID YOU START THE ANNUAL SWEET JAZZ FESTIVAL?

It began in 2018 at Tarara Winery but was scaled down to Sweet Jazz Concerts during Covid. In 2024, we revived its original form— now indoors and expanded to a two-day event.

ASIDE FROM YOURSELF, WHO ELSE WILL PERFORM?

This year’s festival will showcase internationally renowned jazz artists like Kim Scott, Karen Briggs, Eric Essix, Oli Silk, Ilya Serov, Phylicia Rae, Jacob Webb and Saxl Rose, along with three of Loudoun’s very own: the Eric Byrd Trio, Zedric Teague and Caleb Nei.

WHO IS THE HEADLINE PERFORMER?

Friday night it’s Kim Scott, a chart-topping flutist known for electrifying performances and smooth, soulful sound. Saturday night’s headliner is Karen Briggs, the legendary violinist whose powerhouse performances captivate audiences worldwide.

WHAT IS YOUR LATEST SONG OR ALBUM?

I’m slowly cooking up album number seven but right now I’m pumped about my latest release – a remix of a dance track. I wrote the lyrics and produced the vocals a few years ago with an Italian producer. “Ride on the Moon” officially dropped Feb. 21 on Groove Culture, one of Italy’s top dance music labels.

YOU HAVE PERFORMED ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHAT ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS?

I’ve performed in more than 58 countries but headlining in Tokyo and multiple cities in Russia really stands out. There’s nothing like hearing a crowd sing along to my songs—even when they don’t speak English. It’s an unreal feeling.

WHO WAS YOUR MUSICAL INSPIRATION GROWING UP?

Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t grow up singing in church but music has always been in my DNA. I come from a family of singers and that shaped me.

LO VEL

Renee Diggs (Starpoint) and Natalie Cole were also incredible inspirations. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SINGING?

I joined my first band and hit the road along the East Coast when I was just 11 years old – a fun, unforgettable start to my musical journey.

LOUDOUN HAS AN EXCITING MUSIC SCENE – WHY IS THAT?

I believe it is because of the incredible events that bring people together and showcase amazing talent. There’s Sweet Jazz; there’s Crossroads Music Festival, which shines a spotlight on local and regional talent; Tarara Summer Concert Series where live music meets stunning scenery and so much more. With events like these, Loudoun isn’t just a great place to live – it’s a destination for live music lovers.

MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH. HOW SHOULD PEOPLE IN LOUDOUN CELEBRATE?

Support women in music. Explore women’s history. Shop women-owned businesses. Support female-led wineries, restaurants and boutiques. Read a book by a female author, attend a local Women’s History Month event and Give Back! Support groups like the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS) that helps women in need. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Tracy Hamlin performs for an audience at the Lodge at Hansen Park during A Night of Jazz and Soul in October 2023.

BEST BETS

THE FIRESIDE SESSIONS

Friday, March 7, 6 p.m. (doors)

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 24

MALCOLM WOEHRLE

7 to 9 p.m., Friday, March 7 Leesburg Gourmet, 29 South King Street leesburggourmet.com

MICHELLE HANNAN & ONE BLUE NIGHT

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8, Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

DEREK KRETZER DUO

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery, 38506 John Wolford Road, Waterford. wheatlandspring.com

ZACH JONES,

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com

CHRIS BOWEN

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

BRIAN JOHNSON

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8

50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

LINDSAY AUSTIN

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

CROOKED SPARROW TRIO

2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn. library.loudoun.gov/Ashburn

JILL FULTON

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane,

Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

TODD BROOKS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. twotwistedposts.com

BILLY THOMPSON

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

LENNY STEVENS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

BART HARRIS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie.

larkbrewingco.com

DOIN’ TIME

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

LIBERTY STREET

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

TODD BROOKS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. twotwistedposts.com

DAN FISK

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

LAURA CASHMAN

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, 38906 Mount Gilead Road, Leesburg. willowcroftwine.com

JASON MASI

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane,

Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

GXB + JOHNNY KASUN

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

BAD PANDA

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

DAVID POMERANZ

WITH ALLAN PALACIOS CHAN

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Aria Banquet and Catering, 21075 Dulles Town Circle, Sterling. filamcancercare.org

NATE DAVIS

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

KHALIL NAZAR

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

SHANE GAMBLE

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8 Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive, Sterling. crookedrunfermentation.com

ADRIAN VANDENBERG

7 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $45 to $100. tallyhotheater.com

KEN WENZEL

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com

BRITTON NIESSLEIN

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 9 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

NATHANIEL DAVIS

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

JASON MASI

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

ESLABON ARMADO

8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Rio Cantina, 21800 Towncenter Plaza, Sterling. facebook.com/RioCantinaSterling

ANDY CARIGNAN

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

PATTY REESE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

LILLIAN HACKETT

2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 9 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

ZACH JONES

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

THE COLD NORTH

3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

SHANE GAMBLE

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

ZANE LAMPREY

7 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, March 9

The Dell, 1602 Village Market Blvd. SE., Leesburg.

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 26

Step into an intimate evening of music and storytelling featuring Juliana MacDowell, Mike Ault, Larry Melton and guests Nathaniel Davis, Joey Bauer and Kristin Eyerman.

ADRIAN VANDENBERG

The Dutch rock guitarist performs hits from his work with Whitesnake and his own bands Vandenberg and MoonKings.

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 25

$25. atthedell.com

JOEY AND THE WAITRESS BAND

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 12

Vino Bistro, 1605 Village Market Blvd. SE., Leesburg. vinobistroonline.com

MOSTLY IRISH

4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13 Lansdowne Woods Clubhouse, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Lansdowne. lwva.org

TEJAS SINGH

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 13 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankypub.com

JOEY AND THE WAITRESS BAND

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 13

Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen Leesburg, 1 N. King St., Leesburg. eatatrebellion.com

HAPPENINGS

SCIENCE ON TAP

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6 Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. oldoxbrewing.com

STEAL AWAY

7:30 p.m. Friday, March 7

7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8

2 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Seneca Ridge Middle School, 98 Seneca Ridge Drive, Sterling. $18. sterlingplaymakers.org

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE PEOPLE ENSLAVED AT OAK HILL

1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Oatlands Historic House & Gardens, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. oatlands.org

FAMILY DISCOVERY DAYS

1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Heritage Farm Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling. $5. heritagefarmmuseum.org

LEESBURG VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY

MARTINIS MATTER FUNDRAISER

5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 8 River Creek Club, 43800 Olympic Blvd., Leesburg. leesburgfire.org

CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDRAILS IN THE TIME OF TRUMP

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 8

Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. $15. oldstoneschool.org

EVERGREEN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL QUADRENNIAL GALA

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 8

River Creek Club, 43800 Olympic Blvd., Leesburg. $125. evergreenchristianschool.org

LOST CREEK WINERY PAIRING DINNER

6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 9

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, 42461 Lovettsville Road, Lovettsville. $225. patowmackfarm.com

Fabbioli Named Virginia Vineyards Association Grower of the Year

Loudoun’s Doug Fabbioli was among three veteran leaders recognized for their significant contributions to the commonwealth’s wine industry during the Virginia Vineyard Association’s Winter Technical Meeting on Feb. 28 in Harrisonburg.

