Campaign News
Introduction To Interviews:
From Interview in the Blue Ridge Leader
The Town of Purcellville election is Nov. 5 and early voting starts Sept. 20 at the Loudoun County Elections and Voter Registration office. The Purcellville candidates’ interviews are in the order in which their names appear on the ballot. There is also a special election for the term of two years to fill the rest of Boo Bennett’s term.
Chris Bertaut for Mayor
I want to be elected to preserve the town’s character through slow growth, minimize the burden of rates and taxes on our residents, and fulfill citizen direction captured in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. I have proudly served this great community for four years on Town Council. I am running for Mayor because Purcellville’s citizens deserve a Mayor with integrity who placestheir interests first.
Unlike my opponent, I kept my campaign promises to protect the town we all love. As Mayor, I will continue to listen to citizens, who overwhelmingly want to preserve our small town, byimplementing their 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
When I first ran for office, a top citizen priority was protecting our town through slow growth. It remains on everyone’s mind.Unlike my opponent,I will be the strong, transparent Mayor Purcellville needs when annexation and development applications come before the town.
With each developer proposal I will focus on the impact on our residents. As Purcellville’s history shows, we cannot grow our way out of debt. Since my opponent’s about face on the issues he ran on, he has emphasized double-digit water and sewer rate increases and massive development.Developers are speaking with Council Members privately, instead of presenting their ideas in a public forum. This is unacceptable.
My administration will focus on fiscal responsibility with full transparency, administrative integrity and open discussions. My opponent’s false claim that the town’s debt principal would have been $12.6 million lower without the debt restructurings in 2017 and 2021, because the amount of principal due would not have been reduced through refinancing. At the time, decisions to refinance were guided by Purcellville’s financial advisers to increase reserves and reduce the burden on our citizens from our inherited debt in 2015.
I will work with Team Mayberry to reduce projected water and sewer rate increases immediately. We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. I will streamline our government for more efficient operation, and reduce debt. I voted against this year’s utility rate increases. Our town has a population of approximately 9,000 residents— yet our budget is $30.6 million.
My opponent is taking the low road by playing on fear to sway voters to his agenda rather than represent their interests. He claims to favor keeping our small town charming and livable but supports unwanted annexations and inappropriate density not envisioned by our citizens in our Comprehensive Plan. His agenda pushes government and infrastructure costs onto our residents. My opponent says that businesses are the economic engine of this town. I say we, the residents, are the economic engine, and we are empowered to make this small town better.
I do not support the Valley Commerce Center (VCC) annexation, and I do not support other recent annexation proposals. Purcellville’s citizens have spoken loudly on this issue. It is also clear in our Comprehensive Plan that most residents do not want annexation.
Furthermore, the Loudoun County Planning Department has stated that Loudoun County’s General plan does not allow the proposed Valley Commerce Center for this parcel in the County. A proposal to grow the town’s borders and add 1.2 million square feet of industrial space is inappropriate. It doesn’t stop there. If my opponent succeeds with this annexation, we will likely be pressured to annex more properties in that corridor.
This annexation would also bring 3,500 additional weekday vehicle trips, which is unacceptable to both the town and our neighbors. With my vote I refused to pursue this annexation. Unlike my opponent, I have also refused to meet in private with the developer.
Annexation fever doesn’t stop with this proposal. My opponent recently expressed disappointment that he couldn’t annex Valley Springs Estates on A Street across from Blue Ridge Middle School. Citizens rejected this annexation because it would have increased the number of homes from 26 to 242, resulting in 726 new cars instead of 78. Also, during a review of another developer annexation proposal to build a large hotel, gas station/convenience store, and market at the corner of Rtes. 7/287, my opponent said the proposal is what he wanted to see, and asked “What’s next, annexation?”
My opponent, and members of his slate say, ‘If we annex it, we can control it.’ Land outside the town’s borders is controlled by County zoning at far less density than in-town zoning. Regarding the Valley Commerce Center proposal, citizens have said they prefer 39 homes in the County to 1.2 million square feet of industrial in town.
It is unlikely that the County will allow this project if it remains in the County. The County cannot provide off-site sewage treatment, while on-site sewage treatment requires large amounts of land for septic and wells. This is an example of playing on our residents’ fears.
