Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Budget Public Hearing (Session II), Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Place: Board Room, First Floor, Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Virginia
Length: 1h 8m (video)
Official meeting video (county, Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7205
Agenda (Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=73&clip_id=7205

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-20. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:06:36] Hang on. He's watching only now. All right. I would like to call to order the 6 o'clock p.m. March 1st, 2023 Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearing.

[00:06:54] This room has a hearing loop. If you need hearing assistance, switch your hearing aids to teleco mode. If you need a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to request one. This public hearing is to allow members of the public to address the board on the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2023 and ending June 30th, 2024.

[00:07:15] the fiscal year 2024 proposed budget and the proposed tax rates on the real and personal property tax for property for tax year 2023 beginning january 1st 2023 and ending december 31st 2023 uh there are three sessions for comment this is session number two on the proposed budget any members of the public may address the board at only one session members of the public wishing to speak at this public hearing and have not already done so please sign up with the clerk to my left all members of the public who have signed up to speak will be a lot of two and a half minutes if you are in the boardroom we ask you we ask when your name is called please come to the podium

[00:07:55] nearest to you state your name for the record the timer on the podium will indicate your remaining time when your time has expired please yield the floor to the next speaker if you're providing your comments via phone I ask that you use a stopwatch to track your time I will monitor your time in the boardroom as well and notify you when your time has expired when taking public comment I will first ask if there is anyone in the boardroom wishing to speak then I'll go to the moderator Lisa and ask if there is anyone if there's any speakers via online please note that there is a slight delay between the broadcast and the boardroom although not all board members are able to attend the board

[00:08:34] members the board members that are missing have assured their colleagues assured us that they will review the video recordings of the public budget public hearings and listen to the public comments all right and we will be missing today chair randall uh supervisor brisbane supervisor buffington and supervisor kushner was scheduled to join us i'm actually going to read the mandatory notes for him to participate remotely just on the off chance he is able to attend as of right now he cannot but

[00:09:14] just that might change during our portion so pursuant to virginia code section 2.2-3708.2 in the board's rules of order. Supervisor Kushner requested to participate in this meeting by electronic communication. A physical quorum of the board of supervisors is present in the boardroom and the board has made arrangements for the voice of Supervisor Kushner to be heard by all persons in the boardroom.

[00:09:37] Supervisor Kushner made this request within the required timeframe and the county attorney determined that Supervisor Kushner's request met the qualifications to participate remotely. The board will record in its minutes that Supervisor Kushner participated remotely from a private location in Argentina for personal reasons.

[00:09:54] When we ask your name is called, please come to the podium and again state your name. So let's get started. So first I have, first three speakers I have tonight are Amy Owen, Theo Stamatis, and Trinity Mills.

[00:10:16] Good evening. Vice Chair Sains and Board of Supervisors, I'm Amy Owen, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. I reside in the Little River District, and our offices are in Leesburg, and we serve the entirety of the county.

[00:10:33] Since April 2022, the Community Foundation and several of its donor investors have dedicated resources to Workforce Housing Now, a community service campaign. And we subscribe to the adage that housing is foundational and proactive planning for affordable, attainable, and workforce housing is essential.

[00:10:53] And according to an independent poll, 78% of Loudoun residents agree that if you live in Loudoun, excuse me, if you work in Loudoun, you should be able to live in Loudoun. So we applaud the FY24 allocation to further renew the Loudoun County's resources to cost-share attainable housing through its housing fund and housing trust fund.

[00:11:14] We advocate for steady financial growth of the fund in every fiscal year going forward and urge a target goal in FY25 of at least $10 million. We support a housing fund that provides loans as well as grants through forgivable loans.

[00:11:32] Workforce housing now is dedicated to three core values, and one is that it's not an issue of charity, but it is an issue that directly ties to Loudoun County's future economic wealth and prosperity. We also believe workforce housing shall not compromise the rural landscape and environmental safeguards in our community.

[00:11:51] And further, that thoughtful development that meets the county's unmet housing strategic plan through innovation, flexibility, reduced parking allocation, along with increased density, merits, approval, and support. Beyond housing, we support the renewed financial allocation for Loudoun's nonprofit safety net programs and services and core service contracts, as well as the application of the capital improvement plan to develop a mental health crisis receiving and stabilization center.

[00:12:21] Thank you very much. Appreciate your kind duty to community. Thank you. Next, we have Theo Stamatis, followed by Trinity Mills, followed by Julius Randles. Good evening, board. My name is Theo Stamatis, Government Relations Manager for the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce.

[00:12:40] It's a privilege to address you this evening on behalf of more than 1,000 businesses and other employers that comprise of the chamber's membership. I'm here this evening to support the county's continued efforts to address Loudoun's housing affordability crisis and efforts to advance our key initiatives that will incentivize future development of affordable housing.

[00:12:59] The chamber appreciates the board's continued efforts in expanding its existing housing initiatives and creating new loan programs to help develop more attainable housing in the future. Loudoun needs housing, particularly an abundance of diverse workforce housing options.

[00:13:16] Among those that are most desperate to access attainable workforce housing are those who earn at least below the average median income here in Loudoun County. I want to thank the board for dedicating necessary energy and resources to strengthen our housing trust fund, launching the Department of Housing and Community Development, and other goals to meet our unmet housing needs strategic plan.

[00:13:39] This includes approximating dedicated revenue equal to one penny on the real property tax rate. The chamber has long advocated that the county has more skin in the game for its housing priorities and appreciates seeing that this is in the budget proposal. The scale of this crisis is such that neither the public nor the private sector can address it alone.

