Broad Run District Newsletter - February 2013

Dear Neighbors,

The Board of Supervisors has begun deliberation on Loudoun County’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget. On February 6th, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet presented the Board a proposed budget that keeps the average homeowner’s property taxes flat from the previous year.  This equalized tax rate is $1.22 per $100 assessed which is lowered from the current rate of $1.235 to adjust for home value increases. My goal in this budget process is to attempt to lower property taxes below the equalized rate. The proposed spending growth in this budget is mainly in the areas of public safety and transportation; the budget includes a proposal for two cents of the property tax rate to be dedicated to funding transportation improvements. 

Yesterday, I appreciated hearing from the public about the proposed budget in our first budget hearings.  There is still one more opportunity to give input to the Board about your priorities for the FY 2014 budget at a public hearing this Saturday, March 2 at 9:00 a.m. The hearing will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building located at 21000 Education Court.  Please email me if you have any questions about signing up to speak at this hearing.  

In my last newsletter I put forward my perspective on how I plan to address the School Board’s proposed budget.  The Board of Supervisors and the School Board will hold a joint meeting on March 4th to discuss their budget proposal.  I welcome your feedback as we go through the budget process. Please feel free to email me or call my office with any questions or concerns. 

At our February 20th business meeting, the Board received an update on the changes in real estate assessment values from last year.  The good news is that housing values in Loudoun County are maintaining a slow and steady recovery, while foreclosures have decreased.  The greatest value increases for homeowners were for condos and townhomes, which increased 7.6% and 5.5% respectively.  Additionally, the commercial real estate portfolio increased by $385 million, or about 3.6%.  Here is the link to the Annual Assessment Summary from the Commissioner of the Revenue’s office. 

In previous newsletters I have discussed this Board’s efforts regarding economic development.  As a Board, we want to business-friendly for both large corporations and for small businesses.  In order to streamline the process of opening a small business in Loudoun, the County developed a cross-departmental Business Assistance Team (BAT).  Starting a business can seem overwhelming if you don’t know where to begin, and that’s where BAT comes in.  They can link you up with personnel who specialize in a particular area of the process, such as permitting, licensing, mapping, and zoning. Future business owners can utilize the BAT web page, linked here, to use the “Quick Start Checklist” as well as find contact information for the BAT Team Leader and additional resources.

Other resources that you might find helpful are:

• Economic Development Commercial
• Rural Economic Development Website
• Sourcelink Online Tool for Small Business
• Small Business Development Center

As always, please feel free to call me at 703-771-5088 or email me at shawn.williams@loudoun.gov with any questions. Thank you for always providing me with helpful input and feedback.   Additionally, you can keep up to date with my work on the Board by liking my Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Shawn

Transportation Project Spotlight: Transportation Project Spotlight: Belmont Ridge Road Improvements

I regularly receive emails about the traffic concerns along Belmont Ridge Road south of Broadlands Boulevard.  As the principal north-south connection between Route 7 and Brambleton, Belmont Ridge is far over capacity.  It is also the only route for Briar Woods High School students who live in Broadlands to get to school.  Additionally, I have been very concerned about recent traffic accidents on this stretch.  Improving Belmont Ridge Road is vital for safety as well as better traffic flow.

Last year, the Board of Supervisors approved a project to widen Belmont Ridge to four lanes from Broadlands Boulevard to Truro Parish Drive, and to add a traffic signal at Truro Parish. This project has been engineered and is currently in the utility relocation phase.  Construction on these improvements is expected to begin this summer.  Funding for this $8.3 million project is coming from a combination of developer proffers and local gas tax funding. 

The Board’s Finance/Government Services and Operations Committee, of which I am a member, has begun amending the FY 2014 Loudoun County Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).  At Tuesday’s meeting, I motioned to add $1.6 million in FY 2014 to fund the design and engineering of the four lane widening between Truro Parish to Croson.  This stretch is currently the only two lane section of Belmont Ridge that has not been designed for the four lane widening.  Designing this project now will have the improvement ready once construction funding is in place.  The Finance Committee unanimously supported my motion.  I am currently working with Ashburn District Supervisor Ralph Buona on a plan to fund construction for widening all the current two lane sections of Belmont Ridge from Route 7 to Brambleton.  We are looking to add this project to the CIP in future years. The CIP will come to the full Board for consideration later in March.

