Firefighter Tribute, Economy, Mental Health Highlighted In Loudoun Chair's State Of County

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall delivered her latest State of the County Wednesday evening, paying tribute to fallen Firefighter Trevor Brown, praising county staff for their impact and highlighting the county's strong economy.

This was Randall's ninth State of the County address since being elected the at-large chair in 2015. Before highlighting the county's accomplishments, Randall addressed the line-of-duty death of Brown, who died in the Feb. 16 home explosion in Sterling. Eleven other first responders and two residents were injured in the explosion.

Randall said Brown and other first responders provided an example of service to leaders.

"I read firefighter Browns history. It was absolutely amazing. I don't know if I've ever read of someone who's given himself more in the service to others than that amazing man," said Randall. "And so, tonight, this State of the County is dedicated to his life. But it's dedicated to the service of his life in the hopes that that's what all of us focus on from here on out — in whatever way you do it, you have to serve one another because if we don't, we will perish."

Randall addressed several timely topics in the State of the County, including the county's economic performance, employee pay, mental health and zoning.

Economy

The chair provided an optimistic outlook on the county's economic outlook and budget.

As of 2023, Loudoun County had a 2.5 percent unemployment rate, while the office vacancy rate stands at 7 percent, the retail vacancy rate is 3.4 percent and industrial vacancy rate is 1 percent. The county is often ranked as the top in the nation for median household income, which Randall says stands at over $167,000.

On the budget side, the county government recently announced it maintained its triple AAA bond rating on general obligation bonds due to strong financial performance and a strong economy with a diverse tax base. Randall credited County Administrator Tim Hemstreet, for nearly 15 years of guidance to help the county maintain a strong economy, and Buddy Rizer, head of Loudoun’s Department of Economic Development.

As the board saw in the latest budget process, data center revenue accounts for much of the commercial tax base. However, Randall said the economic development team has been working to attract other commercial business.

"From cybersecurity, health IT and advanced manufacturing in eastern Loudoun, to agriculture, drone operations and unique housing opportunities in western Loudoun, our [Department of Economic Development] racked up $9 billion dollars in new commercial investments in 2023," said Randall.

Economic development also assisted small businesses, as 87 percent of the county's businesses have less than 20 employees. The county's Launch Loudoun program helped 166 small, minority or woman owned businesses start or expand.

Randall said the rural and agricultural businesses, including tourism and hospitality, continue to be a key part of the county's tax base. She credited Beth Erickson with Visit Loudoun on successfully promoting tourism and helping Loudoun County lead Virginia tourism spending with over $4 billion in 2022. That number includes spending at Dulles International Airport.

Loudoun County's wine industry continues to thrive with over 50 wineries as well as breweries bringing in 1 million visitors in 2022. Randall said $48 million in revenue in 2022 came from winery and brewery-related visits. Transient occupancy tax revenues through visitor stays at hotels, bed and breakfasts and other rentals are expected to increase to $4.79 million in fiscal year 2025.

"From art to ale, restaurants to recreation, wines to weddings, Visit Loudoun continues to make Loudoun “DC’s Wine Country.” Our tourist attractions are the envy of the Commonwealth," said Randall.

Despite the county's strong economy, Randall said leaders only recently addressed pay levels lagging behind the rest of the region. The county completed a compensation study to bring employee pay and benefits in line with other localities. For fire and rescue employees, Loudoun County's first-ever collective bargaining agreement was approved with pay boosts and other improvements for employees. Randall said eligible employees can join a union but are not required to.

The county is also working with general government employees on the collective bargaining process. The general government employees unit recently voted for SEIU Virginia 512 to be the exclusive collective bargaining representative for eligible employees. However, the same union was not chosen to be the collective bargaining representative for the labor and trades unit.

From the latest budget approval, property owners will see a one-cent reduction in the real estate tax to $0.865 cents per $100 in assessed value. However, the county said homeowners' average tax bill will increase by about $200 due to property value increases.

Although Loudoun County's property values have increased over a decade, Randall said the board has lowered the tax rate by 42 cents over that time period due to "sound fiscal policies." In addition, the personal property tax rate was lowered from $4.20 to $4.15 per $100 of assessed property value in the last two fiscal years.

Randall acknowledged the lower tax rates haven't always resulted in equalized rates that would keep tax bills flat. But she noted the average property taxes increased by 23 percent from 2016 to 2024 despite average home values increasing by 63 percent.

While property values have risen over the past 10 years, our sound fiscal policies have allowed your county board to lower your real property tax rate 42 cents over that same time period. As you know, the Board of Supervisors does not determine property assessments. That function is performed exclusively by the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office who uses market analysis, comparator values of like homes in the region and a visual analysis to assess home value.

Mental Health

Randall said Loudoun County, like the rest of the nation, is grappling with a mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse crisis. That includes the negative impact of social media on youth.