[00:14:01] The public agrees that for those who work in Loudoun, should be able to live in Loudoun. But be also mindful of the ambitious goals of this budget plan during our current draft zoning ordinance rewrite. The best plans and attentions mean little if our zoning doesn't allow for development of additional affordable units.

[00:14:20] Restrictive land use policies will only make it harder, more expensive, and more time-consuming to build new homes. Loudoun is clearly facing a crisis of affordability. This crisis is devastating to our most vulnerable citizens and is imposing substantial quality of life and economic burdens on our small businesses, nonprofits, government partners, and their employees.

[00:14:43] Thank you for allowing me to express the Loudoun Chamber's perspective on our community's future. Thank you for your service. Thank you. Next, we have Trinity Mills, followed by Julius Randles, followed by Stacey Bedway. Good evening.

[00:15:03] I am Trinity Mills, Loud and Wildlife Conservancy's Conservation Advocacy Specialist. I'm speaking tonight to endorse the comments submitted in writing as well as presented verbally in this afternoon's hearing regarding the 2024 budget. We at Loud and Wildlife support the Environmental Commission and thank the board for its approval of their work plan.

[00:15:21] We also support the Commission's budget recommendations of ensuring funding for the Energy Program Manager position, the Energy Equity Program, the Environmental Information Hub, and Watershed Management Planning. Of particular interest to Loud and Wildlife Conservancy within these recommendations are the Environmental Information Hub and Watershed Management Planning.

[00:15:41] The Environmental Information Hub would be an invaluable resource for encouraging public engagement and providing ease of access to those that wish to participate in the public process to protect wildlife. Creating a central location for documents and county environmental data allows the public an opportunity to be better informed on the issues that they care about.

[00:16:01] It increases the opportunity for public participation by ensuring that information gathering will be intuitive and take less time of busy individuals. In addition to providing a service to constituents, this hub will also stave both staff and supervisors' valuable research time. This mutually beneficial resource has the potential to contribute to an enhanced quality of life for both people and wildlife.

[00:16:23] Providing funding to implement the county's watershed management plans would be beneficial for both the county and the public. Funding these important projects would help provide the county with actionable tools to prevent environmental issues regarding improper or incomplete water quality protection.

[00:16:39] This, in turn, would ultimately save the county time and money by enacting a proactive approach to correct issues within the watershed before they become costly or dangerous. In providing funding, the county is taking the necessary initiative to protect water quality for people and wildlife, both upstream and down.

[00:16:59] Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy wholeheartedly endorses the recommendations of the Environmental Commission. The board's support for the commission's recommendations would constitute a win-win for all of your constituents in Loudoun County, both human and animal. Thank you very much. Thank you.

[00:17:14] Next, we have Julius Randles, followed by Stacey Fedway, followed by Chrissy Helsinki. Good evening. My name is Julius Randles, and I'm the chair of Loudoun County Chapter of SCIU.

[00:17:32] I'm employed as a juvenile probation officer here in Loudoun County. I'm speaking to you on my behalf and not on behalf of the county. The proposed law in the fiscal year 2024 budget will determine wages, raises, and staffing for next year. But without hearing from employees directly, in collaboration, how can the county hope to pass a budget that matches the reality of our jobs?

[00:17:54] When employees like me have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet, then it means that significant changes need to be made. Many of our employees also can't live in the county that they work in. And those that do in many cases are hardly living in the county, but merely existing because it's so expensive to live and thrive here.

[00:18:12] I appreciate the critical raise in the budget, but it still falls short compared to what similar employees receive in surrounding counties. These merit increases also do not address wage compression or understaffing. We are one of the most prosperous counties in Virginia and the United States and should be paying workers accordingly.

[00:18:32] We understand the budget won't solve every issue we face, but we deserve a seat at the table to win wages, benefits, and workplace conditions that matter to us. Loudoun County cannot run without its employees, and that's a shout out to my ATO brothers and sisters.

[00:18:49] But we cannot provide the best service possible if we are worried about saving for retirement or paying for health care or being safe in the workplace. This is just not happening here in Loudoun. This is a movement, and it's happening across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[00:19:05] Workers are exercising their power and proving that unions are for all. And it works. Richmond City employees just filed for a union election, and we plan to make that a reality here as well. I'm looking forward to this being the last time, the last budget that the county will submit without us at the bargaining table.

[00:19:24] We know that not one budget can address all the needs of county employees. We are excited that we are on track to be at the bargaining table this year and look forward to bringing you a great contract to fund in next year's budget cycle. At the end of the day, we all just want one thing, a better Loudoun County.

[00:19:44] Treating county employees more fairly will be a step in the right direction. Thank you for all your public service. We look forward to continue to partner with you to make Loudoun County a great place to live, work, and play. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Stacey Fedway, followed by Chrissy Hasenke, followed by Valerie Viseria.

[00:20:08] Good evening. My name is Stacey Fedua. It's a tough last name. Sorry. My whole life. Quite all right. I work for the Department of Planning and Zoning, and tonight I am speaking to you as a proud board member of the Virginia SEIU 512, and not the county.

[00:20:27] And as a side note, my fiancé and I are two well-paid professionals who have a dual income and no children, and we still cannot afford to live in Loudoun County. But my hometown is actually Michigan, and my family and friends have been part of unions for years, including myself, and want to share one of my stories with you.

[00:20:50] In 2008, I was almost done with my bachelor's degree from Michigan State. Go green. We started working in a temp position with the county treasurer's office, assisting with property tax foreclosure. And by 2010, a full-time position had opened.