BRL: Is it necessary to raise the utility rates double digits for the foreseeable future?
Bertaut: Previous utility rate projections from the town’s utility consultant and a careful look at the way the rates were modeled reveal that the outrageous rate hikes foisted this year on Purcellville’s residents are the result of uncontrolled operations costs in the utilities coupled with a refusal by the current Council majority to consider savings in the general fund.
A portion of the existing $3 million in Meals Tax revenue can be applied to debt service for the town’s utilities by policy. In addition, more than $1 million is siphoned out of the utility funds into the general fund through charging for services rendered by general fund personnel for the utility fund. These chargebacks need to be audited for accuracy, and trimmed to reflect the true value of services.
Recently my opponent said the rating agency, Fitch, might downgrade Purcellville’s AA+ rating, after Fitch changed their rating criteria. After reviewing the town’s revenue and debt profile for the past several years, Fitch upgraded our rating to AAA. Our upgrade was due to several factors, including lowering the town’s debt by $10 million during former Mayor Kwasi Fraser’sterms in office, keeping at least a 7.5% reserve in the general fund (we’ve had no less than 52% over the last ten years!),and by not incurring new debt.
Standard and Poor’s continues to give Purcellville a AAA rating.
Do you support working out a deal with the developers of the Vineyard Square project on 21st Street?
I am 100% in favor of continuing to revitalize our historic downtown area. The permits for the ill-conceived Vineyard Square, approved 14 years ago, expire in June 2025. The developers need to come to the table with a serious proposal that matches the scale and scope of the area. A six story 40 condo building is inappropriate. Plus, the zoning they were given was and is not allowed in the Historic Downtown area. I do not support giving developers special favors.
The developers have shown before Council, after a private meeting with my opponent, a scaled down version, which would reduce the condo part of their plan by 4 condos, and spread those condos among several 4 story condo buildings behind 21st Street.
I am not in favor of working out this kind of “deal.” Rather the owners should come before Council and with public input work on a new plan that contributes to our Historic Downtown area.
Currently two and a half story buildings with two apartments are allowed in this district. My opponent along with others running with him are in the process of changing the make-up of the slow growth Planning Commission. They will then most likely change the Zoning Ordinance the commission just recommended for passage to the Town Council. Then they can amend the zoning to allow taller buildings, and hotels and multi-family in this area.
I do not support turning the 21st Street corridor into San Diego’s Gaslamp District—which was the focus of my opponent’s State of the Town address this spring. Revitalization of our downtown corridor is a must, but not at the expense of Purcellville’s small-town character and charm.
I fully support the revised zoning ordinance. The Planning Commission worked successfully for several years, with the full support of my opponent, until he flipped.
To push his agenda, my opponent and others running with him have said that the town needs a new Comprehensive Plan—even though the plan is a ten-year plan. It’s only been four years!
We have realigned our zoning with the desires of our residents expressed in the 10-year Comprehensive Plan. Our citizens wanted to “protect and sustain” our town.
The revised Zoning Ordinance addresses multiple concerns voiced by residents to retain their current rights, while adding additional protection against unreviewed requests to demolish historic structures—currently any person with a contributing historic property can tear it down with no notice.
Existing buildings and uses are fully protected by the new Zoning Ordinance as conforming uses. This includes cluster development neighborhoods like Kingsbridge, Villages of Purcellville, Locust Grove, and Hirst Farm—well as Planned Development Housing like Village Case, and Mayfair. Existing duplexes are also protected, and duplex by-right uses throughout the R-2 and R-3 districts are no longer allowed.
The developers are not happy with the revised Zoning Ordinance because they want fewer restrictions on what they can do throughout our town.
Previous utility rate projections from the town’s utility consultant and a careful look at the way the rates were modeled reveal that the outrageous rate hikes foisted this year on Purcellville’s residents are the result of uncontrolled operations costs in the utilities coupled with a refusal by the current Council majority to consider savings in the general fund.
A portion of the existing $3 million in Meals Tax revenue can be applied to debt service for the town’s utilities by policy. In addition, more than $1 million is siphoned out of the utility funds into the general fund through charging for services rendered by general fund personnel for the utility fund. These charge backs need to be audited for accuracy, and trimmed to reflect the true value of services.
