Your Town Budget - We Want to Hear from You!!!

Your Town Council has spent the past several months finalizing our 2030 Vision Plan and giving budget recommendations to the Town Manager to make that vision a reality for you, the residents of Herndon.  

The 2014 Town of Herndon Proposed Budget was released on April 1st (no fooling!!!) and we are currently holding public hearings to get your input on how you would like to see your tax dollars used for the coming year. 

Information on this year's budget can be found on the town's website at the following link:

http://www.herndon-va.gov/Content/Government/Town_Budget/default.aspx?cnlid=1770

Highlights of the proposed FY 2014 Budget, which must be adopted by the Town Council by June 30, 2013, include:

• Maintenance of the town real estate tax, meals tax and all other taxes and levies at their current rates; (while the real estate tax rate remains the same at .265 cents, overall property values increased in the town, resulting in a $6.25/month increase for the average homeowner in the Town)

• Continued allocation of resources to strategic capital projects such as major road improvements (Station Street improvements and Herndon Parkway intersection improvements), downtown redevelopment and planning for the Metrorail area redevelopment; 

• Continued targeted allocation of the one percent increase in the town's meals tax, enacted in the FY 2012 Budget to support downtown utility relocation, major road repaving, and future funding of a downtown parking garage; and

• Implementation of strategies recommended by the town's Economic Development Task Force, to include the branding initiative for the town, hiring of an economic development manager and advertising efforts to promote the town's restaurants.

The Town Council will hold two public hearings on the budget - the next one will be Tuesday April 23, beginning at 7pm in the Ingram Council Chambers, 765 Lynn Street. 

Citizens may also submit comments about the budget online at www.herndon-va.gov or send an email to budget@herndon-va.gov.  

As always, I look forward to hearing from you, and seeing you around Town.  I can be reached at by phone at 571-449-7121, by email at Mayor.Lisa@herndon-va.gov.

Also, follow me on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/HerndonMayor

www.twitter.com/Lisa4Herndon