[00:21:06] I seemed like a shoo-in given my experience in the unique field. I made an offhanded comment about having the health insurance again because I had gone without for about five years at that time. Apparently, the treasurer didn't like this comment. And that's when I learned that elected officials could set compensation at whatever level they wanted under the union contract pay scale without reason.

[00:21:30] Despite having HR graded my position at a level four or five, he classed me at a level one. Thank goodness for my union contract because it established a reclassification process and it was my only option to address something that I felt was unfair.

[00:21:48] And ultimately, I was bumped to a level two in the throes of the Great Recession, mind you. Most important part of this story is the fact that I stayed despite those circumstances. The union contract gave me a choice. Without that, I just would have left and went back to bartending.

[00:22:05] And right now, Loudoun County employees don't have the same choices that I did. And we need to move to change that. Everyone wants Loudoun to be considered a premier destination. But it's about fairness and pay equity.

[00:22:21] Salaries and raises really need to be competitive with other industries in northern Virginia so that we don't keep losing people to the private sector. And we're a thriving county with sound finances. We really just need to make it a priority that employees should be paid well.

[00:22:40] And obviously, we can't forget about my time is up. Thank you very much for the time to speak with you. Thank you, and go blue. All right. Next, we have Chrissy Helsinki, followed by Valerie Presario, followed by Sandy Sullivan.

[00:23:00] And I apologize if I'm pronouncing your name incorrectly. Hi, I'm Chrissy Helinski, and I'm an employment specialist in mental health, substance abuse, and developmental services. I'm eager to speak with you tonight as a proud founding member of the Loudoun chapter of SEIU, and I'm not speaking on behalf of the county.

[00:23:21] For the past 28 years, I've had the privilege of helping Loudoun citizens with disabilities find and keep jobs in the local community. It's rewarding, and I love helping others find meaningful jobs or careers where they can learn and grow while becoming more self-sufficient.

[00:23:39] My co-workers and I are building towards something great, a true seat at the table with a union contract. By joining together, we can make this the last year a budget is proposed without us. With a contract, Loudon will benefit from the input garnered from the expertise of its own workforce. It will be exciting and substantive collaborating to address local issues and opportunities. While the merit raises proposed in every version of the budget are appreciated, the unknowns without a contract are concerning. Will the raise offset benefit increases? Will it keep pace with the cost of living? Is it enough to keep valuable employees from leaving for the

[00:24:17] private sector? Will it impact my retirement? It sounds promising that each proposal includes a new service or program expansion. However, a critical piece for success will be an investment in the current workforce so we can retain employees and attract new ones. It's common to see people leave for jobs in other areas. As a result, the demand falls on those dedicated workers who remain.

[00:24:43] Many are forced to cover the work of two or three people, move work groups, or field increasing demands that compound stressors and are unsustainable long term. Recently, Richmond City employees filed for their union. We look forward to doing the same.

[00:24:58] There's an opportunity on the horizon for the board and the county to advance priorities with the input and problem-solving skills of a very capable workforce. Please keep the critical merit raise in the budget and continue to prioritize investing in the current workforce to make the future a reality of which we can all be proud.

[00:25:17] We are excited that we're on pace to be at the bargaining table this year and look forward to bringing you a great contract to fund in next year's budget cycle. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Next, we have Valerie Presario, Sandy Sullivan, followed by Amy McKean.

[00:25:38] Good evening, everyone. Thank you, Vice Chair Sains and Board of Supervisors. My name is Valerie P. Sierra, and don't worry, the Reverend that married us said it like five different ways, so it's all good. I'm the Executive Director for Loudoun Cares and the Chair of the Loudoun Human Services Network, LHSN.

[00:25:59] Sorry. LHSN is a coalition of more than 50 human service nonprofit organizations serving Loudoun County. First, we want to thank the county staff for their hard work in carefully preparing the fiscal year 2024 budget. We also appreciate their support of our nonprofit community as well as our fellow human services providers within the county government who are serving alongside us on the front lines. Second, we thank the Board of Supervisors for the opportunity to participate in the budget process through public input. I am speaking today to express LHSN support

[00:26:36] specifically for three important items in the proposed 2024 budget. First, we support the proposed allocation of $5.2 million in the budget for the nonprofit human services discretionary grants and core services contracts.

[00:26:52] These grants and contracts provide critical funding to support the safety net of services provided by nonprofits for Loudoun's most vulnerable residents. Second, we support the proposed $6.49 million in anticipated local tax revenue for the housing fund to address affordable housing needs.

[00:27:10] The current shortage of affordable housing options deeply impacts the people served by our human services organizations. Continuing to grow, the housing fund is an important strategy to addressing this need. And third, we support funding for the development of the Mental Health Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center in the Capital Improvement Plan.

[00:27:29] More resources for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis continues to be a critical need among the people served by human service organizations. We thank you for your support and your leadership. Thank you. Next, we have Sandy Sullivan, followed by Amy McKeon, followed by Kalian Orjani.

[00:27:50] Good evening, Supervisors. My name is Sandy Sullivan. I live in the Broad Run District and currently serves as the president of the Loudoun Education Association, with more than 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher. Our county's students and educators, all LCPS employees, not just teachers, need to be supported, and the lion's share of that support comes directly from your funding.

[00:28:12] Loudon needs to make sure we are supporting our community by supporting our schools. Time and time again, well-funded, high-quality public education has been shown to be a leading indicator of community success. Investment in schools is an investment in a strong community, the kind of community Loudon wants to be.