Recently my opponent said the rating agency, Fitch, might downgrade Purcellville’s AA+ rating, after Fitch changed their rating criteria. After reviewing the town’s revenue and debt profile for the past several years, Fitch upgraded our rating to AAA. Our upgrade was due to several factors, including lowering the town’s debt by $10 million during former Mayor Kwasi Fraser’s terms in office, keeping at least a 7.5% reserve in the general fund (we’ve had no less than 52% over the last ten years!),and by not incurring new debt.
Standard and Poor’s continues to give Purcellville a AAA rating.
Carl B. “Ben” Nett for Town Council
I have a strong aversion to dishonesty, bullies, and corruption. Does that count as one reason or three? I was initially motivated to run for Town Council because of our escalating utility costs, the constant bickering amongst council members,and the relentless push for mass urbanization by those proposing annexations that do indeed threaten our “small town charm.” While our opponents publicly express support from the council dais and during their political campaigns for Purcellville’s small town feel, it is evident that they support crony capitalism by favoring their relentless developer allies at the expense of our residents.
To that, I will now add my commitment to maintaining Purcellville as the “Safest Town in Virginia.” I can be more effective as a member of Town Council by leveraging my substantial management and budget experience, managing growth in keeping with the vision put forth in our 2030 Comprehensive Plan, and driving efficiency in government.
Put bluntly, the purpose of town government is to first and foremost protect the health, safety and welfare of our residents, pick up the trash, fix the potholes, enact our zoning laws, keep the water running, and manage waste. When elected, I’ll take care of our public safety and public works employees, curtail wasteful overhead, seek solutions to our traffic gridlock (one needs a police car to make a left turn during rush hours), and eliminate the double-digit water and wastewater rate increases planned by our opponents, Team Metropolis, that will see our already extravagant water bills more than double within five years.
No, and I’ll bet a steak dinner at Magnolias that no candidate for Town Council or Mayor will admit to supporting the Valley Commerce Center annexation prior to Election Day, as the vast majority of residents openly oppose this.
I’ll remind my fellow citizens that Stan Milan, head of Team Metropolis, has broken nearly every campaign promise he made just two years ago. What can one reasonably conclude from his about-face on every issue of substance? He campaigned on a message of slow growth, but is now fully supported by and openly embraces the out-of-town developers intent on transforming Purcellville into Ashburn 2.0. He previously expressed enthusiasm for annexing another property along Route 287 and Saint Francis Court for a proposed 130-room hotel, convenience store with gas station, restaurant, and a market facility. Note, also, developers’ properties (whether owned or occupied) play exclusive host to Team Metropolis political signage around town, to include the building that houses the Police Department.
If Team Metropolis truly opposed annexations and the mass urbanization that comes with it, then they would be embracing and supporting the Team Mayberry platform—not running whisper campaigns and ridiculing us personally. If voters allow Team Metropolis to prevail in this election, Purcellville will be “Loudoun’s Rural Destination” no more.
Do you want to pay lower water bills or do you want to pay more than double your current water bills? That’s the decision you have to make in this election. It sounds like an IQ test, doesn’t it? Our opponents, Team Metropolis, plan double-digit water and sewer rate increases every year for the next several years, resulting in a 102% increase in our current utility bills.
Our plan eliminates the proposed rate increases for residents. We do this by creating a policy to dedicate a portion of the existing meals tax revenue (no new taxes) as a set-aside for debt reduction on our wastewater facility and, with that, reductions in general fund expenditures. Our local government, which serves a population of 9,000 residents, has a spending problem rather than a revenue problem.
Here are some examples: 1) Nearly half a million dollars in combined yearly compensation for a Town Manager and an Assistant Town Manager along with a current announcement for a nearly $200,000 “Director of Administration.” 2) A top-heavy police department with four six-figure-salary administrators overseeing an underpaid and understaffed Officer corps that has not been able to provide 24/7 coverage to the town for nearly a year. 3) A finance department that retains original staffing levels long after the county assumed the accounting burden for the collection of town property taxes.