Fabbioli was named the VVA’s 2024 Grower of the Year.

For three decades, Fabbioli has been a leader in the wine industry at the state and local levels. He was cited for his unmatched enthusiasm for promoting the industry and helping others succeed.

From his start working at a small vineyard in the Finger Lakes region in the early 1980s, he spent a decade working in California’s Sonoma region. In 1996, Fabbioli and his family moved to Virginia. He worked to lead production at Tarara Winery before starting his own vineyard, Fabbioli Cellars, near Leesburg in 2001. Today, he manages vines on about 55 acres at six sites in Northern Virginia and custom crushes for five other Virginia wineries. He also founded The New Ag School to train the next generation of farmers.

“The key to the success of the Virginia Wine industry is to grow in quality to a point of recognition and grow in volume to a point of availability. The pace of

both has been quite rapid and relatively successful over the past 28 years that I’ve been here in the trenches. It has been an honor to be a recognized player in this effort,” Fabbioli stated.

The VVA presented the Dr. Tony Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award to Douglas Pfeiffer and Jeanette Smith, honored for their careers providing high level service to the state’s wine and grape industry.

A fruit entomologist at Virginia Tech, Pfeiffer is credited with enhancing the resilience of the wine industry as growers address the everchaning threats and perennial challenges.

She is responsible for developing the IPM toolkit, known as VineSmith, which has become an essential part of many vineyard managers’ decision-making processes promoting good management choices.

The Virginia Vineyard Association’s annual Winter Technical Meeting is the commonwealth’s top wine and grape trade show and conference, where wine industry professionals gather to learn from technical programming from colleagues and research and extension specialists.

Learn more at virginiavineyardsassociation.org. n

Cafritz Young Artists of the WNO

Talented young singers from the Washington National Opera’s prestigious training program showcase the future stars of opera. They bring fresh energy and innovative interpretations to beloved operatic works..

Sunday, March 16, 4 PM

Waterford Old School • 40222 Loudoun St., Waterford, VA

Tickets $45 adult, $20 student | Seating is limited: book early!

Major credit cards accepted

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0366

Evans Pond Road Subdivision

Dr. Marianne Evans Mount, of Marianne Evans Mount, Trustee of Leesburg, VA is requesting preliminary/record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately One Hundred and Ten (109.67) acres into twenty-one (21) lots and associated easements. The property is located east of the intersection of Evans Pond Road (Route 658) and Farewell Dance Drive (Route 2947), west of Spinks Ferry Road (Route 657), and south of Lost Corner Road (Route 662) The property is zoned AR-1 (Agricultural Rural-1), under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as MCPI # 103-38-9924-000 in the Catoctin Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www. loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0366. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Samantha Swift at Samantha.swift@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by April 10, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27 & 4/3/25

ABC LICENSE

First Watch Restaurants, Inc., trading as First Watch #1120, 46300 Potomac Run Plaza, Suite 150, Sterling, VA 20164. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Retail On and Off Premises Wine & Beer; Mixed Beverage Restaurant license.

Jay Wolszczak, Secretary/Chief Legal Officer

Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices.

Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

3/6 & 3/13/25

Virginia Beer Distribution Company, trading as VBDC, 43271 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA 201676. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wholesale Beer (300,000 Cases or Less Annually) license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Jason Romano, Chair

Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices.

Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

3/6 & 3/13/25

2025 TAX EXEMPTION INFORMATION

Pursuant to §58.1-3604 of the Code of Virginia, the Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue has determined that the 2025 aggregate assessed value of all real property exempted from taxation under §§58.1-3607 and 58.1-3608, and Articles 3, 4 and 5 of Chapter 36 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia is $9,782,056,680. This aggregate assessed value represents 5.43% of all real property assessed in the County.

The total reduction in tax revenues resulting from such exemptions is $78,745,556 based on the maximum proposed tax rate of $0.805 per $100 of assessed value.

Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Loudoun County

Government Center Office

1 Harrison St. SE, 1st Floor, Leesburg

Sterling Location 46000 Center Oak Plaza, Sterling

MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 8000, Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

Phone: 703-777-0260

E-mail: realestate@loudoun.gov

Website: www.loudoun.gov/cor

2/13, 2/20, 2/26 & 3/6/25

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s eprocurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on March 26, 2025 for the following:

RFP No. 500630-FY25-37

On-Call Industrial Coatings, Sealants, and Concrete Repair

The Town of Leesburg is accepting sealed proposals from qualified firms to establish a term contract for Industrial Coatings, Sealants, and Concrete Repair Services for various Town owned and operated water, wastewater, and building equipment and facilities throughout the Town, including, but not limited to the Town’s Water Pollution Control Facility, Water Filtration Plant, Water Pumping Stations, Sewage Pumping Stations, and Maintenance Buildings.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard

3/6/25

A message to Loudoun County older and disabled residents from Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue

Residents 65 and older OR totally and permanently disabled who are required to complete a 2025 Renewal Application or Renewal Certification, must submit their renewal to my office by the April 1, 2025, filing deadline.

Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance.

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office 46000 Center Oak Plaza

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F Phone: (703) 737-8557 Internet: loudoun.gov/taxrelief Email: taxrelief@loudoun.gov

Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

If you require a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance to participate, please contact Tax Exemptions & Deferrals, trcor@louodun.gov, (703) 737-8557 / TTY-711. Three business days advance notice is requested.

3/6, 3/13, 3/20 & 2/37/25

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

SETTING TAX RATES ON REAL PROPERTY AND CERTAIN PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR TAX YEAR 2025 AND AMENDING LEESBURG TOWN CODE, APPENDIX B – FEE SCHEDULE (SECTION 20-22)

In accordance with the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended §§ 15.2-1427, 58.1-2606, 58.1-3000, 58.1-3007, 58.1-3200 et seq., and 58.1-3500, et seq., the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on:

Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA.

at which time the public shall have the right to present oral and written testimony on the following proposed amendments to the Leesburg Town Code:

• The Town Manager proposes up to a one cent increase to tax rates for real property for tax year 2025 ($0.1874 per $100 of assessed value)

• Appendix B – Fee Schedule, Sec. 20-22(a):

o Real estate; manufactured or mobile homes = $0.1874 per $100 of assessed value

o Real estate; tangible personal property for public service corporations (excluding aircraft and motor vehicles) = $0.1874 per $100 of assessed value

The Town Manager’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget is based on an unchanged real property tax rate of $0.1774 per $100 assessed value.

