Leesburg council finalizes FY2026 budget markup; delays cybersecurity hire, trims recurring stormwater funding

The Leesburg Town Council completed its final markup of the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget during a session that narrowed a $647,023 shortfall through a mix of staffing and program reductions and a short delay to one planned hire.

The council’s proposed general fund budget had increased by $5.5 million over FY2025; about $2 million of that increase is new revenue tied to a recent annexation and most of that annexation revenue is being transferred to the utilities fund to offset in‑town rates for newly annexed customers. Another roughly $2 million of the increase came from Compass Creek real estate receipts. Council members said those two items are new, one‑time revenue sources and distinct from growth in the town’s existing tax base.

Council members and staff had previously identified revenue losses from policy changes — notably eliminating the $25 vehicle license fee and reducing a motor‑vehicle tax exemption — that left a remaining gap of about $647,023. The town manager presented recommended reductions to fill most of that gap, including removing a vacant senior engineer position in community…