"For our girls, extensive social media use can promote unrealistic goals for appearance, causing them to have a negative opinion of themselves and unattainable beauty standards," said Randall. "For our boys, social media — and especially gaming — can increase agitation, hostility, social anxiety, and disconnectedness."

However, she said there are "reasonable responses" — research shows physical activity and putting phones away can improve mood, memory, sleep, confidence and more factors.

The county chair credited the county's department of mental health, substance abuse and developmental services with treating increased mental health concerns along with parks, recreation and community services with providing activities to promote physical activity.

As law enforcement is often the first call to respond to mental health crises, Randall credited the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office for training deputies in crisis response.

"While law enforcement officers are highly trained professionals most do not have extensive training in mental health or crisis intervention, having a clearer understanding of mental illness than most law enforcement professionals, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman set a goal to have 100 percent of his force equipped with crisis intervention training or CIT, with the exception of new deputies, close to 100 percent of our sheriff deputies in Loudoun are CIT trained. The sheriff also supports a 24/7 crisis intervention center for people experiencing mental health emergencies.

Randall acknowledged the mental health concern first responders face as well. She said Loudoun County Fire Keith Johnson worked to get a behavioral health coordinator assigned to fire and rescue and volunteer staff. In the latest budget, the board approved a similar position for the sheriff's office.

"If you question whether those positions are necessary, you need only ask Camron Gentry, the Loudoun County Deputy who was severely wounded when answering that seemingly routine call in 2021. Or ask his partner Deputy Brandon Ewing who applied the tourniquet that likely saved Deputy Gentry’s life," said Randall. "While Deputy Gentry dealt with his physical wounds, both of these deputies continue to address the long-term mental health ramifications of their experience. And both have shown incredible courage as they discuss the importance of addressing the nonphysical trauma of the incident."

Along with county services, Randall praised local partners adressing mental health. She spotlighted Friends of Loudoun Mental Health, which has been serving the county since 1955.

"Friends of Loudoun Mental Health has educated the public on the importance of mental health and wellness, raised funds to support direct service initiatives, shed light on the intersection of mental health and homelessness and have raised and dispersed hundreds of thousands of dollars of rental assistance to people whose mental health condition is preventing them from working," said Randall. "Today, Friends of Loudoun Mental Health is an essential part of Loudoun’s health and wellness ecosystem helping to push back the darkness experienced by people suffering from mental health disorders, their families and all who love them."

Zoning

After a nearly four-year process to rewrite the county's comprehensive plan concluded in 2019, the county's next task was a zoning ordinance update. The Board of Supervisors completed the zoning ordinance update, which had not been significantly updated since 2003, in late 2023. The update largely addresses zoning in eastern Loudoun County, but Randall said county leaders will next work on a zoning ordinance update for western Loudoun County.

Another task underway is comprehensive plan amendments and zoning ordinance amendments to set data center locations and standards. Loudoun County is home to the world's highest concentration of data centers known as "Data Center Alley," located in Ashburn. But as Loudoun County receives more applications for data centers in areas where more space is available, leaders have pushed to revise standards.

Randall also addressed the topic of new housing developments and the housing shortage.

"As elected officials, we routinely hear how much we need workforce housing for firefighters, nurses, teachers, sheriff’s Deputies, wait staff and others," said Randall. "We often hear how much we need attainable housing, for young couples just starting out and single parents trying to raise their kids on one income. And we are regularly told we need more housing for the differently abled community, our seniors, and our veterans.

Addressing the opposing side, she said, "We’re told all that, while simultaneously being urged by many within Loudoun County to not approve any new homes. In fact, new housing development applications are almost always strongly objected to by neighboring communities."

Randall's stance on approving new development is ensuring it has proper infrastructure to meet demand from new homes. She believes new housing should be largely focused on transit-oriented development to limit vehicular traffic growth while rural areas should be protected. Since 2017, the county has approved 1,025 affordable units for households between 30 and 60 percent of area median income, including 84 fully accessible units and 36 permanent supportive housing units.

"To be clear, we will welcome new friends and neighbors to our county, "said Randall. "But we will do it in a responsible manner that respects our existing quality of life, protects our rural policy area and open spaces, and incorporates the needed infrastructure."

Randall concluded the State of the County with a message that the people have given the county a positive outlook.

"The economy in Loudoun County is flourishing. The staff of Loudoun County is dedicated. The volunteers in Loudoun County are impactful. The youth in Loudoun County are thriving. The first responders in Loudoun County are heroic. The businesses in Loudoun County are innovative. The people of Loudoun County are compassionate," said Randall. "And as we continue to do the hard things, Loudoun, together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish, and together we have made the state of Loudoun County strong."

The full State of the County with preceding performances is available to view.