OP-ED: Just the facts

It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit
and ignorance.” –Marcus Aurelius (121-180CE)

By Mayor Stan Milan, Vice Mayor Erin Rayner, and Councilmembers Mary Jane Williams, Caleb Stought, and Kevin Wright

In a recent op-ed, former Mayor Fraser critiqued Purcellville’s current financial management, suggesting it pales in comparison to his tenure from 2014 to 2022. However, an examination of the facts presents a different narrative, one of financial decisions made during Fraser’s administration that have long-term impacts on the town’s fiscal health.

Fraser’s piece celebrated a reduction of $10.8 million in the town’s debt across all funds, akin to making scheduled mortgage payments. Yet, this figure could have been $17.6 million if not for two debt restructurings in 2017 and 2021. These restructurings deferred $6.8 million in principal repayments to future dates, effectively burdening current and future residents with increased rate obligations.

Debt restructuring is not without cost. These maneuvers in 2017 and 2021 led to deferring $7.2 million in utility principal repayment and incurred an additional $1.4 million and $3.9 million in water and wastewater services respectively. Consequently, from 2025, annual debt payments for wastewater will jump from $900,000 to $2.5 million, and water service debt will increase by $235,000. The total additional cost due to restructuring tallies up to $12.5 million, extending debt repayment by a decade.

Moreover, Fraser’s administration linked higher revenues from meals taxes and property valuations to its governance, whereas these are typically tied to broader economic and inflationary trends rather than specific municipal policies. Fraser also took credit for the nutrient credit bank—an initiative that while innovative on paper, resulted in financial losses and restricted the use of valuable town land under conservation, limiting its economic utility.

Further compounding these issues, Fraser points to a supposedly high revenue from water and wastewater bills compared to debt service to argue against current operational spending levels. However, this overlooks the depletion of reserve funds by past councils to artificially lower utility rates, a practice that severely reduced utility cash reserves and jeopardized the town’s bond rating.

These financial strategies, including the misuse of reserve funds, have placed Purcellville on a federal bond agency’s watch list, potentially affecting its ability to secure future financing—akin to the repercussions of a poor personal credit score.

As evidenced by the town’s 2025 Fiscal Plan, formulated by an award-winning finance team and accessible on the town’s website, the current fiscal strategy adheres more closely to principles of sustainability and prudent financial planning than the previous administration’s approach.

Residents are encouraged to review these documents to fully understand the financial stewardship of their community.