Copies of the proposed ordinance are available for public examination prior to the public hearing in the office of the Clerk of Council at Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA, during normal business hours. For more information about the ordinance, please contact Owen A. Snyder, Assistant Town Manager/Chief Financial Officer at 703-771-2717.

Persons requiring reasonable accommodations are requested to contact Eileen Boeing, Clerk of Council at 703-771-2733, three days in advance of the public hearing. For TTY/TTD services, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

3/6 & 3/13/25

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS FOR:

CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES FOR BUILDINGS & PARKS, RFP No. 661839 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, March 28, 2025.

UNMET HOUSING NEEDS STRATEGIC PLAN EVALUATION, RFP No. 673862 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, March 25, 2025.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun. gov/procurement . If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT

3/6/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP))

The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s eprocurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on March 25, 2025 for the following:

RFP No. 100170-FY25-44 Performance Evaluation and Management Software

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide performance evaluation and management software that creates an efficient and effective process to enhance and automate the Town’s current performance evaluation process.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard

3/6/25

FIND OUT ABOUT THE COUNTY’S REAL ESTATE AND VEHICLE TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE AGED 65 YEARS OR OLDER OR DISABLED

View Online Spanish translation available

Ver en línea Traducción al español disponible

Commissioner of the Revenue, Robert S. Wertz, Jr., encourages eligible property owners who are aged 65 years or older, OR are totally and permanently disabled, to learn about Loudoun’s property tax relief programs. Applicants that meet qualifying criteria of the program, including income and net worth limits, may be relieved of up to 100% of real estate taxes on their primary dwelling and lot, up to 3 acres. In addition, eligible applicants may also have their vehicle taxes reduced.

To learn more about this tax relief program, please plan on attending one of the free sessions that are being offered throughout the county. No appointment or RSVP is required.

AM *Presentado solo en español

If you require a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance in order to participate in tax relief, please contact Tax Exemptions & Deferrals, email trcor@loudoun.gov or call 703-737-8557 (TTY-711). Three business days’ notice is requested.

2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27 & 3/6/25

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2025-0016

Goose Creek Village West - Phase III

Mr. John Paltineanu, of Goose Creek Commercial LLC, of Ashburn, VA is requesting preliminary plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately thirty-four (34.1) acres into one hundred and one (101) lots, one (1) open space parcel, and associated easements. The property is located north of Sycolin Road (Route 625), north of Dulles Greenway (Route 267), and west of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659). The property is zoned R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential), under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 153-17-2472000 in the Ashburn Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2025-0016. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Samantha Lockwood at Samantha.Lockwood@Loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by March 20, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13 & 3/20/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0338

Kincora Village Center

Mr. Joshua Reynolds, of Gateway Engineering, of Ashburn, VA is requesting preliminary/record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately two-hundred and eleven (211.89) acres into seven (7) lots, and associated easements. The property is located south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7), west of Sully Road (Route 28), north of Gloucester Parkway (Route 2150), and east of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607). The property is zoned PD-MUB (Planned Development - Mixed Use Business), under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 040-29-7132-000, 040-18-9517-000, 041-19-4573-000 in the Broad Run District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0338. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Samantha Swift at Samantha.Swift@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by March 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6 & 3/13/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2025-0002

Goose Creek West Residential

Mr. John Paltineanu, Goose Creek Commercial LLC, of Ashburn, Virginia is requesting preliminary record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately thirty-four (34.01) acres into five (5) lots and associated easements. The property is located north of Sycolin Road (Route 625), north of Dulles Greenway (Route 267) and west of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659). The property is zoned R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 153-17-2472-000 in the Ashburn Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www. loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2025-0002. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Suzanna Brady at Suzanna.Brady@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by March 27, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20 & 3/27/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ039727

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Amaris Victoria Quintanilla Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Amaris Victoria Quintanilla; and hold a hearing on the Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Unknown Father, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283 for Amaris Victoria Quintanilla. Unknown Father is hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of their residual parental rights with respect to Amaris Victoria Quintanilla. Unknown Father is hereby further notified that if their residual parental rights are terminated, they will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor child, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Amaris Victoria Quintanilla; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Amaris Victoria Quintanilla; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Amaris Victoria Quintanilla. Further, Unknown Father, will have no legal and/or financial obligations with respect to Amaris Victoria Quintanilla, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Amaris Victoria Quintanilla for adoption and consent to the adoption of Amaris Victoria Quintanilla

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before March 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

2/13, 2/20, 2/27 & 3/6/25

ATTENTION NONPROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY

Nonprofit charitable organizations seeking exemption from Loudoun County real and/or personal property taxes for the 2026 tax year must file an application with the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue. Completed applications must be postmarked by the April 1, 2025, deadline. If granted, any exemption would become effective January 1, 2026. Most charitable nonprofit organizations are not automatically exempt from local property taxes in the Commonwealth of Virginia, even those that may be exempt from federal income taxes. Filing an application with the Commissioner of the Revenue is the necessary first step to obtaining a local real estate and/or personal property tax exemption.

Applications are available online. For information or assistance, please contact my office on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue Loudoun County

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office Loudoun Tech Center 46000 Center Oak Plaza

Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

Phone: (703)737-8557 Email: trcor@loudoun.gov

If you require a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance to participate, please contact Tax Exemptions & Deferrals, trcor@louodun.gov, (703) 737-8557 / TTY-711. Three business days advance notice is requested.

3/6, 3/13, 3/20 & 3/27/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2025-0012 Rivana

Mr. Joelle Kellam, of DWC Holdings LLC, of Chicago, IL is requesting preliminary/record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately sixty-nine (68.61) acres, into sixteen (16) lots with accompanying right-of-way, civic space, and associated easements. The property is located north and east of Dulles Greenway (Route 267), west of Rock Hill Road (Route 605) in Fairfax County, and south of Innovation Avenue (Route 209). The property is zoned TC (Town Center), under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as MCPI #035-259545-000, 035-26-5792-000, 035-17-3948-000, and MCPI #035-16-7624-000 in the Sterling Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http://www. loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2025-0012. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Vaughn Bynoe at Vaughn.Bynoe@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by March 27, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20 & 3/27/25

Legal Notices

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLE

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.