[00:28:30] If you want educated residents and voters coming to Loudoun, the kinds of residents who bring commerce and job opportunities, you need strong public schools that will attract them. Thank you. Next, we have Amy McKinnon, followed by Kalian Oriani, followed by Christopher Herrera.

[00:28:52] Good evening. My name is Amy Panacella McKinney, and I have been a resident of Loudoun County for over 15 years. I am the chief marketing officer at Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig, located right here in the heart of Leesburg. I'm also the chair of the Loudoun County Family Services Advisory Board.

[00:29:11] I am here today in that capacity to support the Department of Family Services resource requests to fund additional teams for the public benefits and child protective services programs. Before I begin, let me briefly tell you a bit about my background because I believe it brings perspective to the topic.

[00:29:29] I grew up the daughter of Italian immigrants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, And it taught me the value of working hard, getting an education, and lifting others in the community. Here are the facts. My grandparents knew no English.

[00:29:45] They worked in low-paying, blue-collar jobs. My mother was one of 13 children who lived in a two-bedroom home and had no indoor plumbing. One generation later, I have my bachelor's and master's degrees, and my children have attended some of the most prestigious universities in the country.

[00:30:04] It is not lost on me where I have come from and how it could have all gone very easily in another direction. Quite simply, I could be one of them, those needing temporary help and support to make it day by day. It's critical to put a human face to those who are benefiting from this county's support.

[00:30:25] Most of us in this room are not struggling with how we get to work or if we need to decide whether to take our child to the doctor or bring food home for dinner. But many of the working poor in Loudoun County are doing just that. The public benefits team administers programs that assist individuals and families transitioning from dependency on public assistance to self-sufficiency.

[00:30:50] This means they're trying to work and provide for their families just as my grandparents did. At the end of last year, the average number of cases per benefit specialist in Loudoun County was double the recommended number. They are just not able to do their jobs effectively.

[00:31:06] The scenario described above is similarly reflected in the CPS program, which has the highest caseload in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. At the end of last year, the average number of cases per caseworker was more than four times the recommended guidelines.

[00:31:24] High caseloads and workloads dramatically impact a specialist's ability to ensure child safety in our county, period. These are our children. Sorry, your time is up. If you have more comments, you can email us or give us a copy to the clerk for the full comments. Thank you.

[00:31:40] Next, we have Kayleen Orellana, followed by Christopher Herrera, followed by Luis Soyo. Buenas noches, juntas supervisores y representantes del condado.

[00:31:56] Soy Kayleen Orellana, leader comunitario de la Nueva Mayoría de Virginia. Well, let me stop you for one second. Restart the time at 2.30. So allow her to speak for her time at 2.30, and then you get 2.30 to translate.

[00:32:12] Have a read the whole thing in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, then you can translate to 30.

[00:32:50] Sin embargo, no podemos encontrar opciones ya que los programas que existen no funcionan para nosotros. También hay muchas barreras que nos obligan a pagar tasas de intereses más altas sin ningún control. Estas barreras pueden incluir el estado migratorio, los altos intereses en un crédito y los requisitos de una cuota inicial alta.

[00:33:12] Es por eso que estoy abogando para aumentar la mitad de la tasa de impuestos a la propiedad del medio centavo, que actualmente es de 6.5 millones de dólares. Todos sabemos que no es suficiente. Estamos pidiendo aumentar la mitad del centavo de los impuestos a la propiedad a 12 millones de dólares para el presupuesto de viviendas e invertir más en programas de vivienda social para las familias más necesitadas del condado.

[00:33:38] Sabemos que programa de asistencia de ingresos utilizará dinero de los fondos de emergencia de ARPA que se estableció durante el COVID. Las restricciones sobre el estado de inmigración en este programa perjudican a las familias desaparecidas en la comunidad.

[00:33:55] Urgo, a la Junta Supervisores y Administradores del Condado a trabajar con equidad e inclusión para todas las comunidades independientemente de su raza, color o estado de inmigración. Gracias. Wait, wait. There you go.

[00:34:16] Good evening, Board of Supervisors and County Representatives. I am Kellen Orellana, Community Leader with the New Virginia Majority. We are a young, working-class family with two small children. We have been renting a two-bedroom townhouse for $2,100 every month for almost two years.

[00:34:32] This doesn't even include the other expenses we must pay. I am very worried about not being able to find a home that can fit our budget, and we do not want to spend 10 or 15 years renting. We want to invest to buy our own house. However, we are not able to find options as the existing programs do not work for us.

[00:34:51] There are also many barriers that force us to pay higher interest rates without any control. These barriers can include immigration status, high credit scores, and big down payment requirements. This is why I'm here advocating to increase the half of the penny property tax rate that is currently $6.5 million, because we all know that it is not enough.

[00:35:10] We are asking to increase the half of a penny property rate to $12 million for the housing budget and invest more in social housing programs for the families in need of the county. We know that the Income Assistance Program will use the money from the ARPA emergency funds that was established during COVID.

[00:35:28] The restrictions on immigration status put on this program hurt the disadvantaged families in the community. I urge the Board of Supervisors and county administrators to work with equity and inclusion for all communities regardless of their race, color, or immigration status. Thank you.

[00:35:45] Thank you. And the next is Christopher Herrera, followed by Luis Soyo, followed by Claudia Casada. Again, forgive me for pronouncing it incorrectly, your name. Christopher Herrera is currently sitting in traffic, and would I be able to read his testimony for him?

[00:36:10] Please.

[00:36:23] Nacida en Bolivia. Buenas noches, Junta de Supervisores. Estoy leyendo el testimonio de Christopher Herrera. Nací en Bolivia, primera generación en este país, y me crié en los Estados Unidos, primero en la familia en graduarme en la escuela secundaria y la universidad.

