In This Issue: Welcome ♦ Dulles Airport Noise Project Recommendations Revisited ♦ South Riding Boulevard/Defender Drive Signal ♦ Pantovic Property Rezoning ♦ Arcola Center Proffer Amendment ♦ Final FY27 Budget Guidance ♦ Transit Summit ♦ Glass Recycling Program Expansion ♦ 2026 Legislative Program ♦ Leniency for Late Tax Payments ♦ Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Permanently Disabled ♦ Vehicle Assessment Changes to Go Into Effect January 1 ♦ Announcements | | | |
Welcome to the December 2025 edition of the Dulles Direct newsletter. I hope that you had a Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah and are able to take some time to relax with family.
As we head into New Year’s Eve, a reminder to drive safely. Unfortunately, we’ve already seen one fatal accident due to alcohol this holiday season near us in the Brambleton area, and I certainly do not want to see another. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program provides discounted Lyft rides for those who need it during the holidays. Information is available here: https://wrap.org/soberride/. Even without a discount, paying for a ride is a lot cheaper than getting arrested for a DUI - or worse, getting injured or killed.
As we head into 2026, the Board of Supervisors has been working on our final fiscal guidance for the FY27 budget, which will begin in July 2026. I have some concerns with the direction of the discussion this year, which I detail below.
There are also several milestones worth noting at the end of the year. This month marks the end of Dulles District School Board Representative Melinda Mansfield’s term. Melinda served as Chair of the School Board of the School Board for the past two years. I appreciate her service and the open line of communication that we had during her time on the School Board, and I wish her well as she focuses more on her family.
This month, the Board of Supervisors honored Senior Deputy County Administrator Erin McLellan for her 21 years of professional public service in Loudoun County. Erin was one of the most important people behind the scenes in County government. She was the person that the Board and County Administrator turned to to get the “tough stuff” done. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she ran point on setting up the mass vaccination clinic at the former Nordstrom site at the Dulles Town Center mall, which was a massive undertaking and a very successful operation during a time of great anxiety. Erin also worked extensively on the Metro Silver Line project and numerous other projects of all kinds. While Erin’s leadership and skills will be missed, she is choosing to step away to be able to devote more time to her family, and that can never be a bad decision. The Board - including past Board members - recognized Erin’s service earlier this month.
| | Also this month, my colleagues at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) presented me with recognition for my service on the Metro Board of Directors from February 2020-July 2025. I remain active and engaged in Metro and transit issues, but there is no doubt that I served on the Metro Board during a particularly tumultuous time, and I’m proud of the fact that the organization is much stronger, safer, and more reliable today than it was when I joined the Board. Pictured from left to right are Supervisor Walter Alcorn (Fairfax County), Councilman and NVTC Chair David Snyder (Falls Church), myself, County Board Member Matt De Ferranti (Arlington), and Councilman Canek Aguirre (Alexandria). | Finally, I want to make sure that residents are aware of a temporary long term closure of Belmont Ridge Road between Arcola Mills Drive and Evergreen Mills Road from January 5 to June 30, 2026. The Brambleton Group will be conducting a construction project to improve the road and do utility work during this time. Fortunately, with the additions of Northstar Boulevard and Arcola Mills Drive, it is much easier to get around this area now, and those are the detours for motorists to use. | | |
Dulles Airport Noise Project Recommendations Revisited
Endorsed Recommendations
As you’ll recall from our in-depth discussion last month, the Board voted to endorse two recommendations from the design group working on noise mitigation from Runway 30 at Dulles Airport. Those recommendations were: 1) to implement new noise abatement departure procedures which feature a steeper climb profile to get aircraft higher sooner and mitigate noise on the ground below and 2) to implement a new nighttime heading procedure that requires aircraft to fly runway heading until leaving 3,000 feet above sea level instead of immediately turning after departure to the north or south over densely populated residential areas (between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when folks are sleeping in their homes below).
Proposed Northwest and Southwest Flight Paths
There was a third recommendation which the Board chose not to endorse, which was to consolidate all flight paths into just two, one to the northwest and one to the southwest. I was opposed to this recommendation as I felt it would cause much more noise for smaller communities such as Briarfield Estates, Winsbury, and South Fork. From the beginning of the process, I said I would not support any recommendation that simply moves airplane noise from one community to another, no matter how small. Proponents of this change argued that due to the new noise abatement departure procedures, the planes would be high enough in the sky to mitigate increased noise, but I thought it was very unlikely that would make up for the massive increase in volume of overhead flights.
That said, I had no objection to the proposed northwest changes. At the time of the original meeting, these were packaged together, and while I made my feelings known, my colleagues proceeding with a motion to approve both which ultimately failed 4-5.
Reconsideration at the Board of Supervisors
After the meeting, I had additional conversations with the Chair and Vice Chair, and we agreed to bring the item back for reconsideration for approval of the northwest changes only, which were approved by the Board.