This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

YEAR MAKE MODEL VIN

2016 NISSAN ALTIMA 1N4AL3AP2GC188527 DOUBLE D 703-777-7300

2009 NISSAN MAXIMA 1N4AA51E29L8201123 BODY WORKS 703-777-5727

N/A N/A SNOW BLADE 6861794 ROAD RUNNER 703-450-7555

2007 TOYOTA COROLLA 2T1BT32E77C759513 AL’S TOWING 703-435-8888

2/27 & 3/6/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Purcellville (VMRC #2025-0312) is requesting a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to construct a 14-foot wide clear span pedestrian bridge across a 22-foot section of South Fork Catoctin Creek adjacent to North 21st Street in the Town of Purcellville for the 21st Street Shared Use Path.

You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2025-0312) at https://webapps.mrc. virginia.gov/public/habitat/comments/ We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within l5 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg. 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

3/6/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: CL24-6236

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Akouvi Akofa Nutekpor v.

Naseem Arif

The object of this suit is to Divorce

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Naseem Arif appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before April 18, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

2/27, 3/6, 3/13, & 3/20/25

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE

The Town Council of the Town of Purcellville will hold a public hearing in the Council Chambers located at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the following item:

ZONING ORDINANCE AND MAP AMENDMENT: Pursuant to Code of Virginia 15.2-2285, the Planning Commission has prepared amendments to the Town’s Zoning Ordinance and Official Zoning Map. The proposed amendments include various zoning changes and additional district overlays for the majority of properties along East and West Main St, 20th St., 21st St., 23rd St., Hatcher Ave., and Hirst Ave. Broader changes in various articles may affect all properties within Town limits. As authorized by Code of Virginia 15.2-2204, the full extent of Zoning Ordinance and Map Amendment is depicted in the map and materials available on the Town website linked below. https://www.purcellvilleva.gov/1149/Zoning-Ordinance-Update

Additional information regarding this amendment is available for review at the Purcellville Town Hall at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia during regular business hours, by appointment, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday, holidays excepted.

At this public hearing, all persons desiring to present their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact Kimberly Bandy, Town Clerk, at kbandy@purcellvilleva.gov, three days in advance of the meeting.

2/20, 2/27 & 3/6/25

NOTICE BY PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE §§ 25.1-210 and 25.1-211

Case No.: 24-3461

Circuit Court of Loudoun County Board of Supervisors of Loudoun County, Virginia v.

Unknown Owners who may include: heirs, at law, devisees or successors in title of Thomas R. Keith and heirs, at law, devisees or successors in title of Ann Keith Drake fka Ann Gordon Keith heirs, at law, devisees or successors in title of Hannah Morris Keith and heirs, at law, devisees or successors in title of Margaret Randolph Keith and 5,638 square feet or 0.1294 acre, more or less, of fee simple right of way over an existing private road known as Lenah Farm Lane, near Little River Turnpike (Route 50) located in Little River Election District, Loudoun County, Virginia

Pursuant to an Order entered on the 25th day of February, 2025, this notice is hereby given: In this proceeding the Petitioner seeks to acquire by condemnation an interest in fee simple right of way from, over certain pieces or parcels of land situated in Loudoun County, Virginia, for the uses and purposes of the Petitioner for constructing a hybrid roundabout and for all other purposes incidental thereto, identified as the Route 50 and Trailhead Drive Roundabout Project CRCP-2019-0010 all of which are described more particularly in the Petition for Condemnation and by the exhibits attached thereto on file in the Office of the Clerk of this Court, to which reference is hereby made for a full and accurate description thereof; and for the appointment of commissioners or the empanelment of a jury, or in lieu thereof for a bench trial, to ascertain just compensation to the owners of any estate or interest in the property to be taken or affected as a result of the taking and use thereof by the petitioner. For such purposes, the Petitioner will apply to this Court sitting at 18 East Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20178 Virginia, on the 26th day of March 2025, at 10:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as Petitioner may be heard, for a bench trial, to ascertain just compensation as aforesaid.

And it appearing by affidavit filed according to law that the following owners are not residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, or that their names and addresses are not known and that diligence has been used by or on behalf of the petitions to ascertain such names and addresses without effect: Said Unknown Owners are identified and named and by classes of owners in the Petition as follows: UNKNOWN OWNERS, who may include HEIRS AT LAW, DEVISEES AND SUCCESSORS IN TITLE OF THOMAS R. KEITH, ANN KEITH DRAKE (fka ANN GORDON KEITH), HANNAH MORRIS KEITH, and MARGARET RANDOLPH KEITH.

Now Therefore, it is therefore ORDERED that all of the aforesaid Unknown Owners, including all those identified and named, including by classes of owners, within this Notice by Publication and within the Petition for Condemnation do appear within ten (10) days after due publication of this Notice by Publication in the Clerk’s Office of the Loudoun County Circuit Court and do what is necessary to protect their respective interests. AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if any of the above named Unknown Owners or any of the Unknown Owners identified and named in the Petition for Condemnation desires to assert any objection or defense to the taking or damaging of his property or to the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the case and to proceed with either the empanelment of a jury, appointment of commissioners, or bench trial, he or she shall file his answer and grounds of defense designating the property in which he or she claims to be interested, the grounds of any objection or defense to the taking or damaging of his property or to the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the case and to proceed with either the empanelment of a jury or appointment of commissioners or bench trial for the determination of just compensation.

Should any such Unknown Owner fail to file an answer and grounds of defense as hereinabove provided, such failure shall not preclude such Unknown Owner from appearing on the date set for the appointment of commissioners, empanelment of a jury, or bench trial nor from presenting evidence as to valuation and damage nor from sharing in the award of just compensation according to his or her interest therein or otherwise protecting his or her rights but such failure shall preclude any such Unknown Owner from any other defense by way of plea in bar or otherwise.

3/6 & 3/13/25

Legal Notices

PUBLIC

NOTICE

The Town of Leesburg

Change of Town Council Meeting Location for March 10 and 11, 2025

On February 25, 2025, the Leesburg Town Council approved a resolution approving a change to the Leesburg Town Council Work Session scheduled for Monday, March 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. and the Regular Session scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. has changed from Town Hall, 25 W Market Street to:

Ida Lee Park Recreation Center

Lower-Level Conference Room

60 Ida Lee Drive NW

Leesburg, Virginia 20176

Both meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Below is a fully executed copy of resolution 2025-027, adopted on February 25, 2025:

Legal Notices

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development invites residents to provide comments on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Annual Action Plan. The public comment period is open through April 9, 2025.

The FY 2026 Annual Action Plan must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by May 15, 2025.

HUD has designated Loudoun County as qualified for Urban County participation in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and entitled to receive CDBG funding and as a Participating Jurisdiction to receive HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds directly from HUD. HUD regulations require the adoption of the above reference Plan, which outlines the County’s housing and community development needs, priorities and objectives, and proposed use of the federal funds for the ensuing program year.