[00:36:41] Actualmente trabajo como agente de bienes y raíces, voluntario del Departamento de Bomberos y líder de la nueva mayoría de Virginia. Cuando era más joven y vivía con mi familia, compartimos un apartamento de una habitación durante 15 años. Mis padres no ganaban suficiente dinero para pagar un mejor lugar.

[00:36:59] Con mi papá trabajando en dos o tres trabajos y mi mamá quejándose, Quedándose en casa para cuidar a los niños, también les dolía no tener un estatus migratorio porque mis padres temían ser deportados al pedir ayuda. Muchas familias en nuestro condado necesitan programas de asistencia para vivienda y $6 millones en el presupuesto para vivienda no es suficiente para esta ayuda.

[00:37:23] Muchas familias están en la misma situación de vivienda. Yo estuve allí cuando era joven y fue muy difícil. Varias familias comparten un apartamento porque sus salarios no pueden cubrir el costo del alquiler. Los programas de vivienda también deben ser accesibles para todas las familias.

[00:37:40] Mi familia siempre estuvo con temor a ser deportada. Debemos asegurarnos que todos los residentes puedan solicitar mejores programas de vivienda en el condado sin importar su estatus migratorio. Los fondos del condado deben usarse para ayudar a las familias de bajos ingresos, es decir, menos del 40% del ingreso mediano del área con una familia de cuatro con soluciones en vivienda.

[00:38:01] El ejemplo de discrepancia de ingresos en el condado de London según la oficina del censo en Estados Unidos. Es una gran brecha en ingresos, pero interesante en el nivel de pobreza para una familia de cuatro en el condado de London es similar al ingreso mediano del área de los hispanos en el condado.

[00:38:17] Gran necesidad de aumentar la inversión de 6 millones a 12 millones para ayudar a muchas familias que residen en el condado de London y que actualmente están sufriendo en silencio. Good evening. I'm reading. Good evening, Board of Supervisors and County Representatives.

[00:38:37] I am reading the testimony of Christopher Herrera. I was born in Bolivia, first American generation raised in the United States, first in the family to graduate from high school and college. I currently work as a real estate agent, volunteer for the fire department, and I'm a leader of the new Virginia majority. When I was younger and lived with my family, we shared a one-bedroom apartment for 15 years.

[00:38:56] My parents did not make enough money to afford a better place, with my dad working two to three jobs and my mom staying at home to care for the kids. It also hurt them not having immigration status because my parents feared being deported if they asked for help. Many families in our country are in need of housing assistance programs, and $6 million in the budget for housing is not enough help.

[00:39:17] Many families are in the same housing situation. I was there when I was young, and it was very difficult. Multiple families are sharing one apartment because their salaries can't cover the cost of the rent. Housing programs must also be accessible to all families. My family has always been in fear of being deported, and we need to make sure that all residents can apply to better housing programs in the county, regardless of their immigration status.

[00:39:40] County funds must be used to assist low-income families, i.e. less than 40% median annual income. For a family of four, that would be $57K with housing solutions. An example of income discrepancy in Loudoun County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

[00:39:58] 2017, Hispanic AMI was $55,800. County AMI was $136,000. Hispanic AMI in 2021 was $57,900. county AMI was $153,700. A big gap in income, but interesting that the poverty level for a family of four in Loudoun County is similar to the AMI of Hispanics in Loudoun County. There is a great need to increase the investment from $6 million to $12 million to help many families residing in

[00:40:34] Loudoun County who are currently suffering in silence. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Louis Soyo, followed by Claudia Casida, followed by Patty Morsi. Hello, sir.

[00:40:53] I am Louis, a voter and town of Lisbon resident. I am a resident, you're like a father and taxpayer. I live in this town, in this county from the last 10 years.

[00:41:08] And I think this program needs to improve it because we need more houses. We need more financial resource, and we need better criteria to choose who will receive the help.

[00:41:30] Because, yes, the county asks for a school ID with photograph, but we can offer our merits of our children to have access to better homes.

[00:41:50] Yes, you asked for how many householders have living in this town and at least one of them need to work in this area.

[00:42:07] But if we have all of them living here and working here, we don't have better access or better option to have access for this program.

[00:42:26] We need to change everything, sir, because this program is like a thin layer of mulch to cover the problem. It's not a solution. Everybody here is asking for a real solution.

[00:42:43] And here, additionally, I am talking, we are spending 50Ks by year in the schools, per pupil, per children. And they don't have the same access for houses.

[00:43:05] My daughter is here. She has tried to do everything to have a better place. But you are investing money for them, not for me, not for us, not for illegals.

[00:43:22] You are investing the taxpayer money of this county for the future. And let me finish with this. Well, sir, I'm sorry to stop you, but your time is up. But if you have your full statement, you can give it to the clerk to make sure we get a full copy of your statement.

[00:43:40] Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Next we have Claudia Quesada, followed by Patty Morsi, followed by Julie Ketchilo. Buenas noches, Junta de Supervisores y Administradores del Condado.

[00:43:57] Mi nombre es Claudia Quesada y soy originaria de México. Vivo en la comunidad de los Lisbeth Apartments. He vivido en el condado durante 26 años. Actualmente, trabajo para una empresa de limpieza de casas durante 24 años.

[00:44:16] Desde el 2009, alquilamos un apartamento de tres dormitorios con mi marido y mis tres hijos. Al principio, era una renta cómoda de $839, cantidad que podíamos pagar sin preocupaciones.

