Leesburg staff presents proposed fiscal 2026 budget with infrastructure and staffing requests

Town Manager Kevin Dettler presented the town’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget to the Leesburg Town Council during a work session, saying the town remains in “good strong financial shape” and that new revenues from the annexation of Compass Creek improve near-term flexibility.

Dettler said the general fund is proposed to rise from about $82.5 million to $88 million, and the total budget—including the general fund, utilities fund and the capital improvement program (CIP)—is proposed at roughly $158 million. He said changes in the CIP from project timing account for much of the year-to-year variance.

The proposal includes a mix of recurring and one-time items. Dettler recommended holding the real property tax rate at 17.74 cents per $100 of assessed value. He said residential assessments (new and existing) are projected to increase about 8% overall, with existing-home assessments rising about 6.7% on average; commercial assessment growth has been driven largely by data centers.

Why it matters: the presentation grouped near-term operations, capital planning and service demands. Dettler emphasized that growth has increased demand for police, public works and development-review capacity…