Components of the FY 2026 Annual Action Plan include, without limitation, descriptions of:

 Federal and other resources expected to be available.

 Leveraging resources and how match obligations will be met.

 The activities to be undertaken.

 The geographic distribution of investment; and

 Planned homeless and other special needs activities.

Copies of the FY 2026 Annual Action Plan are available for review March 7, 2025, through April 9, 2025, at the following locations from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday:

• Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg

• Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development, 106 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg

• Information Desks at all branches of the Loudoun County Public Library System. To find a branch, visit library.loudoun.gov.

The FY 2026 Annual Action Plan will also be available online at www.loudoun.gov/cdbg March 7, 2025, through April 9, 2025.

Residents are also encouraged to attend or view the Board of Supervisors Public Hearing on WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2025, to learn more about the amendment and provide feedback to the Board. The meeting will be held in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m.

3/6/25

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

LEGI-2023-0097, QUANTUM PARK: ZCPA-2023-0008 and ZMOD-2023-0063 (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment and Zoning Modification)

Quantum Park LLC has submitted applications for a zoning concept plan amendment and a zoning modification for approximately 28.81 acres of land located north of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) and south and west of Waxpool Road (Route 625) in the Broad Run Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

061-15-9847-000 N/A

088-19-0951-000 N/A

089-40-8144-000 N/A

/79/Y/1LC//CE/

/79/Y/1LC//CW/

/79/Y/1LC///A/

For ZCPA-2023-0008, the applicant seeks to amend the Concept Development Plan (CDP) and Proffer Statement (Proffers) associated with ZMAP-1998-0003, WorldCom/Northern Virginia Campus and ZCPA-2017-0009, Quantum Park. For ZMOD-2023-0063, the applicant seeks to increase the maximum building height from 60 feet to 100 feet without additional setback requirements. The applications are being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023.

LEGI-2023-0070, HIDDENWOOD ASSEMBLAGE: ZMAP-2023-0004 (Zoning Map Amendment)

Edward Y. Papazian and Judith C. Papazian; Thomas Devine Harmon and Pornpit Mrigalakshana, Trustees of the Harmon Living Trust; Frank W. Hardesty and Angela Cannady Hardesty; Venugopal Ravva and Vara Laxmi Ravva; Lisa Sweeney Bell and Scott Bell; John A. Ward and Nancy L. Ward; Keith E. Calhoun and Kristin E. Calhoun; Jay Baltzer and Stephanie McGrady; Gary G. Hosaflook and Joyce E. Hosaflook; Brent Bumgardner; Paul C. Farmer and Holly A. Farmer; Abdus S. Azad; Sharmeen Khan and Asim Khan; Kashif Iqbal and Ayesha Iqbal; Michael E. Duncan; and Patricia Catherine Cave and Jonathan Earley of \, have submitted an application for a zoning map amendment for approximately 28.92 acres of land located east of Racefield Lane (Route 877), south of Cameron Parish Drive (Route 3444) and north of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 659) in the Dulles Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

203-37-7428-000 N/A

203-37-8437-000 N/A

100/B/1////20/

100/B/1////19/

203-37-9642-000 42112 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA 100/B/1////18/

203-38-0747-000 42120 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA 100/B/1////17/

203-38-1952-000 N/A

100/B/1////16/

203-38-3156-000 42140 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA 100/B/1////15/

203-38-4261-000 N/A

100/B/1////14/

203-38-5465-000 42160 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA 100/B/1////13/

203-38-6670-000 42172 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA 100/B/1////12/

203-38-7775-000 42186 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA 100/B/1////11/

203-38-8980-000 42206 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

203-39-0184-000 N/A

203-39-1290-000 42224 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

203-39-2395-000 42234 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

100/B/1////10/

100/B/1/////9/

100/B/1/////8/

100/B/1/////7/

203-39-3598-000 42240 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

100/B/1/////6/ 203-49-4606-000 42258 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

203-49-5711-000 42268 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

100/B/1/////5/

100/B/1/////4/ 203-49-6816-000 42274 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

100/B/1/////3/ 203-49-8021-000 42292 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

100/B/1/////1/

100/B/1/////2/ 203-49-9224-000 42298 HIDDENWOOD LN., ALDIE, VIRGINIA

For ZMAP-2023-0004, the applicants seek to rezone the Subject Property from the CR-1 (Countryside Residential – 1) Legacy Zoning District to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) Zoning District. The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, or amendments for each item listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Office of County Administrator, Information Desk, First Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703-777-0246 (option 5), to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications and land use ordinances may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703777-0246 (option 5).

Planning Commission work sessions and public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Public hearings and work sessions are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40 and are also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views during the public hearing. Public comment will be received only for those items listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5) prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing; however, speakers may also sign-up at the public hearing. Written comments concerning any item before the Commission are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, P.O. Box 7000 Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun. gov. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and for the Clerk’s records. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing to request additional time to speak on behalf of such organization.

Regularly scheduled Planning Commission public hearings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. In the event the public hearing cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing will be continued to the next day (Wednesday). In the event the public hearing may not be held on that Wednesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing may be continued to the first Thursday of the next month.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5). Three business days advance notice is requested.

BY ORDER OF: CLIFFORD KEIRCE, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

3/6 & 3/13/25

Misc. Loco Service Providers

VEHICLE AUCTION

MD Repo Vehicles For Public Sale at ADESA Washington, DC. All Makes and Models Running Weekly Details can be found at www.adesawashingtondc.com

Terms: State and local orders will be strictly enforced at the sale, including social distancing and limits on the number of people permitted to gather in certain areas. All attendees must comply with such procedures or will be required to leave the premises. We strongly recommend that all attendees wear face coverings for the protection of themselves and our staff. Bidder agrees to register and pay a refundable $500 cash deposit plus a non-refundable $20 entry fee before the Sale starts. The balance of the purchase is due in full by 5:00pm on sale day. vehicles are AS-IS and are subject to a buy fee based on the sale price of the vehicle. Only cash or certified funds will be accepted. No vehicle will be released until Payment is made in full. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted.

VEHICLE AUCTION

ADESA WASHINGTON DC 705-996-1100 44475 OLD OX ROAD DULLES, VA 20166

20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale monthly on Wednesdays. Auction doors open at 8:00 a.m. Sale starts at 9:50 a.m. ET. Registered persons may preview/inspect vehicles on the day of the sale before bidding. Bids accepted only when a vehicle is presented for sale. The auctioneer will conclude the sale when bidding stops. All results will be final by 5:00 p.m. Terms: Cash or Certified Check.