A leading economist said that government spending is the true tax rate. The citizens of Purcellville are way overtaxed. Yet, Team Metropolis is justifying raising the utility rates by criticizing previous councils—including, by the way, votes by Stan Milan, the head of Team Metropolis, in support of the town’s refinancing as recommended by our financial advisors. Team Metropolis is preparing for annexations, higher taxes, and the assumption of even greater debt due to our AAA rating, which is the product of years of steady financial stewardship under former Mayor Fraser.
The developers of Vineyard Square on 21st Street have had permits to build for 14 years and vacated their tenants to show they were “diligently pursuing” their project in order to keep their permits active. After a meeting with Stan Milan, the head of Team Metropolis, the developers of Vineyard Square put tenants back in for a two-year period. They have now come before council with a new proposal,which is to reduce the condo portion of the project from 40 condos to 36 and break up the condos into numerous four-story buildings in the back. I am not in favor of turning 21st Street into an area like San Diego’s Gaslamp District—complete with multi-family housing and a hotel. I am for letting the Vineyard Square permits expire in June 2025 and meeting with the developers to revitalize the area with appropriate commercial/retail which is conducive to our Historic Downtown. I believe the Historic Downtown Corridor holds tremendous untapped potential and is prime for further economic revitalization, such as that seen with the refacing and renovation of the American Legion and the introduction of Bia Kitchen.
My support for downtown development, beyond the approvals already granted, is contingent on such development matching the character and aesthetics of the town and avoiding adverse impacts on our already tenuous traffic situation.
My dad was a Democrat State Representative for over two decades and drew the ire of his party for opposing an eminent domain land grab by city government—seizure of private property, in that case, for other private use. He was ultimately vindicated by the state supreme court, and he was nominated for the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for taking on his own party and big business interests at the cost of his seat in the legislature.
The developers spent millions going after him—just as the developers lustfully eyeing Purcellville are now coming after me. I support zoning ordinances that, first and foremost, protect and preserve private property rights. The zoning ordinance passed at the end of July by the Planning Commission aligns with the desires of residents as expressed in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
I attended several Planning Commission meetings and witnessed, first-hand, the concerns expressed by citizens in attendance. Members of the Planning Commission listened attentively, made adjustments to address their concerns, and remained focused on aligning zoning with the wishes of Purcellville’s residents to preserve and maintain the character of our small town. Legacy districts were created to protect existing uses such as duplexes and Planned Developmental Housing—and protections were put in place to sustain what the town currently has. As a member of Town Council, I will always support the property rights of our residents. I ask for your vote.
Susan Khalil for Town Council
I would like to, once and for all, get rid of the monetary waste that is happening within our local government. The current expense levels for our Town are out of proportion with the size of our Town, and my running mates and I intend to begin getting expenses in line on day one. I would like to ensure that the infrastructure of our Town is solid.
My running mates and I intend to conduct a full evaluation of the existing life of all of our Town’s infrastructure components and develop a capital improvement plan that addresses our needs. We will correct any issues that arise, and we will develop a preventive program that will ensure no surprises occur that will cause unnecessary expenditures.
We will ensure that the appropriate funding is identified and allocated. I have the opportunity of running with a slate of like-minded,experienced professionals dedicated to bringing all of the above to fruition.When elected, we will constitute a working majority on Town Council, and thus be in a position to make the necessary changes for the benefit of our community.
I do not support the 117.07-acre annexation of the Valley Commerce Center located on Purcellville Road across from the Mayfair community. Our residents have spoken loud and clear for over a decade that they want to preserve our special town.
Annexation is not the way to preserve Purcellville’s small town charm.In our town’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, residents in numerous outreach meetings and surveys spanning several years have distinctly reiterated that they do not want the town’s borders expanded.
The county has already weighed in and said that should the town annex this property, we will also have to annex a 12.5-acre property next to it. Town staff added there are other properties along Purcellville Road which would want to be annexed. Where would it stop?
If annexation paid for itself, Purcellville and all cities around our nation would have extremely low taxes. I do not agree with the false premise that we have to annex this property and others to lower our utility bills. Not to mention, where would the water come from?
Also, I will not play the fear game that if we don’t annex this property and others, the county will agree to rezone this property. The county’s planning department has already weighed in, recommending denial at the county level. As such, I do not ascribe to the philosophy of our current mayor and his “Team Metropolis” running mates—and what they may be telling residents on the campaign trail—that the town should annex properties to “control” what goes in. The land is already “controlled” in the county at low rural density. The only reason to annex is to create in-town density, which would turn our town into Ashburn 2.0.
