Hank Speckhardt

A Slow Growth Candidate for Purcellville Town Council

Protecting Purcellville’s Future

I am running for Purcellville Town Council because I want to help preserve our town’s small-town character, practice fiscal responsibility, and ensure that residents remain at the center of the decisions shaping our community’s future.

I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and spent more than two decades in the insurance industry before owning and operating my own agency. After selling that business and another company I founded, I became a semi-retired entrepreneur looking for an opportunity to give back to the community I now proudly call home.

I moved to Purcellville to be closer to my mother, a longtime resident, following the passing of my father. It didn’t take long for me to appreciate the close-knit atmosphere, rich history, and quality of life that make this town so special.

I came to Purcellville because it feels like a real community. It has a character and quality of life that is increasingly rare, and I believe it is something worth protecting, not replacing.

One of the most pressing issues facing our town is the continued pressure for annexation and large-scale development proposals that could significantly alter Purcellville’s character while moving us away from the vision so many residents value.

Some of the proposals being discussed would fundamentally change the nature of this town and the reasons people chose to live here. These decisions need to reflect the long-term interests of the residents who live here and who will live with the consequences.

These are not abstract policy discussions. They affect traffic, water supply, public safety, taxes, infrastructure, and the overall quality of life in our community.

Throughout my career as a business owner and entrepreneur, I have learned the importance of evaluating risk, managing resources wisely, and making decisions based on long-term consequences rather than short-term promises. I am not a career politician. I bring a practical, common-sense approach to solving problems and making responsible financial decisions.

I support policies that respect the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, protect taxpayers, preserve existing neighborhoods, and safeguard the qualities that define Purcellville’s character and quality of life.

I will work to ensure that residents remain at the center of every major decision. This town belongs to the people who live here, and its future should reflect their voice and their vision—not someone else’s.

Purcellville has given me a wonderful place to call home. I would be honored to earn your trust, your vote, and the opportunity to serve on the Town Council as we work together to protect Purcellville’s future.

Read Hank Speckhardt’s interview in the Blue Ridge Leader:

Hank Speckhardt grew up in a small town in upstate New York and spent more than two decades building a career in the insurance industry before becoming a successful business owner and entrepreneur. 

He moved to Purcellville to be closer to his mother, a longtime resident, and found in the town the same sense of community and small-town connection he has valued throughout his life. Now semi-retired, Speckhardt wants to put his experience evaluating risk, managing resources and building businesses to work for the community he now calls home. 

He is running for Town Council because said he believes Purcellville’s character and quality of life are worth protecting—and that its future should be shaped by the residents who live here.

BRL: What are your three top priorities for the Town of Purcellville?

Hank Speckhardt: My priorities are protecting Purcellville’s character, continue bringing greater fiscal discipline to Town government, and making sure residents remain at the center of the decisions we make.

I spent more than 20 years in the insurance business and later owned and operated my own agency. When you run a business, every decision has consequences. You learn to evaluate risk, control costs, plan for the future and understand that you are accountable for the results. I want to bring that mindset to Town Council.

I will protect the qualities that make Purcellville such a desirable place to live. Our Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance represent years of community input. Growth should occur within that framework, not continually require changing it.

I will bring a business owner’s discipline to Town finances. Before increasing taxes, utility rates, staffing or spending, we should understand the need, examine alternatives and determine whether there is a more efficient way to accomplish the goal.

I will continue to listen to our residents, honor the commitments I make and remain accountable to the people I represent.

I did not move to Purcellville hoping it would become something else. I chose it because of what it already is. I want to help ensure the qualities that attract families here remain for those who come after us.

BRL: Under what circumstances would you support annexing land into the Town of Purcellville?

HS: Annexation can bring development and new revenue, but it also brings continuing and growing costs for infrastructure and Town services and can change the small-town character residents value. The question is whether the long-term benefits to Purcellville justify those costs.

Annexation also changes more than a balance sheet. It expands the physical footprint of Purcellville and can create development and density that permanently alter the character of the town.

I support the right to develop property consistent with existing zoning. Owning property outside Town does not create an entitlement to annexation or Town utilities to increase its development potential.

I would consider annexation where there is a compelling public benefit—such as land needed for recreation or another genuine Town purpose—and where taxpayers and utility customers are protected from the long-term costs.

Purcellville should not measure success by how much land it adds. Success is making the town within our existing boundaries stronger.

BRL: How important is the Town’s Zoning Ordinance, and are there changes you would like to see?

HS: Good zoning creates certainty. Residents, businesses and property owners should be able to make long-term decisions knowing there are established rules governing what can be built around them.