Published by Loudoun

Community Media

15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 703-770-9723

NORMAN K. STYER

Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org

BILL CLIFFORD Chief Development Of cer bclifford@loudounnow.org

EDITORIAL

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HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

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ADVERTISING

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TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org

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Divergent Paths

Opinion

This year’s budget work is bringing into stark focus the diverging economic paths experienced by Loudoun and Fairfax counties.

Despite the once popular “Don’t Fairfax Loudoun” bumper stickers, our eastern neighbor has long been the source of envy for its robust commercial section and its role as a key job center in the region.

Meanwhile, our county was a bedroom community. Our residents drove to—or through—Fairfax each day. Loudoun’s leaders struggled for years, without significant success, to build an office base that could compare. It seemed that the thousands of acres targeted for that type of development would remain forever fallow.

Today, those spaces have been filled‚ not with salarypaying corporate job sites, but with massive concrete boxes that manage the flow of data-carrying electrons. While data centers provide fewer jobs than offices, they pump far more money into the local government coffers. The result is that Loudoun has achieved its goal of expanding the commercial tax base to provide the opportunity to reduce the residential tax burden.

Stand Up for Us

Editor:

Did you vote for lower taxes and grocery prices? Did you vote for a better economy? Did you vote for a safer country? Please consider this: Lower Taxes? Tariffs are taxes. Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will affect all of us in terms of higher prices on many items, including cars, appliances, farm equipment, your clothing made in China, even beer because of aluminum cans. Tariffs are paid by the U.S. importers and passed down to us consumers in higher prices. There is a history of this effect.

Grocery costs? Tariffs will also affect prices on foods imported from Canada and Mexico, two of our major suppliers of agricultural products for decades. Your grocery bill will rise when undocumented workers are deported and no longer work in the fields and factories.

Hardworking immigrant workers have contributed to our economy and food supply for years. Trump declared that all undocumented immigrants are “by definition criminals because they entered the U.S. illegally”. This gives Trump the excuse to deport them along with real criminals.

coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

A better economy? Two indicators of a good economy are a low unemployment rate and consumer spending. How will our economy be strengthened by massive

With the dawn of a new economic cycle, Loudoun’s relative dearth of office space is a budget blessing. As Fairfax County deals with the implications of falling commercial property values, administrators are slashing programs and raising taxes to cope with the second consecutive year of declining revenues.

At the same time, the challenge facing Loudoun’s leaders is how best to handle unprecedented revenue growth. For the most part, they have chosen to spend it.

Today, Loudoun County’s population is about 60% smaller than Fairfax County. However, Loudoun’s overall budget is only 15% less.

While Fairfax County spends less than $5,000 per capita, Loudoun is spending more than $10,000 per capita. That should not be viewed as a sustainable level of spending even in these extraordinary times. When it is Loudoun’s turn to again experience the fiscal realities of declining economic cycles, the impacts are sure to be far more severe than the painful local government decisions our neighbors are facing today.

LETTERS to the Editor

indiscriminate layoffs in the federal government across the country—your family members, neighbors and friends who lose their jobs, can’t pay their mortgages, and add to the unemployment lines? Federal civil servants are doing jobs that keep our country operating, are responsible for the U.S. leading the world in science and technology, agriculture, medicine, national defense, and contributing to our economy.

Law and Order? Our Nation’s Safety? Do you consider yourself a “law and order” supporter? Well, so am I, but what true law-abiding president would pardon criminals who maimed and killed law enforcement officers during the January 6, 2020, insurrection at our Capitol? How are we safer internationally when our intelligence community has been gutted; and, when indiscriminate mass layoffs of seasoned professionals threaten our nation’s safety? What about political appointees whose only qualification is total unquestioning loyalty to Trump? Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence is on record supporting the murderous Assad of Syria and Putin against our own country’s interest! Pete Hegseth, whose "key" positions were as a National Guard officer, an author and TV presenter, is Secretary of Defense.

And, did you vote for this? Elon Musk is slashing and burning our federal agencies without any regard to critical functions. He is an unelected billionaire

who stands to gain from our losses. Trump has gutted regulations that directly help Musk who has multiple U.S. government contracts and business ventures in China. He has been given access to classified and sensitive information at major federal agencies, including our personal data. He has no accountability to us.

But Congress should be accountable. Will the Trump/Musk actions really benefit our lives? If you think not, as I do, please tell Congress they need to stand up for all of us now.

— Suzanne DeSaix, Lovettsville

The Kleptocrats

Editor:

The House voted to raise the nation's debt limit by $4 trillion, and calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. So, the MAGA party wants to borrow money and thereby increase the deficit to give tax cuts (extend the 2017 giveaway) to corporations and the rich who do not need it.

I might be less inclined to condemn the tax cuts if they were only for the millions of taxpayers who make less than $250,000. The MAGA party also wants to find $2 trillion in "savings" by gutting government services and personnel, including the income collection agency, aka the IRS.

The social safety net will be shredded. Medicaid, SNAP, Social Security and

on page 37

Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county. Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news

READERS’ poll

Medicare, and dozens of other programs that sustain people who are not given a living wage by their employers are on the chopping block.

Stalin, Putin and other oligarchs would be proud. The kleptocrats who are subsidized by Uncle Sam (those who pay their employees less than a living wage so they have to rely on the social safety net paid for by the taxpayer) are thanking their lucky stars that the American people voted for the con man and his acolytes that made this possible.

And now that the social safety net is being eliminated the kleptocrats are clapping their hands with glee at their good fortune, since they will have more money to sock away into their already bloated retirement accounts.

— Johan DeGroot, Purcellville

Face Reality

Editor:

Regarding educational "achievements" in Loudoun County, throughout Virginia and by the U.S. Board of Education touted in last week’s letter "Snipe Hunt" and the op-ed "Loudoun Schools: A Remarkable Return on Investment," I beg to differ with their viewpoints.

I believe these assessments are myopic, bordering on complacency with the status quo and fail to address the world-wide goals in this ever-evolving technological age. We continue to be informed on a daily basis in most every media that AI

CHIPshots

— By Chip Beck, beckchip@aol.com

LETTERS to the Editor

technology will exceed all developmental projections in the years ahead.

The only "hunt" I wish our leaders to pursue is success for each student in the nation.

In contrast, the United States is ranked number 40 among 40 other nations in its educational standards, but simultaneously excels as number 1 in student-to-cost ratio against these same 40 nations. The highest cost expenditures throughout the U.S. definitively does not and has not equated to a successful outcome for our children.

The most recent rankings in reading and math at the fourth and eighth grade levels are telling of a generational loss in educational achievements, projecting back to the then kindergarten/first graders and fourth graders four years ago when virtual learning was the standard across the nation, with few exceptions. A 33% to 43% failure rate in these subjects, I believe, is an understatement of actual scores of underachievement; no doubt scores would be in excess of 50% underachievement for those with minimum C-level comprehension. (Do these rankings include private schools' student scores with their required classroom attendance after 2020, which favorably weigh the cited outcomes?)