Indeed, Team Metropolis cannot point to a single annexation in the Town’s history where it resulted in less dense development than when the land was in the County. Annexation is to increase density and with that comes more traffic congestion. It’s the Trojan Horse at the gates.
The double-digit utility rate increases planned by our Team Metropolis opponents will not be sustainable for our residents. If our bills more than double within five years, as their modeling suggests, many of our single-income families and seniors will leave out of necessity. I feel sorry for the young families that move to Purcellville, so excited to be part of our Town, and then they get the surprise. It is imperative that the water and sewer situation be addressed immediately.
My running mates and I have a plan to hit the ground running with immediate impacts to reducing the current utility rates, one of which is to dedicate a portion of our meals tax—a tax that is not only paid by residents, but by outside visitors to Purcellville, to reducing the current debt. Meals tax revenue increases yearly, having risen from $1 million to over $3 million in the last ten years. A portion of that could easily go towards utility expenses after strategic cuts in operational expenses. Doing so, with a clearly defined policy is place, will not impact our credit rating.
It’s good to see that Fitch continues to recognize that we are a AAA town based on its new rating scale—something that S&P had realized for the past 8 years with their rating of AAA for the Town. In other words, the claim by Team Metropolis that their recent 16% and 18% water and sewer rate increases resulted in the Fitch AAA rating is a fallacy. If there were truly “missed opportunities” for rate increases in years past and if past administrations had “kicked the can down the road,” then why did S&P not downgrade us from AAA in the past ten years?
Team Metropolis can’t answer that question, because they don’t want to admit that our strong financial footing, to include paying off millions in debt under Mayor Fraser, is at odds with their previous phony “fiscal cliff” narrative. Indeed, some people will say absolutely anything to get elected.
Do you support working out a deal with the developers of the Vineyard Square project on 21st Street?
Until recent renovations, the property in question accounted for the highest vacancy rate on 21st Street. The property owners failed to develop what they planned, or even a modified version of what they planned, while other businesses invested over $10 million combined on 21st Street in renovation and restoration. Now, the owners are working with our current mayor and his Team Metropolis allies on a bailout under the guise of revitalization. The major property on 21st Street that is in the need of revitalization is Vineyard Square and it should not be done at the expense of taxpayers. Bia Kitchen, American Legion, Catoctin Creek Distillery, Monk’s Barbecue, Another Turn Tack, Nichols Hardware, Tree of Life Ministries, Enhanced Beauty & Wellness Clinic, and Southern States invested millions in renovation and restoration on 21st Street without bailouts from the Town.
Why should the Town bailout one property owner who has consistently failed to act on his plan for the property? Why is the Vineyard square proposal on the Town’s Website and not the proposals of White Palace or other commercial properties?
I am not in favor of working out backroom deals with developers. I am not bought by developers. Our team’s largest donation thus far is from a farmer who put his land in conservation easement and wants to preserve Purcellville’s small town charm.
The revised zoning ordinance follows the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which is in accord with the wishes of the Town residents.These efforts are fully aligned with our campaign slogan“Mayberry Not Metropolis.” We want to maintain Purcellville as a small-town community, avoid mass urbanization, and reign in our rising utility costs with a renewed focus on fiscal discipline and common sense. Our Zoning Ordinance protects homeowners’ property rights, and protects our residents from development that is out of character with our town.
As such, I was stunned to see an op-ed written by John-Mark Gardner, an opposing candidate running with Stan Milan as part of “Team Metropolis,” who basically accused me of being a racist. He wrote: “Mayberry is a fictional town set in the Jim Crow South, an unpleasant era for many.” He accuses me, and my running mates, of “dog-whistles seeking to divide our community.”
What? How does one extrapolate institutional racism from wanting to lower our water bills and avoiding mass urbanization? Next, he’ll be attacking me for having ovaries.
John-Mark Gardner owes me, and my running mates, a public apology for his malicious personal attacks and whisper campaign of smears. There is no room for dirty politics like this in our small town.