[00:44:31] Sin embargo, cada año la renta ha sido aumentada. Hasta el día de hoy hemos pagado $1,637. Pero se acerca la fecha de renovación del contrato del apartamento y el costo de alquiler será mayor.

[00:44:49] Los ingresos de mi marido y los míos podemos pagar el alquiler, pero nos cuesta cubrir otras necesidades familiares. Además, uno de mis hijos está a punto de graduarse de la escuela secundaria y quiere ir a la universidad.

[00:45:07] Mi otro hijo mayor no pudo ir a la universidad y está en el NOVA. Él no quería que pagáramos más de nuestros ingresos. Nuestro sueño es que todos mis hijos tengan una educación universitaria, pero el alto costo de la renta lo hace imposible.

[00:45:25] Mi esposo y yo hemos tratado de comprar una casa, pero no hay programas de vivienda donde podemos aplicar porque no tenemos un estatus migratorio. En el 2008 tratamos de comprar un townhouse donde vivimos solo un año. La hipoteca nos subió hasta $3,000 y no pudimos pagarla.

[00:45:44] Perdimos la casa de nuestros sueños. El agente inmobiliario no nos incluyó en el título de la casa. Fue una situación muy difícil para nuestra familia volver a la comunidad de alquilar. Es por eso que estoy aquí para dar mi testimonio y concientizar la Junta de Supervisores de la importancia de aumentar el presupuesto de vivienda de medio centavo.

[00:46:09] Necesitamos un programa de vivienda en el condado para la clase trabajadora, sin importar nuestro estatus migratorio. Necesitamos un lugar digno para vivir y un mejor futuro para nuestros hijos, porque nacieron y crecieron aquí, y no quieren ser desplazados para vivir en otro lugar. Gracias.

[00:46:29] Good evening, Board of Supervisors and County Administrators. My name is Claudia Quesada, and I am originally from Mexico. I live in the Leesburg Apartments Community. I have lived in the county for 26 years. I am currently working in a house cleaning company for almost 24 years.

[00:46:47] Since 2009, I have been running a three-bedroom apartment with my husband and my three children. At the beginning, it was a comfortable rent, $839, an amount that we could pay without worry. However, each year the rent has been increasing. Today, we are paying $1,637, but with the contract renewal date for the apartment approaching, the cost of rent would be even higher.

[00:47:12] With my husband's income in mind, we are able to pay the rent, but we find it difficult to cover the other family needs. In addition, one of my two sons is about to graduate from high school, and he wants to go to college. My other older son couldn't go to college and is at Nova.

[00:47:27] He didn't want to make us pay more than we can afford. Our dream is to have all the children with a college education, but that high cost of rent makes it impossible. My husband and I have tried to buy a house, but there are no housing programs where we can apply because we do not have immigration status.

[00:47:44] In 2008, we tried to buy a townhouse where we lived only for a year. The mortgage went up to $3,000 and we could no longer pay it. We lost our dream house. The realtor didn't include us on the title of the house. It was a very hard situation for our family to go back to a rental community.

[00:48:02] That is why I am here to give my testimony to make the board aware of the importance of increasing the half-cent budget of housing. We need a housing program in the county for the working class, regardless of our immigration status. We need a decent place to live and a better future for our children because...

[00:48:18] They were born and raised here and do not want to be displaced to live elsewhere. Thank you. Thank you. Muchas gracias.

[00:48:36] Nosotros nos gusta oír de ustedes. Y lo siento mucho que yo he olvidado mi español.

[00:49:01] Pero es bueno que ustedes están aquí, y es muy importante, y a nosotros es muy importante. Muchas gracias. Thank you, Chris, Supervisor Armstead. Thank you.

[00:49:21] Next, we have Patty Morsi, followed by Julie Caciolo. That was lovely, Kristen. Good evening, everybody. I'm Patty Morsi, as some of you know.

[00:49:36] I'm the chair of the Loudoun County Community Services Board, and I'm here to request your support for a critical mental health crisis receiving and stabilization center. Crisis receiving centers are essential to meeting growing behavioral health crisis needs statewide.

[00:49:54] As many of you are aware, our capacity to appropriately care for people in a mental health crisis is very limited given the demand, and often our citizens don't know where to go for help. A Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center in Region 2 will provide immediate access to care for people suffering a mental health crisis.

[00:50:16] This Crisis Now model defines facility and service standards of the Crisis Receiving and Stabilization facilities, including a 23-hour assessment provided by a professional therapist who will provide recommendations for appropriate public or private mental health care.

[00:50:32] The crisis receiving center model supports delivery of care, assessment, and treatment in a comfortable and safe facility. It's more like a living room than a hospital emergency room. This will serve to take pressure off the state hospital system and our county sheriffs as mental health care becomes more readily available at earlier stages and more appropriate interventions are accessible to all of our citizens.

[00:51:00] Our most recent data shows that 79% of people treated for a psychiatric crisis end up spending more than two days boarding in a hospital emergency room before appropriate treatment or hospitalization at a mental health facility is provided, or the patient decides to leave on their own accord.

[00:51:21] In the second half of 2022, a hospital bed could not be secured prior to a temporary detention order expiring for 69 people.

