Purcellville parks CIP projects deferred after county declines funding; council urged to seek county explanation

Purcellville staff told the town council that multiple parks and recreation capital projects were deferred because Loudoun County did not allocate the requested CIP funding. At a work session the council heard that county allocations favored transportation-type projects and that some town projects will be pushed to future years unless the town secures county support.

Staff said the county typically funds transportation projects (sidewalks, trails, roadways) and that when the town’s request didn’t align with county priorities, funding was not provided. A staff member said the county’s response often points to transportation priorities and suggested the town’s elected officials could appeal to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors for help. The town manager and public works staff advised council members to lobby their county representatives for additional funding.

Council discussion highlighted special concern about Fireman's Field. Council Member Wright warned that Loudoun County is already performing a maintenance function as a favor and that the town should be cautious about asking for more enhancements: “they're doing us a favor to maintain that,” he said, and warned that if the county stepped away, the town could not afford maintenance on its own.

What happens next: Staff will treat the parks projects as deferred in the CIP until funding is identified, will reach out to the county for additional explanation on why the town’s projects were not funded, and council asked staff to return with answers. The mayor said the topic would be added to a future agenda for further discussion.

Note: No binding action was taken to reassign town funds to parks at the meeting; the items were deferred pending county funding and additional council direction.