That principle is very familiar to me from business. You can operate successfully under rules you understand, even when you may not agree with every one of them. What is difficult is investing when the rules continually change.

Our Comprehensive Plan establishes the community’s vision, and the Zoning Ordinance provides the framework for implementing it. I support development and redevelopment that respects that framework.

I am not opposed to changing the ordinance when a provision is outdated, unclear or creates an unintended result. But changes should solve a legitimate community-wide problem, not simply make a particular development proposal possible.

We also have to look beyond each individual request. A small increase in density may seem harmless in isolation. Repeated across town, those decisions can create substantially more traffic, infrastructure demands and pressure on Town services.

Zoning predictability for our residents who have already invested in their homes, businesses and community matters. Just look at eastern Loudoun and all the long-term communities who now have data centers in their back yard.

I want Purcellville to remain a place where the rules are clear, fairly applied and changed only when doing so serves the broader interests of the town.

BRL: Do you believe the Town has made sufficient investments in utility infrastructure over the past several years? What improvements would you prioritize moving forward?

HS: Purcellville has made meaningful investments in its utility systems. Maintaining critical infrastructure is an ongoing responsibility.

We should have a clear understanding of the condition of our infrastructure, identify the components presenting the greatest risk and prioritize investments accordingly.

Aging infrastructure should be replaced because its condition and importance justify replacement—not simply because a project appears on a wish list.

We need to evaluate how projects are financed. Before placing additional costs on utility customers, I want us pursuing grants, low-interest financing and other outside funding while continually looking for operating efficiencies.

Finally, infrastructure planning and land-use planning cannot be separated. Greater density creates additional demands on systems that are expensive to expand and maintain. We should not create unnecessary infrastructure obligations through development and then expect existing customers to absorb the cost.

Good infrastructure management is good risk management: understand what we have, identify vulnerabilities, address the greatest risks first and continue planning ahead.

BRL: Residents and businesses collectively pay more than $18 million annually in real estate taxes to Loudoun County. Do you believe the Town is receiving an adequate return on that investment?

HS: When Purcellville residents and businesses contribute more than $18 million annually in real estate taxes to Loudoun County, it is reasonable to ask whether our community is receiving appropriate value in return.

The question is not whether Purcellville benefits from County services – we do. The question is whether we are making the strongest case for County investment where Town and County responsibilities intersect.

Purcellville hosts five County public schools and other public facilities that rely on Town roads and infrastructure. Where Town investments also serve County facilities and County residents, I believe there is a strong case for working together on the cost.

Water and wastewater infrastructure, stormwater, environmental projects and transportation are obvious areas for cooperation.

In business, good partnerships work when both sides understand what they contribute and where their interests overlap. The same should be true here.

As a Council member, I will work constructively with Loudoun County to advocate for Purcellville’s needs and pursue investment in infrastructure that benefits both communities.

BRL: How would you assess Purcellville’s long-term financial outlook?

HS: Financial strength is not determined by how much money you can raise. It is determined by how responsibly you manage what you have and how well you prepare for what is coming.

That is one of the most important lessons I learned owning businesses. You cannot solve every problem by charging customers more. You have to control expenses, distinguish necessities from wants, anticipate future obligations and make investments that produce lasting value.

Our water and wastewater systems present significant long-term challenges, but higher rates should not automatically be the first answer. We should validate capital needs, examine operating costs, pursue outside funding and make sure projects occur when they are actually needed.

I am equally skeptical of the idea that substantially more growth will solve financial problems. Development creates new costs and liabilities. A business would never evaluate an expansion by counting the new revenue while ignoring the expenses. Town government should not either.

We need disciplined spending, careful capital planning and a realistic understanding of future obligations. That approach can strengthen Purcellville’s finances while protecting affordability and our small-town character.

BRL: How would you encourage economic development?

HS: As someone who has owned businesses, I know government does not create successful businesses. Entrepreneurs do. What government can do is create an environment where they have a fair opportunity to succeed.

Businesses need predictability, reasonable taxes, efficient services and a government that respects their time. If someone wants to open or expand a business consistent with our zoning, Town processes should be understandable, timely and consistent.

We should also recognize what we already have. Purcellville’s low commercial vacancy rate tells us businesses want to be here. Our goal should be to build on that strength, not assume economic development requires greater density or a larger Town government.

I want a diverse commercial community—locally owned businesses, restaurants, professional services, retailers and larger businesses all contribute to our economy.

We should continue supporting the events and activities that bring people into Purcellville, support our businesses and bring our community together. Economic development should strengthen both our local economy and the community that makes people want to be here.