Brian Green for Town Council
When elected, I will maintain the small-town feel of Purcellville through appropriate and responsible slow growth that is guided by the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and not influenced by the outside developers/interests who are present at every meeting pushing their agenda.They want very little rules so they can build what they want without citizen input.
I will ensure the Town’s services—water/sewer, public safety,and roads—are best in class, responsive to the demands of the citizens, and managed efficiently without exorbitant costs.
I will promote Town government transparency through clear and timely communication to citizens,share the Town’s priorities,make sure the permitting process is streamlined, and maintain an open door for citizen feedback. As a Council Member, I will act on behalf of the citizens for their health and well-being to ensure prosperity for all.
I do not support annexations at this time. The Town services (clean water in particular) are already strained. Expanding the borders of the Town will put a heavy burden on the citizens of Purcellville, who have made it clear they do not want annexations. They want to preserve Purcellville’s small town character. This cannot be preserved by growing our borders and becoming like Ashburn.
There would be no benefit to our residents if we approved an additional 1.2 million square feet of industrial. It will create unbearable traffic—an additional 3,500 car trips to a residential area on roads which are in line with the rural character of our town. And no, the developer can not achieve the density he wants if the project were to be approved in the county. The county planning department has already weighed in with a strong voice of not recommending approval.
I do support the property being built at its by right use of 39 homes. This is in keeping with what the citizens in the vicinity and the town have asked for.
I do not support raising our water and sewer rates by high double digits. We must get control of spending and the high cost that the general fund employees charge to our utility fund of over $1 million. Current strategies, such as dedicating a percentage of the meals tax towards the water/sewer debt and operational efficiencies are a must. Our financial advisor has already weighed in to say we can dedicate a percentage of our meals tax to our utility fund as long as we have a policy in place.
As Council Member, I will ensure solutions are explored, assessed and implemented as fast as reasonably possible to in order to reduce future increases for our citizens.
Do you support working out a deal with the developers of the Vineyard Square project on 21st Street?
The Vineyard Square project has the necessary permits to begin development, granted by a previous council. I believe the current approved permits are out of character for Purcellville. It is true the developer has discussed alternatives—meaning reducing the planned number of condos and splitting up the residential to several four-story buildings in the back instead of having it all in one building. However, these alternatives are still out of character with the Historic Downtown and its quaint character. This is not the San Diego Gaslamp District. This is Purcellville. Allowing this kind of density on 21st Street, which is a narrow one-way street, is inappropriate and will increase traffic in an already congested area.
Our 2030 Comprehensive Plan is clear about what the citizens envision for this area—two-story buildings with commercial/retail/offices and, for residential, two apartments per structure. This is in line with our small town—not multi-family use in this area. It is time to “cater” to our citizens and work with this developer for a realistic development that is in line with our small town and not San Diego’s Gaslamp District—which is what the current Mayor and Vice Mayor envision.
Other businesses have done a marvelous job at renovations. We have Catoctin Creek Distillery, Bia Kitchen, and the new Enhanced Beauty and Wellness Clinic. They knew what to do and didn’t need a Master Plan to do it. Again, our Comprehensive Plan is our Master Plan for that area and other areas around Town.
As a member of the Planning Commission, I was a direct contributor to the zoning rewrite and recommended the Zoning be passed on to Town Council for their legislative process. I believe the Planning Commission successfully achieved the mission statement which was to bring the zoning in line with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan as well as to mitigate nonconforming properties. Our goal throughout the process was to sustain and protect. We protected duplex and PDH developments throughout town and moved them to Legacy. This means they are protected and there can not be more of that kind of development around town, as the citizens in our 2030 Comprehensive Plan have clearly voiced their desire to sustain our small town.
Unfortunately, developers and Team Metropolis are not happy about it. They want higher story buildings and multi-family throughout the town. They want lax zoning so they can do what they want—regardless of what the citizens have said. They are already saying that our 2030 Comprehensive Plan is out of date when it isn’t due for rewrite for several more years.
I will always put citizens first, not developers. I will fight to protect our town and have already done so. I am asking for your support for Chris Bertaut for Mayor, and Ben Nett, Susan Khalil, Jon Arnburg and me, Brian Green, in the Town elections on November 5. Mayberry, not Metropolis.