With 25 years into the 21st century, I would ask the highest level of attention by every governor, county leaders, school boards, principals, teachers and parents to demand the highest educational

continued from page 37

curriculum standards for our children, addressing especially the K-12 basics of reading, writing and arithmetic to achieve or exceed grade level standards—and yes, old fashioned standards, but absolutely necessary to compete on the world stage. If the highest dollar is being expended for each student, then the highest standard of curriculum should be afforded each one, without acceptance of failure for any student.

Time in the classroom spent on less important subjects will continue to compromise students' future success in pursuing a higher education and/or career goals. We do not have five or even 10 years to reverse these low world-wide rankings and small percentile improvements from year to year, through tutoring or otherwise. It is not acceptable to me. If double classroom time needs to be spent on these important subjects at the most basic levels, then do so. It's past time for our nation to face reality before it's too late.

— Rebeca Reeder, Leesburg

Stand with Ukraine

Editor:

Roughly three years ago, I wrote to this paper to set the record straight: the blame for Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine lies solely with Vladimir Putin and his regime. That was true then, and it remains true today.

Yet, President Donald Trump is now

peddling false claims, including the heinous suggestion that Ukraine "started" the war. This is not only false—it is deeply un-American.

Since its founding, the United States has stood for freedom, self-determination, and the right of nations to chart their own path. Ukraine, a sovereign democracy, exercised that right in seeking closer ties with NATO and the European Union. Putin, fearing a free and independent Ukraine, responded with war, first in 2014 and then with a full-scale invasion in 2022.

For our president to suggest that Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership justify Russia’s aggression is to parrot Kremlin propaganda. Yes, Russia opposed Ukraine’s NATO ambitions— but why should Moscow have any say in Ukraine’s future? No nation has the right to dictate the sovereignty of another. If we accept Putin’s logic, then we reject the very principles upon which America was created and has championed for centuries. We should stand with Ukraine not only because it is right, but because history shows that appeasing aggressors only invites further violence. I urge my fellow citizens to reject the President's disinformation and remember who the real aggressor is: The one who sent tanks across Ukraine’s borders to annihilate its cities, kidnap its children, and slaughter its civilians—not those simply seeking to exist as an independent nation.

— Mike Smeltzer,

Lovettsville

2026 Budget

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children with opportunities such as sports programs or other activities which are very expensive,” one resident said through an interpreter. “As parents, we have sought out solutions to improve Loudoun County schools, and we have noticed that many families do not have access to extracurricular programs.”

Those programs are essential for children to grow up in a “recreational environment” and develop skills to enhance their academic performance, she said.

New Virginia Majority members also asked that another $10 million, not included in the proposed budget, be allocated for a permanent housing voucher program.

In October 2023, the county briefly opened the waitlist for its Housing Choice Voucher Program, but even as residents lined up the night before to secure a slot, the waitlist closed just an hour after opening. Three hundred of the over 1,300 residents who applied received vouchers. Applicants at the bottom of that list were expected to wait three years before receiving a subsidy.

“I’m a mother of three children,” Carolina Leon said. “I’ve gone through a great challenge with housing. I pay very high rent, as well as a mandatory internet bill that was imposed on us in this apartment. I am at this moment out of work because I’m dedicated to taking care of my youngest son who suffers from a health problem that forced me to seek help and apply for the rental program. However, to this date, I still have not received a response to my application. This has worried me about possible eviction.”

NONPROFIT REQUESTS

Leaders of the county’s nonprofit community also showed up to speak at the budget public hearing, noting that this year’s proposed allocation for nonprofit grants is the same as last year, while the services provided by the community continue to increase.

“Most of us have seen an increase in demand for services, certainly since COVID, but really from 2023 until now,” Loudoun Hunger Relief CEO Jennifer Montgomery said. “We serve many different Loudoun residents who live across the county, in all districts: seniors, older adults, working families, with children, single parents, veterans, people with disabilities, job seekers and many more. We’ve seen, just like all of you have, the cost of everything from groceries to housing rise dramatically. Families who never thought they’d struggle to afford the essentials are now facing tough choices between food and other things like rent, mortgage, transportation, childcare and medical care.”

Loudoun Hunger Relief has seen a 20%

increase in demand year over year since 2023 after doubling the numbers during COVID. Montgomery said aid provided by the federal government helped offset some of the impacts of the pandemic, but that the aid stopped in 2023 at the same time inflation was increasing.

“The needs are increasing in our community, and we are concerned that the potential future job loss and economic instability will lead to increased human service needs,” Montgomery said. “We request stronger collaboration with our county government and an improved process for nonprofits, county government, businesses and philanthropy, to convene, communicate and strategize together to better serve our Loudoun neighbors.”

Community Foundation for Northern and Fauquier Counties President and CEO Nicole Acosta reiterated concerns about a lack of affordable housing and echoed Montgomery’s request for greater nonprofit support.

“Our largest fund at the Community Foundation providing human service grants for Loudoun nonprofits also saw a 20% increase in the last year in requested dollars, and that’s before the federal workforce and contractor cuts of the last few weeks,” she said. “Additionally, potential budget cuts to essential supports like Medicaid and SNAP and federal grant programs could cause a ripple effect that will most certainly stress the network of the service providers, and we need to make sure they are adequately funded this year, more now than ever.”

During their first budget work session Monday night, supervisors quickly voted to provide a three percent increase to the Human Services Nonprofit Grant program, saying typically that boost is included in the proposed budget, but that it was left out in error.

“This year it should have been applied and it was not. So, it’s $86,000 to correct that,” Vice Chair Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) said.

Members of LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services also spoke their work in the county citing a long history of collaboration with county government, the court system, Loudoun County Public Schools and the Sheriff’s Office.

“The conversation on needs and prevalence is what we would all welcome in the county leadership conversation,” LAWS CEO Samantha Clark said. “We’re your partner. We’re the leader in this work in Loudoun County, and we’ve accumulated invaluable insights and expertise that can inform a well-coordinated, survivor-centered approach in the future.”

The proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes establishing a Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Unit within the county government. The recurring cost is estimated at $1.2 million with an additional $263,000 for startup costs.

“Currently, the County’s Domestic Abuse Response Team responds to the known highest-risk situations; however, there is a lack of governance, strategic planning, and direction,” according to the draft budget.

SALARY SUPPLEMENT REQUESTS

Members of the county’s Public Defender’s Office also spoke, supporting an increase in supplemental pay, included in the proposed budget, from 25% to 40%. Funding for the state’s public defenders is set each year by the General Assembly, but county supervisors have opted to supplement the salaries. A proposal by Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) to increase that supplement to more closely align with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office salaries earned support from the board’s finance committee in January.

