PURCELLVILLE, Va. June 11, 2021 — The Purcellville Town Council approved the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget on June 8, 2021 totaling $22.4 million for governmental and utility operations and investment in the Town’s capital infrastructure. Budget work sessions were held from December 2020 through May 2021 culminating in the adoption of a lean budget that maintains the high level of service delivery for which our town has been recognized.
The FY 2022 Operating Budget totals $18.6 million, a 4 percent reduction from the current FY 2021 operating budget. The Council and management team accomplished this reduction while maintaining the prior year’s real property tax rate of $0.22 per $100 of assessed valuation. The components of the FY 2022 Operating Budget are: General Fund of $11,100,117; Parks and Recreation Fund of $607,112; and Utility Funds (Water and Wastewater) of $6,941,391. The FY 2022 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget totals $3.8 million and is comprised of: General Fund CIP of $1,183,850; Parks and Recreation Fund CIP of $125,000; Water Fund CIP of $2,325,000; and the Wastewater Fund CIP of $150,000.
The General Fund operating budget maintains current service levels to include weekly residential trash and recycling services, and respectable response times for street maintenance, snow removal and building and zoning services. The General Fund budget continues to provide to provide 24-hour / 7 day-a-week Police services with average response times of about 3 minutes for priority calls.
The Town’s General Fund CIP for FY 2022 includes $1.1 million for existing transportation and pedestrian projects to improve traffic flow and make Purcellville a walkable community. The Town has effectively leveraged outside funding sources to include the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Loudoun County and designated Town proffers. No Town tax dollars are being used to fund transportation and pedestrian capital projects in FY 2022.
The FY 2022 Utility Fund’s operating cost decreased 11 percent over the current FY 2021 budget. The Town’s Utility Fund budget sustains the current operating cost levels and expands non-rate revenues. The Utility CIP invests $2.5 million in reservoir and water distribution improvements and sewer line rehabilitation. To augment these investments, the Town is currently studying options to best leverage Purcellville’s allotment of American Rescue Plan funding to support investment in our critical water and wastewater infrastructure.
As part of the budget adoption, the Town Council also approved the FY 2022 Master Tax and Fee Schedule including a new utility rate structure as recommended by the Stantec Cost of Service Study. This change incorporates an average increase in water usage rates of 3% and sewer usage rates of 5%. Changes to Town fees include: (1) Public Works Equipment Rates; (2) Public Works Administrative and Labor Rates; (3) Public Works Additive Fees; (4) Proposed Right of Way Use Reimbursement Fee; (5) Park & Recreation Pavilion Rental Fee; (6) Proposed New Utility Water Rate Structure, Usage Rates, Administrative Service Fee Rates; (7) Proposed New Sewer Utility Rate Structure; (8) New Water Meter Fee. Please note the 2021 Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Rates were adopted in April 2021 with no changes from the prior year.
The FY 2022 Budget and Master Tax and Fee Schedule will go into effect on July 1, 2021, while the real and personal property tax rates were effective as of January 1, 2021. More information on the budget can be found on the Town’s website at: http://www.purcellvilleva.gov/budget