Jonathan Arnburg for Town Council
My top priority as a candidate for the town council is to enhance the quality of life in Purcellville, focusing on infrastructure development, responsible spending, and most importantly our citizens to ensure our Purcellville thrives and remains a wonderful place for us to call home. I am committed to fiscal responsibility, aiming to manage the town’s resources wisely and ensure that taxpayer dollars are used effectively to support projects and services that benefit residents while maintaining a balanced budget.
Building trust is crucial, and transparency in decision-making fosters confidence between the town council and the community. By ensuring clear and honest communication, residents will be better informed about issues and developments, enabling them to participate more effectively in local governance. This transparency also holds council members accountable, maintaining a high standard of integrity and ensuring that the council remains answerable to the citizens it serves.
No, I do not support the Valley Commerce Center Annexation, and here are some reasons why I do not believe it is beneficial for our town. An annexation of this magnitude is out of character with our 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Residents might find their preferences and needs less prioritized under the broader jurisdiction of a larger town or city. Additionally, annexation can strain the town’s budget by requiring the extension of services like water, sewer, and emergency services to the new area, which can be costly.
If the new property does not generate sufficient additional revenue through taxes to offset these expenses, it could result in budget shortfalls. Expanding Purcellville’s boundaries also demands significant upgrades or expansions to existing infrastructure, including roads, public transportation, and utilities, which can be both complex and expensive—potentially diverting resources from maintaining current infrastructure.
Furthermore, annexation can provoke community and political conflict, causing resistance from both current and new residents and creating tensions over how new areas are integrated into existing plans as we have already seen with the Valley Commerce Center proposal. According to Purcellville’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, there is a clear desire to avoid extending our borders, and a potential annexation of the Valley Commerce Center could lead to further annexations of additional properties, raising concerns about where it might end.
The short answer is no. There are often opportunities to manage costs and improve efficiency within utility operations. By implementing cost-saving measures, optimizing resource use, and investing in technology, a town can potentially avoid drastic rate hikes while maintaining service quality.
We should thoroughly examine the over $1 million that employees under our General Fund are charging for work related to our Utility Fund staff. Additionally, we can consider applying a percentage of our $3 million meals tax to the water and sewer fund. This approach, once Town Council sets a policy, will eliminate the need for the double-digit rate increases proposed by our “Team Metropolis” opponents.
Do you support working out a deal with the developers of the Vineyard Square project on 21st Street?
It is important to work with the developers of the Vineyard Square development on 21st Street to ensure their projects align with the town’s character and the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The Vineyard Square developers, who have held active permits for over a decade, have proposed a plan that conflicts with both our Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
Their revised proposal, which still includes 36 condos despite a reduction from 40, remains too dense for the Historic Downtown area. I support allowing their permits to expire next year and having them resubmit a project that better fits in Purcellville.
This approach aligns with our goal of preserving community identity by ensuring new developments enhance rather than detract from the town’s established aesthetic and social values. Strategic growth and planning are also vital, as they ensure that development supports long-term goals, including infrastructure, public services, and environmental sustainability. Engaging developers in transparent collaboration with town officials and residents fosters community support, reducing potential conflicts and resistance. Additionally, well-aligned developments can yield positive economic and social benefits, such as increased property values and improved local amenities, while also ensuring the efficient use of resources and infrastructure.
I will support only those revised zoning ordinances passed by the planning commission that align with and protect the property rights of our residents, as these rights are fundamental to ensuring that individuals and families can enjoy and utilize their property as they see fit.
Properly crafted zoning laws should enhance the quality of life for all residents by promoting orderly development, preserving community character, and preventing conflicts between different land uses. When zoning ordinances respect and uphold property rights, they contribute to a more balanced and harmonious community, where property owners feel secure in their investments and confident that their rights are protected against arbitrary or unfair regulations. Ensuring that zoning laws align with property rights fosters trust between the community and the planning commission, supports long-term stability and growth, and maintains the integrity and vitality of our neighborhoods. The current zoning ordinance successfully achieves these goals and safeguards our town from development that is inconsistent with its character. I ask for your vote, and I encourage you to vote for my running mates—Chris Bertaut for Mayor, and Ben Nett, Brian Green, and Susan Khalil for Town Council.