Loudoun County Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee Meeting - January 13, 2026
Loudoun County Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee Meeting - January 13, 2026
The Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors met on January 13, 2026, at 5th Floor, 1 Harrison Street, Leesburg. Chair Briskman presided. The committee adopted the consent agenda (4-0-1), discussed economic development, capital projects, tax rates, health commission reports, and FY2027 budget service levels. Supervisor Umstead was absent.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda was adopted unanimously (4-0-1) and included routine approvals and action items: Monthly Department of Economic Development Report (Item 1), Quarterly Report/Upcoming Contracts – 3rd Quarter FY2026 (Item 2), 2025 Metrorail Financial Update (Item 4), Contract Renewal/Roadway and Transportation Design Services (Item 5), Award Authority Increase/Prentice Drive Design (Item 6), Award Authority Increase/IT Consulting (Item 7), Contract Award/Crosstrail Blvd Segment C (Item 8), Contract Award/On Call Land Surveying (Item 9), Award Authority Increase/Sports Construction Support (Item 10), Contract Award/General Government Office Building Phase I (Item 11), Visit Loudoun FY2025 TOT Fund Balance Request (Item 12), Affirmation of Personal Property Tax Rates (Item 13), 24328 Marrwood Drive LCPS Expansion (Item 14), Countywide Streetlight Program (Item 15), Conservation Easement Assistance Program Exception for Silver Ridge Drive (Item 17).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were heard.
Discussion Items
- Metrorail Financial Update (Item 4): Supervisor Laterno noted excess funds in Metro tax districts and discussed using excess revenue to cover future subsidy costs. Staff clarified that the larger district will remain until debt is paid, after which the tax rate can be removed and smaller districts taxed for operating subsidy.
- Monthly Economic Development Report (Item 1) & Visit Loudoun Presentation: DED staff reported 70 wins, nearly 5,000 jobs, $152M capital investment, 610 retention visits, and 85 ombudsman cases. Unemployment: national 4.4% (Dec), VA 3.5% (Nov), Loudoun 3.1% (Sept). CPI up 2.7% YoY. Beth Erickson (Visit Loudoun) presented the strategic plan and gap analysis: visitor spending nearly $5B (top in VA), 91% recommend Loudoun. Key challenges: lodging gaps (Loudoun has one-third of Fairfax’s supply), meeting space (76% in one facility), need for indoor sports tournament facility, and federal per diem disparity (Loudoun excluded from DC NSA). Supervisor Randall expressed full support for per diem reinstatement as an equity issue and questioned international passenger declines at Dulles. Supervisor Laterno questioned whether per diem emphasis is a self-fulfilling prophecy; staff maintained it remains an obstacle. Supervisor Sainz stressed the need for a strategy to prevent loss of hotel rooms and called for tourism zone expansion. Chair Briskman urged continued effort on per diem and sports facility.
- Quarterly Capital Improvement Projects (Item 3): Staff presented updates: Broad Run Farms water line extension cost increase of $7.1M (from $10M to $17.1M); EV charging stations installed at Moorefield Station and Brambleton; 8 new sites approved for spring construction; 138 charging ports countywide. Supervisor Sainz raised concerns about parking lot narrowness at Sterling park and grant delays for Old Ox Road projects (delayed one year due to federal requirements). Chair Briskman inquired about Whitfield crosswalk timeline.
- Affirmation of Personal Property Tax Rates (Item 13): Commissioner Robert Wertz confirmed categories. Chair Briskman moved to reduce tax rates for vehicles powered solely by electricity, hybrid vehicles, and clean special fuel vehicles from $4.15 to $3.09 per $100 of assessed value, catching an omission from earlier intent. Motion passed 4-0-1.
- Loudoun Health Commission Annual Report and Bylaws Revision (Item 16): Dr. John Farrell presented the 2025 report and 2026 plan: $40,000 budget for Lyme disease education; $40,000 for safe home initiative (fall prevention, lock & talk, fire alarm safety, medication disposal, drowning prevention). The committee discussed coordination with county departments. Mr. Hemstreet requested clarification that funds be used for coordinated campaigns. Motion to endorse report and approve bylaws carried 4-0-1, with staff to modify motion language for board.
