Leesburg staff propose $1 million boost to paving program, create pavement-and-bridges manager

Leesburg town staff on the budget work-session presented a plan to increase the town's mill-and-pave investment and add a new pavement-and-bridges manager to oversee road and bridge maintenance.

The increase would add $1,000,000 in fiscal 2026 to the existing $775,000 annual paving budget, raising near-term available paving funds to about $1.775 million, town staff said. "A million dollars doesn't get us a long way but it starts the ball moving in the right direction," Renee LaFollette, director of public works and capital projects, said during the meeting.

Why it matters: Leesburg is responsible for roughly 269 lane miles of road; staff said the existing program funds a resurfacing cycle of about 30 years, while best practice calls for resurfacing primaries every 8–10 years and residential streets every 12–18 years. The proposed investment would be debt-financed over asset useful lives and phased to reach approximately $2.5 million annually by fiscal 2031.

Scope and staffing: LaFollette said a dedicated pavement-and-bridges manager would be required to plan and coordinate inspections, prepare annual programs, manage striping and ADA ramp updates, prepare RFPs and coordinate contractors. "I don't have anybody to dedicate to that right now. So it's very haphazard of when I can get to it," LaFollette said. She added the town also is responsible for 23 bridges that require biennial inspections and maintenance.

How the extra money would be used: LaFollette described how the additional $1 million would allow the town to move from a worst-first resurfacing approach toward a neighborhood-centric approach (completing larger contiguous segments), while still preserving funding for high-volume primary roads. She said the extra funds could add another neighborhood-sized package of streets to the program in a single year.

Project priorities and federal funding: Staff reviewed major CIP projects, saying the three large interchange projects (Battlefield/Route 15, South King Street bypass, and the Behemoth interchange) account for a large share of streets/highways funding. LaFollette explained the interchanges are prioritized by how far along they are in planning, because regional and state funders give higher priority to projects already in the six-year CIP. "If we move it to priority futures or potential futures, it makes our task in applying for funding much more difficult," she said.

Tuscarora Crossing bridge timeline: Doug (public works staff) said final comments on the federal environmental review are nearly complete, after which staff will seek permission to acquire right-of-way and then advertise for bids. He estimated advertisement, bidding and award would take a few months: "I'm really hoping to be started... fall of this year," with construction taking roughly six months after award.

Airport projects and federal cost share: Mr. Kaufman, representing airport staff, said the Federal Aviation Administration typically funds about 95% of airport construction projects, the state about 4% and the locality about 1% for projects such as an air traffic control tower and taxiway relocation. He said FAA guidance is to continue design and bidding to be ready to apply for grants.

Council questions and next steps: Councilmembers pressed staff on how the program would be implemented, which neighborhoods are included in draft maps and staffing capacity. LaFollette said the town cannot absorb the expanded paving program without the new manager position. She said staff will return with more detailed maps, precise lane-mile estimates and refined cost breakdowns.

Ending: The CIP presentation closed with staff offering to return with additional detail on anticipated lane miles per funding increment, neighborhood lists for the $1 million scenario and timing for the pavement manager position as part of the FY 2026 budget deliberations.