Community Events and Information

Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Pancake Breakfast:  The next monthly breakfast will be from 8:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday March 3rd (St. Patty’s Day).  For more information, including cost, please click here.  Bring the family and have a great breakfast, while at the same time supporting our local station in their fundraising efforts.

Appointment Vacancy:  The Loudoun County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Board is made up of citizens appointed by the Board of Supervisors representing their respective districts.  There is a vacancy on this board from the Broad Run District which I am looking to fill. The purpose of the Parks Board is to provide a forum for citizens' suggestions or concerns, to advise the staff on community recreation needs, coordinate and sponsor research on issues and alternatives related to open space and land use in the county, and to make staff aware of and sensitive to public needs.  If you are interested in serving on this board, please email a letter of interest and your resume to my aide, Caleb Weitz, at caleb.weitz@loudoun.gov .

Real Estate Assessments: The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office will be mailing out property assessment notices on February 27th.  For information on how to appeal and other questions regarding your assessment, please click here.

The county also offers tax relief for the elderly and disabled. Property owners as of January 1, who meet certain criteria, are age 65 or older, and who may be totally and permanently disabled, have household income not more than $72,000 and net worth not more than $440,000 may qualify. Participants may be relieved from the payment of real estate taxes on their primary dwelling and lot up to 3 acres. For more information, applications, and filing dates, view the Loudoun County Tax Relief or contact:
Robert S. Wertz, Jr., Loudoun County Commissioner of Revenue
P.O. Box 8000
Leesburg, VA 20177-9804
Ph: 703-737-8557
email: trcor@loudoun.gov

Additionally, Loudoun’s Commissioner of the Revenue Robert S. Wertz Jr. has scheduled free information sessions during March to familiarize residents with the eligibility criteria for the county’s generous real estate tax relief program. For the schedule of these free seminars, please click here.

First-Time Homebuyers Class:  The Loudoun County Department of Family Services will be facilitating Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) homebuyer education classes in 2013. These 6-hour classes, with a curriculum provided by VHDA, provide a basic overview of the home-buying process and are directed towards first-time homebuyers. They are offered over a period of two evenings. There is no cost to attend.

The next series of classes will be held Monday, March 11, and Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at the Department of Family Services, 102 Heritage Way, N.E. in Leesburg. A complete schedule of classes with information on how to register is online at www.loudoun.gov/first-timebuyers.

Achievement Recognition:  The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors regularly recognizes the outstanding achievements of our residents in such areas as Eagle Scout recipients, LCPS teams winning state championships, and other special achievements (Miss Teen Virginia, for example). 

If you know of a Broad Run District resident that falls in this category, please bring it to my attention by emailing my aide, Nicole Mayor at Nicole.mayor@loudoun.gov.  Additionally, if you are opening up a small business in the Broad Run District, please let us know.  We appreciate our small business owners.

Tax Help:  Loudoun County is offering "FREE" income tax preparation for low-to-moderate income individuals and families through the VITA (income limited to $51,000) and AARP Programs (income is not limited).  All sites have trained and certified IRS volunteers who are qualified and ready to help file and process both Federal and State returns.  For sites in Loudoun County please click here.

Loudoun County Adult Day Centers are County owned and operated licensed adult day centers for seniors with physical limitations or memory loss.   Safe, inviting, well-staffed Centers are located in Purcellville, Leesburg and Ashburn.  These centers provide respite for caregivers and a social environment with therapeutic activities and exercise, individualized personal care, nutritious lunch and snacks, medication administration, health monitoring, limited transportation and reasonable sliding scale fees for participants.  Centers are open weekdays 7:30AM - 5:30PM, in Leesburg 703-771-5334; in Purcellville 571-258-3402 and in Ashburn 571-258-3232 with video available online at: www.loudoun.gov/adultday

Public Hearing: Last month I informed you of two public hearings on the proposed Loudoun Hounds stadium.  If you were unable to attend the Planning Commission’s public hearing on Feb. 19th, you can still attend the Board of Supervisors public hearing on March 25th at 6:00 pm, which will be held at Farmwell Station Middle School.  We welcome your input.