Middleburg Council approves $40,000 for farmers market after lengthy debate; several town code amendments pass

The Middleburg Town Council voted on Feb. 13 to include $40,000 in this year’s municipal budget to support the town-run Middleburg Farmers Market and directed staff to prepare a 3‑ to 5‑year business plan for council review.

The action followed more than an hour of debate among council members, staff and vendors about whether the market can reach the scale needed to sustain vendors and whether the town should continue to underwrite it. Council also approved several housekeeping ordinances and appointments during the regular meeting.

Why it matters: Council members were sharply divided on whether the market is a civic service worth subsidizing or a recurring expense that has not produced sufficient turnout or vendor income. The $40,000 appropriation (approved 4–3 on a roll call) will appear in the fiscal‑year 2026 budget as the line item for the market; council asked staff to present a business plan that defines goals and success metrics before committing to future years’ funding.

Council members, market organizers and vendors alternated on whether the market’s struggles stem from inconsistent location, inadequate advertising and vendor turnover or from more fundamental limits: a small local population and competition from larger nearby markets. Market manager Kim Basinger urged consistency. “The thing is you have to be consistent,” Basinger said, describing long experience running the market and the need for fixed location, repeat vendors and clearer signage.

Ali (Ali/Ally) McIntyre, the town’s economic development director, summarized the financial ask and program aims and noted the council would need to decide whether to commit further resources beyond this year. “That was your budgeted amount of $40,000,” McIntyre said, describing the cost to operate a town‑run market and the staffing and marketing effort behind it.

Council member Bud Jacobs moved the motion to appropriate $40,000; that motion passed on a roll call vote: Vice Mayor Chris Bernard—yes; Council member Pam Curran—yes; Council member John Kevin Daley—yes; Council member Bud Jacobs—no; Council member Darlene Kirk—yes; (identified in the roll call as) Council member “Letter Morgan”—no; Council member Cindy Pearson—no. The clerk announced the final tally as 4–3 in favor.

The council also gave staff the following direction: prepare a 3‑ to 5‑year business plan for the market that includes measurable goals, staffing needs and a marketing/signage strategy; bring the plan back to council for review; and report on whether a different operating model (for example, a third‑party operator or a public‑private partnership) could relieve town staffing while keeping the market running.

Other actions and staff reports

- Vehicle license fee: Council adopted an ordinance amending the Middleburg Town Code to reduce the motor vehicle license fee to $0 for the current year to qualify for a county grant program. Staff noted leaving the fee at $0 does not legally prevent the town from reinstating a fee in a later year; a formal ordinance was passed by voice vote.

- Competitive negotiations: Council amended Town Code section 20.1‑9(d) to align with recent state procurement changes and to limit mandatory pre‑proposal conversations to two or more offerors instead of all respondents. The amendment passed by voice vote.

- Strategic plan: Council approved an update to the town’s 2024–25 strategic plan and priorities that staff presented at a January retreat; council endorsed the update by voice vote.

- Appointment: Following a closed session, the council appointed Kim Basinger to the Middleburg Planning Commission to fill a four‑year term; the motion passed by voice vote.

- Consent agenda: Council approved the consent agenda (minutes, committee ordinance amendments and staggered terms for committees) by motion and voice vote earlier in the meeting.

- Visitor‑analytics product discussed: Staff described a proposed one‑year subscription to a visitor‑analytics product (Placer.ai or similar location analytics) that uses anonymized mobile location data. McIntyre said the one‑year price discussed was about $8,000. Council asked staff to arrange a demonstration and to return with answers about the vendor’s app partners, data ownership, and resident privacy protections before a purchase vote.

Staff reports and other items

Town staff reported progress on IT onboarding with Vision Technology Group (BTG), ongoing town‑hall construction issues (electric and millwork defects under correction), and follow up on engineering work with contractor Downey & Scott. Police Chief Sean (surname not specified) said interviews for police officer positions were underway. A town finance staffer presented preliminary fiscal‑year 2026 revenue projections; an equalized real‑property tax rate of 11.65¢ per $100 of assessed value was calculated and staff proposed a 3% adjustment that would round the advertised rate to 12¢ per $100 for budget planning. The council received that budget schedule and directed staff to present the draft budget at the next meeting.

What’s next: Staff will schedule a demonstration of the visitor‑analytics product and return with vendor details, privacy and data‑ownership information. The economic development director and market manager will deliver the requested 3‑ to 5‑year business plan for the market, with performance metrics, a staffing plan and proposed marketing/signage, for council review.

Ending: The meeting included a closed‑session motion under Virginia Code §2.2‑3711 that cited consultation with legal counsel on pending litigation and an appointment; council reconvened and announced the planning commission appointment and adjourned.

Votes at a glance

- Farmers Market funding (motion to appropriate $40,000 and direct staff to prepare a 3‑ to 5‑year business plan): Approved by roll call, 4–3 (Vice Mayor Chris Bernard—yes; Pam Curran—yes; John Kevin Daley—yes; Bud Jacobs—no; Darlene Kirk—yes; “Letter Morgan”—no; Cindy Pearson—no). - Ordinance: amend motor vehicle license fee (Middleburg Town Code §55.2) to reduce fee to $0 for the current year: Passed (voice vote). - Ordinance: amend Town Code §20.1‑9(d) (competitive negotiations/procurement): Passed (voice vote). - Endorse strategic plan update (2024–25 initiatives): Passed (voice vote). - Consent agenda (Jan. 23 minutes; ordinance amendments for committees; staggered committee terms): Passed (voice vote). - Appointment to Planning Commission: Kim Basinger appointed to a four‑year term (voice vote).

Sources: Middleburg Town Council meeting transcript, Feb. 13; on‑record public comments and staff presentations recorded at the meeting.