- FY2027 Budget Development: Recommended Service Levels (Item 18): HR staff presented staffing and learning & development targets: goal to refer qualified applicants within 3 business days for 95% of recruitments (currently 77%); 702 jobs advertised, 87 days average to fill. PRCS presented CARES funding expiration (center funds exhausted spring 2026, children's programs by end of 2026) and recommendation to continue subsidies in FY27 with a comprehensive fee study for FY28. Arts plan expansion also discussed. No vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda adopted 4-0-1.
- Personal property tax rate reduction for electric/hybrid/clean fuel vehicles approved 4-0-1 (from $4.15 to $3.09).
- Health Commission annual report endorsed and bylaws revision approved 4-0-1; staff to clarify coordination language.
- PRCS to continue CARE funding in FY27 pending board budget discussion; fee study to inform long-term funding.
- No vote taken on FY2027 budget service levels; presentations received for information.
- Direction given to staff to revise motion for Health Commission to ensure coordinated awareness campaigns with subject matter agencies.
Meeting Transcript
Maybe she's stepped away. Okay, great. Hi. We'll start in a few minutes. Okay, but if they get to the world, okay, I'm back. Good evening. I would like to call to order the January thirteenth, 2026, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Finance, Government Operations, and Economic Development Committee meeting. Excuse me. This meeting has a hearing loop. If you need hearing assistance, switch your hearing aids to telecoil mode. If you need a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to request one. Questions and comments are not timed. However, once a motion is on the table, committee members will have three minutes to ask questions and make comments for all items in the motions. Item four, metro rail financial update. Uh 2025, Metro Rail Financial Update. Uh I actually I I have a couple questions on that one. Yeah. So okay. So never mind. Thank you, sir. Uh motion made and seconded. Any comments, uh, Supervisor Laterno. Yeah, I just wanted to take a moment on item four, which is the Metro Financial Update and maybe a staff question, Mr. Hempster question. But also note um this is a significant item because we are talking about first of all, an excess of funds in the Metro tax districts, which is good. Um establishing or asking staff to begin the establishment of revenue stabilization funds for future needs, but we also contemplate using some of excess revenue to cover, I believe, subsidy costs in the future. So just from a question, um, does anything need to change with these districts in order to be able to use them for operating or capital subsidy for metro? Is there any action that has to be taken? You mean legal action to change the the governing parameters of the district? Uh no. Okay. So I remember, and you probably do too many years ago. There was some discussion about that when we were setting these up and whether we could eventually shift them to cover the operating capital subsidy or they only had to be used for construction. So the concept is that the larger district, which encompasses the two smaller districts, is that that will remain in play and be the primary district until all of the debt services paid off, and then we can use excess to also pay for the metro contributions. Once the debt is paid off, the intent as described by the board at the time was to remove the tax rate on the larger district and then just tax the smaller districts to pay for the whatever the operating subsidy is that remains after gas tax and other revenues are applied. So um, and that's a really good just reminder for everybody to hear, and also um for residents because we're gonna hear this debate and discussion in the General Assembly about funding for Metro and the fact that the additional need has been identified. The board endorsed that plan, but ultimately we do have a plan to cover increased costs that is not simply taking it out of the general fund and increasing the general tax rate on citizens. It's part of that overall strategy that was established way back in 2012 by the board to help cover costs of metro. And I think that's an important distinction that I guarantee that most residents don't actually really know. So we'll have we'll have to really communicate about that when we get closer into that. So just wanted to note that. Thank you, Mount Chair. Thank and thank you for the um clarification. Chair Randall, any comments on the consent agenda. None. Okay, thank you. Um I will just comment, thank you, colleagues, for um uh uh allowing me to put item 17 on the consent agenda, conservation easement assistance program exception. This is for the um uh Silver Ridge Drive property where we had the home explosion, which has now been turned into a uh memorial of sorts and a park, and it's a very sort of out-of-the-box type of property for the county to be putting in conservation easement. Um, and so this is an exception, and um hopefully the full board will also understand the importance of this particular property and making sure that we can assist as much as possible to maintain it the way that the community has put it together and the all the volunteers and all that.
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