“We have to understand the burden on the citizens” Mayor Milan reminds Council as budget discussions grow heated 

By Valerie Cury

As council members continue to discuss the proposed budget for FY24, their focus has been on reconciling the best interests of the town, the town staff and the town’s 9,000 residents. At the Purcellville Town Council Work Session on April 25, ten of those 9,000 residents came to speak their minds in favor of a 5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for town staff. 

Mayfair resident Caitlin Serotkin said she supported the proposed 5 percent cost-of-living increase. She also voiced her support for the Rt. 7/690 Interchange and the vacation of the floodplain easement.

“This project should be built in its entirety because it’s a well-established part of the town’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan and shouldn’t be derailed by a rogue Planning Commission whose members don’t even know that we have 2 high schools within our town limits,” she claimed.

Jeff Hedrick accused “some” town council members – “some decision makers” – of not knowing that Loudoun Valley High School was in the Town of Purcellville. He said he supported the 5 percent COLA increase and said a decrease “in a public forum like this is just appalling.”

Christa Kermode, an administrative assistant at the Purcellville Police Department and a town resident, said she was against lowering the COLA from 5 percent to 2 percent. “I find it irresponsible and ill informed … It is unreasonable and frankly inappropriate to even suggest the staff bear the burden of this town’s utility debt by tightening our belts.”

“The COLA for town employees impacts not only our daily livelihood, but long-term retirement plans, as we are effectively working the same as the prior year,” Kermode said. “The suggested 2 percent COLA is insulting.” 

Ignoring the fact that the town’s explosive growth has placed an enormous demand on town costs and services, Kermode finished by saying that if “council or residents choose to have minimal to no growth, that’s fine. However, fiscally that demands an increase in resident’s contributions to cover the lack of new revenue.”

After council comments, Kermode approached the podium out of turn and interrupted the meeting, saying she got a 9 percent COLA and pay for performance combined last year, “and it didn’t actually increase her salary. It was a one-time payment.”

Mitchel Seipt said he was concerned about an agenda item discussion labeled the “Will of the Majority.” This item was put on the agenda because the town council is supposed to communicate its desires and priorities to the town manager by council vote. 

This action ensures that the town council speaks to the town manager with one voice, since various requests from seven individual members would waste staff’s time. 

Recently, Council Members Erin Rayner and Mary Jane Williams held a meeting on civility at town hall with senior staff in attendance and without the knowledge of full council – until the very last minute. Despite staff expressing that their workload was already full, the meeting was held anyway. 

At this meeting, the Will of the Majority was in the handout packet contained in the City of Williamsburg Policies and Procedures.

Per the handout, “Perhaps the most challenging aspect of City Council/staff relationships arises when an issue lacks Council consensus. Once a vote is taken and the issue decided, however, City Council speaks to the staff with a single voice. It is sometimes tempting for Council members holding the minority view to pursue their viewpoint, first through staff and later with Council. 

“Nevertheless, the City staff must respond to the majority view, regardless of whether or not an individual Council member agrees, and regardless of whether or not the staff may agree. While staff may like to be responsive to each individual Council member, an impossible situation develops when staff is requested to accommodate a Council member apart from the Council-to-Manager-to-staff line of authority.”

Developer Casey Chapman complained that Council going through the FY24 proposed budget “line item at a time” was too much work for staff who get “all kinds of awards.” 

Chapman said that the town planning commission needed more time to work on the zoning ordinance with the consultant and added, “The consultant needs more money to go through the zoning issues.” He questioned the impact of the zoning updates to the zoning ordinance. “How will it impact the town and these zoning districts?” 

Chapman is not happy with some of the zoning proposals in the update, as he wants more dense zoning and more uses added to certain districts so he doesn’t have to go through a public process.

Brian Dean expressed concern about Mayor Stan Milan asking Chief Cynthia McAlister to escort David Milam, who was out of camera range, out of the council chambers when he threatened Council Member Boo Bennett by violently pumping his fist, mouthing her name several times, and rising off his seat during the April 11 Town Council meeting. 

David Milam, more subdued at this meeting, spoke about the town staff salaries being too low, referring to a Baker Tilly study. “That report said that the town staff here, by comparison with similar towns and municipalities, are at 25 percent lower than other comparable places. I just thought that was horrendous.” 

Vice Mayor Chris Bertaut said that the previous interim town manager pointed out that the Town of Purcellville is now “in terms of salaries, on par with our surrounding and comparable municipalities.” 

Mayfair resident Daniel Carvill said he supported the 5 percent COLA increase for staff. “Your staff is one of the most valuable intangible assets. They are the glue that keeps this town together.”

Council Member Carol Luke said she wanted the residents to know that “we do care – we care for our staff.” She said that many town residents work in areas where they get a percentage of COLA, “but that’s not the case for everybody. We have to find a way that we can meet as many needs as possible and satisfy the budget that has been a little bit extreme.”

Vice Mayor Chris Bertaut said one of the issues he ran on was fiscal responsibility. “In looking at that, I represent more than 9,000 citizens of Purcellville. I want to point out that the pay increase that is baked in to this budget right now is not 5 percent. It’s 9 percent – 5 percent is COLA and 4 percent is budgeted as a performance-based increase.”

Bertaut said the town gave a 6 percent COLA and 2 different bonuses last year – “not all of which were applied to every employee.” 

“In the budget we have before us today – it’s the second budget we have in a row that presents us with a double digit increase in the total cost of the budget.” He said the budget increase this year is more than 18 percent. 

“As I pointed out most of our residents didn’t get a 6 percent COLA within the last fiscal year. They didn’t get 2 bonuses and they aren’t looking to get 9 percent either.”

Bertaut continued, “Every percentage point of pay increase when spread across the entire staff is $91,500. The whole 9 percent is the same thing as adding 4.5 cents on the real estate rate. This also flows through to the utility fund via chargebacks. 

“So your water rates go up when pay increases. As Town Council members, we are responsible for the overall community. We’re here to provide safety, and a variety of services, but we need to do so in a fiscally prudent manner.”

Mayor Stan Milan said the council has “to look at the total picture of what we are doing here” and not burden 9,000 residents who have limited budgets. He said if the Council approves a total of 9 percent COLA and pay for performance, then this will carry over to the already high-water rates. “Everyone’s getting a pay raise, but you are sticking it to me on the water.”

Milan said he heard from staff that he’s hurting their livelihood, but “we have 9,000 citizens who are saying the same thing.” Everybody is going through economic hard times right now, he added. “We have to understand the burden on the citizens.”