Real Estate Tax, Budget Approved By Leesburg Town Council

LEESBURG, VA — The real estate tax rate, a Capital Improvement Plan, and the 2022 budget were approved by the Leesburg Town Council at a meeting on Monday evening. The real estate tax rate will remain steady at 18.4 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The council took a "conservative approach" to the budget, according to a news release from the Town of Leesburg. The news release cited COVID-related uncertainty as the primary reason for caution.

"We are taking a very conservative, cautionary approach with the Fiscal Year 2022 budget," Leesburg Town Manager Kaj Dentler said. "We know we are not out of the woods with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to position the town to handle the uncertainties of the upcoming year."

The 2022 adopted budget totaled $65.3 million, an increase of 4.6 per cent over 2021's budget. The town council only cited two enhancements included in the year's budget. The budget provides $300,000 for increased emergency weather response efforts and $177,086 to support the town's continued outdoor dining program.

The Capital Improvement Program plans to undertake 69 projects totaling $210 million from 2022 to 2027, according to the news release. Next year, the Capital Improvement Program will use $48 million on 33 projects.

Next year's projects include construction on the Route 7 and Battlefield Parkway interchange, renovation of Plaza Street's police headquarters, and the widening of Evergreen Mill Road.

The complete Capital Improvement Program will be available on the town's website in the next month, according to the news release. The 2022 budget proposal is available now.