[00:51:50] This is a failure of the community safety net. This endangers both individuals suffering a mental health crisis, as well as the public. Thank you for your support of the crisis receiving a stabilization center. And this is additional capacity that will allow all of our citizens improved access to critical mental health resources. and as the chair of the csb anything you can do to increase the confirmation we're short a few people just wanted to throw that on the end we need some more good people on the csb thanks guys thank you and thank you for your service next we have julie catch eola followed by mike sandler followed by mike taylor and those two are on the online good evening board my name is julie Cacciola. I am an art teacher at Parkview High School and I am here to ask you to support the

[00:52:30] funding for the renovations of Banneker, the new school for Waterford, and the new building for Parkview. Tonight I am here to speak about Parkview. As I was preparing to speak tonight, I was reflecting on the past couple of years when it all began. I remember March 2020, just before COVID hit, we had a county-wide professional development day and we had a training on equity, a staff training. One of my colleagues asked how can we be discussing equity when state-of-the-art buildings are being put up around the county and our building is literally crumbling. Now this was

[00:53:06] someone who cares deeply about race and gender issues. The point she was making was how can our county preach about equity and not provide an equitable facility for its most vulnerable community. That's what got things started and a few of us examined and compared the facilities in our county and it was like the blinders coming off.

[00:53:25] School buildings in the same county are definitely not the same. We spoke to the community and we spoke to the students. Our families, the majority of which are Latino, are very passionate about education. Our students, however, they feel like they don't matter. They go to schools for different sports and different events, and they see a huge difference, and they just feel like no one cares.

[00:53:46] So that's what ultimately brought us to organizing and rallying around the county. Sorry, I lost my place. And I'm actually very grateful that the kids are incorrect. The county does care. I'm grateful to Kevin Lewis for his hard work, to you, Mr. Sains, and for the board for unanimously voting yes to rebuild Parkview.

[00:54:07] Sorry, my phone is being weird. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard this job is for you. I know to say yes to someone, you need to say no to somebody else. And I know that passing the CIP will mean many of you will have to go back to your constituents and tell them why and tell them what's going on.

[00:54:25] Believe me, I would much rather hang out with my scary teenagers, who are not scary. But if you need something to tell them, just tell them that it's Parkview's turn, and we need to provide an equitable building. Thank you so much. Thank you. Do we have Mike Sandler on?

[00:54:43] Yes, hi. Can you hear me? Yes, go ahead, Mike. You have two minutes and 30 seconds. Okay, thanks. Good evening, Vice Chair. Sains and Board of Supervisors. My name is Mike Sandler. I'm a founding board member of Virginia Clean Energy at virginiacleanenergy.org, a nonprofit promoting community choice aggregation, CCA. CCA allows counties to provide energy from the wholesale energy market to residential and industrial customers and specify a desired energy mix, for example, 50 or 100 percent renewable energy. In 2020, Loudoun County contracted with a firm called GBS to perform a CCA feasibility study.

[00:55:22] The study results were released in December 2021. I don't have time to list all those results, but it did show the CCA is a great way to address climate change, and you will make investment back between 10 and 100 times back in 10 years.

[00:55:38] So if you put in $3, you'll get back $300, and that's a pretty good return these days. The actual numbers included $35 million in annual rate savings, increasing to $200 million by 2033, $50 million per year into the economy, including 421 local jobs created, and between $20 and $250 million to fund programs benefiting income households or lowering rates for all customers.

[00:56:10] Finally, the program would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road. But we understand CCA is new in Virginia, and staff are worried that they're under-resourced to take off things like a heavy lift. And the budget might be relatively tight.

[00:56:27] When the Finance Committee discussed taking next steps, we understood why they voted not to spend $1 million for a business plan and addressing some legal issues. But we believe you can get those answers for less than $1 million, maybe just $100,000 or even for free.

[00:56:45] There are companies out there that can take on the task of setting up a CCA, and it would reduce the startup costs and help the county staff. Those companies can be involved from startup all the way to for implementation, and you could pay them a percentage of the profits, or they could be paid as part of the electricity supplier bill.

[00:57:08] and this would result in no impact on the county budget that we're discussing tonight. That's why I wanted to give the public comment today. So we hope to meet with you board members over the next two months to discuss CCA in more detail. Thank you.

[00:57:23] And you believe that CCA... Mike, I'm sorry to cut you off, but your time is up. If you have a board, you can email it to us. Thank you. Next, we have Mike Taylor, or is Mike Taylor on? Hi, Mike. Can you hear me? Yes, sir. You have two minutes and 30 seconds. Thank you.

[00:57:41] Hello, and thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of the proposed 2024 budget. My name is Mike Taylor, and I represent the Loudoun County Community Services Board. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on two important topics impacting our county's ability to serve our community. Our workforce is a precious resource. The Loudoun Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Developmental Services cannot serve the vulnerable residents of our county without the professionals that make up the valued staff of the department. Please support the proposed 6% increase for the general workforce and the 4% adjustment to the pay scale. Staffing

[00:58:19] shortages and vacancies increased the workload on the remaining staff. Our community is seeing unprecedented increases in the need for behavioral health services, particularly emergency mental health intervention, and closing or slowing access to these services is not an option for the department. The department must remain staffed with competent and compassionate professionals in order to provide the behavioral health services increasingly required across our community.

[00:58:45] Increases to compensation will keep Loudoun County aligned with regional trends, assist in reducing turnover, and help the department increase the effectiveness of the recruiting efforts. I ask you to support these proposed increases. Please also consider supporting the county administrator identified urgent and critical needs described in the Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Developmental Services budget priority, in through 11.

[00:59:09] On behalf of the CSB, I'm here to emphasize the importance of priority number three, the Crisis Intervention Team Community Access Response KITCAR as outlined on page E44. The requested positions for the KITCAR include two MHS AD management positions, one behavioral health team leader, two behavioral health therapists, three crisis intervention clinicians, two peer specialists, and three Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies, which are needed to implement the requirements of the Marcus David Peters Act.