Assistant Public Defender Caroline Cook said she decided to pursue that career at age 16 when someone she cared about was wrongly accused of a crime.

“To reach this goal, I’ve worked countless unpaid internships, incurred $100,000 in student loan debt, and I drive my fatherin-law’s car with 302,000 miles on it. But, as a 25-year-old about to start her dream job, none of that mattered to me.”

But in the three years since she began at the public defender’s office, the state has not approved a single pay increase, while by contrast her husband has received multiple pay raises and promotions at his job.

“Instead, I babysat, tutored and dog walked to compensate my income as an attorney,” Cook said. “This is a choice that public defenders have to make, and I’ve seen two of my colleagues leave because of it. … I’m advocating for these supplements because I’m turning 29 next month. My family and friends often ask me when I’m going to start a family of my own. It’s gut wrenching to feel like I have to decide between supporting my clients and their families or being in a place where I can financially afford my own.”

Assistant Public Defender Adam Pouilliard said public defenders also do more than what their job titles indicate.

“The thing that I wanted to talk about separately is our involvement in community organizations outside of the recovery dockets—the mental health docket, the veterans docket,” he said. “We’re also involved in things such as the Disability and Justice Coalition, the Community Criminal Justice Board, the bench bars, which allow us to shape practice in the community that we live in. Our voices are essential on those because we’re focused on rehabilitation treatment and a lack of recidivism on them.”

In addition to funding the three percent increase for nonprofit grants, during the March 3 work session, supervisors voted to supplement salaries for employees at the Virginia Probation and Parole District 25 office, which includes Loudoun.

The office is a state agency and handles felony convictions across Virginia.

District 25 covers Loudoun and surrounding jurisdictions, with 18 of its employees focused on Loudoun.

“We are the only state probation office in Northern Virginia that does not receive the stipend from the county,” Fling said.

Typically, other counties supplement employee salaries by 15%, with Arlington providing 17%.

Fling said since he took over as chief in 2022, five of his employees quit or retired, with two of them leaving for a surrounding agency that benefits from supplemented salaries.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) questioned the legality of supplementing pay for non-officer positions, pointing out that state code does not explicitly list authority for counties to supplement administrative positions.

“I just don’t know if we have the authority to give a stipend to your support staff, and I don’t know whether that means we should recalculate how much this would cost, or get the county attorney to weigh in,” she said.

County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said if the board approved the stipend, he would have the County Attorney’s Office review the issue before the board adopts the final budget.

A motion by Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) to support a supplement of 17% passed 7-0, with Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) abstaining and County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) absent.

DEPARTMENT REQUESTS

Supervisors also heard from eight department heads who presented their resource requests and answered questions relating to their plans for the year.

Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Johnson is asking for 42 newly funded positions – 19 firefighters, 12 technicians, six lieutenants, three captains, one person to assist in quality assurance/quality improvement, and one field training captain.

Johnson said the quality control specialist and the field training captain are two positions recommended in the recent Significant Incident Report following the 2024 Sterling home explosion.

“The QA/QI position for the Emergency Communication Center is an essential component of ensuring that our 911 call takers are following the emergency guidelines and meeting all the local, state and federal regulations. Having a QA/QI oversight position will lead to enhanced service, higher customer satisfaction by integrating improved culture, identifying areas for improvement, preventing issues that impact service delivery,” Johnson said.

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A Loudoun Moment

2026 Budget

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The training academy professional development staff will benefit from a field training captain who will take some of the workload, he said.

“Adding capacity to this section is critical, and its workload has far exceeded that of a single employee,” Johnson said.

Johnson is also requesting an increase to the EMS transport reimbursement fee, which has remained unchanged since 2015.

“Between 2016 and 2024, Medicare allowances have increased from $356 to $439, for [basic life support] $423 to $522, for [advanced life support one], and a higher level of care of $612 to $756 for ALS 2 transport,” he said.

“This increase would have a minimal impact on residents as any additional fees would be covered by Medicare and commercial insurance,” Johnson said.

Sheriff Mike Chapman said he is hoping for 23 new full-time positions – one administrative assistant, one communi-

cations specialist, one civilian financial crimes investigator, two civilian applicant investigators, one program assistant, seven second lieutenants, six sergeants, one first lieutenant, two victim services advocates, and one victim services unit manager.

The biggest priority is converting six temporary positions into permanent ones, he said. Those includes the administrative assistant, public information officer, financial crimes detective, two civilian background detectives and one program assistant at the Adult Detention Center.

“Keeping them is critical,” Chapman said.

Animal Services Director Nina Stively is proposing seven new positions for her department – one pet foster care coordinator, one veterinary clinic manager, one administrative assistant-dispatch, one animal care manager, one behavior and training coordinator, one pet resource program coordinator and one animal care technician.

Stively cited unforeseen increases in her department’s services. In 2024, 59,000 people were helped by the department and 2,540 animals passed through the doors with 94% being adopted or reunited with

their owners.

“We also provided 623 nights of crisis care for animals who were displaced when their owners were experiencing a shortterm crisis such as domestic violence, homelessness, hospitalization or loss of their home due to a fire. And we provided 15,000 nights of foster care to animals that were too young, too sick, injured or too fearful to go up for adoption,” she said.

Receiving these seven positions would fully staff the department, Stivley said.

Loudoun County Public Libraries Director Chang Liu said she is asking for one full-time equivalent position this year – an assistant division manager.

Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director Steve Torpy’s office is requesting 14.8 full-time equivalent positions – two maintenance technicians, 4.8 CASA leaders, two program managers, three program coordinators, one case manager, one volunteer engagement and community program manager and one data analyst.

Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens proposed three new positions – one judicial projects specialist, one senior pro-

bate specialist and one courtroom clerk to support visiting judges.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson is asking for two full time equivalent positions – an administrative assistant and a Sexual Assault Response Team program manager.

Community Corrections Director Chip Sullivan is requesting three full-time equivalent positions – one employee development coordinator, one satellite office supervisor and one specialty docket supervisor.

SCHOOL FUNDING

During the March 3 meeting, the Board of Supervisors also reduced the local tax allocation to Loudoun County Public Schools by $9.5 million, recognizing an additional $15.1 million from the state. The school system will retain the additional $5.6 million over its approved budget to provide $1,000 bonuses for staff members.

Supervisors are scheduled to hold their second budget work session March 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the County Government Center in Leesburg. n

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Huntsman Jordan Hicks gets the 125 hounds organized before the morning feeding at the Piedmont Fox Hound kennel near Middleburg. Established as the Piedmont Fox Hounds in 1840, the hunt is the oldest in North America.