[00:59:39] These in total will allow the department to establish three crisis intervention teams to respond to behavioral health issues following a crisis in partnership with local law enforcement. These teams, once established, will improve coordination between the regional crisis center and 911 response. Your support of the KITCAR community care teams is a significant investment in community wellness and resilience. Thank you for your time and your service to our community.

[01:00:05] Thank you. Next, we have Heather Early, followed by Betty O'Lear, followed by Reverend David Malum. Heather? Good evening, board. My name is Heather Early, and I'm a 20-year resident of Loudoun County.

[01:00:28] My husband graduated from Parkview High School, my oldest son graduated last year, and my youngest will be graduating from Parkview in 2025. Needless to say, we're invested in the community and in these students. I can't begin to tell you how hard we've worked to get to this point and to be included in the proposed CIP budget for the rebuild of Parkview High School. We've watched for years as creative ways were found to add classrooms, aka increase the max capacity of students that could attend Parkview without actually increasing the size of the school or support facilities to accommodate these additional students by ways of shrinking the library and converting storage space and

[01:01:05] closets into classrooms. The school has been allowed to be overcrowded for years while technically being considered compliant. Any attempts to renovate actually made things worse but allowed a box to be checked that something had been done. We've watched the conditions of Parkview deteriorate as the funding for improvements or replacements of facilities have been pushed further and further down the line to redirect funding to other areas of the county to build new state-of-the-art schools elsewhere. We've watched our athletic programs, music, theater and arts programs have to try and compete at the same level as the other schools in the county while working with far less. So we've watched the toll that it's taken on the students

[01:01:43] of the Sterling Park schools on their confidence, on their sense of self-worth, on their pride. I wish that the investment in our school had taken place years ago and that a rebuild wasn't necessary. I wish we weren't only getting to this point now when I'm sure the price tag is like a punch to the gut with inflation. I wish we didn't have to spend the last year showing up to every school board meeting pleading our case in order to get here but here we are and i can promise you that it is worth every penny to provide these children an equitable learning experience and one that students teachers staff and the community can be proud to call their park view i want to thank supervisor sayings for his tireless efforts to support call attention to and invest in the

[01:02:23] sterling community we see the positive impacts and honestly if it weren't for some of the achievements that we've seen over the last few years i don't know that we would have believed in ourselves enough to have taken this on but when you show people that they're important that they're worth investing in and that you believe in them you will be amazed at what they can accomplish especially children we respectfully ask that you keep that in mind as you go through the difficult task of these budget talks and thank you in advance for your support for the park view replacement and the needs of all the sterling park community schools and community and thank you all for your service thank you next we have Betty or

[01:02:58] O'Leary, followed by Reverend David Milam, followed by Eric Dweaver. Good evening. My name is Betty O'Leary. I and my colleagues, Renee Hogan and Bobby Christman, are here to represent the Citizens for the Arts in Eastern Loudoun. We have spoken at earlier board meetings in support of a community arts center. Thus, it is our pleasure to add our enthusiastic support for the Finance Committee's recommendation to add an Eastern Loudoun Community Arts Center to the

[01:03:37] County's Capital Improvement Program as a project identified for future development. We understand that the next step will be to obtain the full Board of Supervisors approval, and we are confident that this approval will be forthcoming. We do understand that there is no funding associated with adding a project to the list of those identified for future development.

[01:04:04] As a Loudoun County resident, I am fully aware of the many demands upon the board for constituent services. We just heard about them tonight in great detail, I might add. Schools, roads, sports facilities, housing, environmental programs, and many other services are vital and require significant funding. Unfortunately, arts are often considered secondary to these demands.

[01:04:33] We believe this demonstrates a failure to understand the positive impact that the arts can have socially and economically. We are prepared to continue to meet individually with each of you to explain our vision and to continue discussions of future funding. We have heard the arguments that promoting and funding the arts should be a private enterprise.

[01:04:59] We believe that this is a view that ignores the need to make art available to a widely diverse population, and we've heard about that widely diverse population this evening. And we believe that it should be made available precisely as we provide libraries, parks, and sports facilities.

[01:05:22] The Finance Committee's identification of a need for a future arts project that will benefit their communities is a first step toward recognizing the true value of the arts in our community. Thank you. Thank you.

[01:05:39] Next, we have Reverend David Millam, followed by Eric Dweaver. Reverend, are you online? Okay.

[01:05:56] Reverend David Millam? No? Not online. All right. Next, we have Eric Dweaver. Good evening. My name is Eric Dweaver, and I live in Hamilton.

[01:06:14] and I am a member of the Environmental Commission. Our chair, Jim Bingle, has provided formal written comments to you in support of several funding requests that will help staff to advance our commission's work plan.

[01:06:33] I'm speaking tonight to reinforce our formal comments. Specifically, as the natural resources representative on the commission, I'm very supportive of our planned initiatives to begin to implement the broad run Western Hills watershed management plans. I'm sure we all recognize the importance and the need to improve our county's water resources, but I am pleased that at least we can make a start on implementing these plans. I appreciate your time tonight, and I hope you agree with these

[01:07:09] requested investments in our county's environment. Thank you. Thank you. I will say Reverend David Milam. All right, going once, going twice, sold. Do we have any other speakers signed up? Does anybody else in the boardroom wish to speak? Okay, hearing none. The six o'clock public hearing is finished, and we have another last public speaking will be this Saturday at 9 a.m.

[01:07:46] at the school board facility. All right, thank you. Meeting adjourned.

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