Next Steps
The Board’s recommendations are being considered by the Regional Project Group before being forwarded to the FAA. The FAA will then evaluate these recommendations and go through its own process for potentially implementing them – although whether they will or not remains to be seen. I’ll keep you updated as I receive the latest on the FAA’s process.
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South Riding Boulevard/Defender Drive Signal
The traffic signal at the intersection of South Riding Boulevard and Defender Drive is still under construction. The signal was proffered by the developer of the Defender West apartment community located nearby on Defender Drive. Most of the work being done currently is on the electrical components of the signal to include establishing the communications link and programming of the signal controls. The developer expects it to be energized and placed into flash mode during January. VDOT requires the signal to flash for 72 hours before going into full operation. Keep an eye out for updates on my Facebook page.
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Pantovic Property Rezoning
LEGI-2024-0026
Project Details
At the December Public Hearing, the Board heard an application to rezone 4.48 acres from CR-1 Legacy zoning to IP for the purpose of constructing industrial uses. We forwarded the application to our January 21 Business Meeting for action. Notably, data centers and substations are not being considered and would require a separate special exception if pursued in the future. While this property is technically in the Little River District, it is right across from the entrance to Briarfield Estates. There are actually two properties included in the application. The first is adjacent to the childcare facility on Arcola Mills and currently approved for a nearly 18,000 square feet building, while the second contains a house.
Considerations
I can understand the desire of the property owners for a rezoning, especially for the residential property - which at various points has been used as the Virginia Fusion Soccer Park. The character of the area has changed, and the property behind it has approval for a data center complex, although the Board’s changes to data center zoning require it to be significantly smaller and further away than originally planned. In either case, it is not a particularly appropriate place for more residential development.
My concerns at this point are mainly with the height of the application. The application originally requested 100-foot high buildings, then 65-foot high buildings. By the time it reached the Board’s Public Hearings, that had been modified to 45 feet height within 200 feet of Briarfield Estates, and 65 feet on the rest of the property. I’m still concerned about 65 feet, mainly because I don’t foresee an appropriate use for the property that would be that height. The applicant has cited medical office buildings as a potential use that would require that kind of height, but I’m skeptical that would be viable in this area given that there is additional space available near the hospital itself. Instead, I could foresee this area being appropriate for the type of flex buildings that are being built at Arcola Center, which are around 25-35 feet. This type of product is the most in-demand in the County and can be used by a lot of different businesses.
I remain in close touch on this project with Supervisor TeKrony (Little River District). The Board is currently scheduled to vote on the application on January 21.
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Arcola Center Proffer Revision
LEGI-2025-0005
Details
At the Board’s December 10 Public Hearing, we approved an application from The Shops at Arcola Center to remove a proffer to provide a 200-space commuter parking lot in the southwest portion of the property. County staff concurred with this recommendation and didn’t have any outstanding concerns. The Shops will retain space for a future bus shelter on-site and will be providing a cash contribution that will support transit service in the Dulles South area.
My View
I have been in close contact with the developer about this proffer and was supportive of the request. The commuter parking lot proffer dates back to the original approval of the project in the mid-2000s, and today is negatively impacting the ability of Arcola Center to bring in other tenants, because it uses up too much parking space. The developer has been working with potential new tenants to join Target, but for any of them to be viable, this requirement needs to be removed.
In addition, the model of large commuter bus lots is slowly changing, and there is not a need for one in this location. The existing lots in the Route 50 corridor have plenty of capacity, and if there is a desire to run commuter bus service into Arcola Center, we could do so at a centralized stop or stops closer to the existing and future residential communities, rather than further east by the shopping.
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Final FY27 Budget Guidance
Tax Rates
At the December Finance meeting, the Committee 3-2 voted to recommend that the full Board direct County Administrator Tim Hemstreet to prepare the FY27 budget at a real property tax rate of $0.805 per $100 of assessed value, a general personal property tax rate of $4.15 per $100 assessed, and a personal property tax rate for vehicles (car tax) of $3.09 per $100 assessed. I voted against this fiscal guidance. These amounts are the same tax rates as are currently in place, though residents have not yet paid the lower car tax amount (it was reduced by nearly 25%, which will be reflected in your May 2026 bill). It is important to note that this is the number at which the budget will be prepared and presented to the Board, but not necessarily the final actual budget number. Circumstances around assessments could change which impact revenue, and the Board will hold a series of work sessions and can make additions and deletions to the budget.
My View
Nevertheless, I did not support the fiscal guidance because it represents an organizational philosophy that I have concerns with. Essentially, the philosophy is that new revenue from data centers is going to start decreasing in the coming years, and the County needs to be prepare by reducing the rate of growth in the budget (that part I agree with) by holding taxes steady and using the additional revenue currently generated entirely for other purposes (that part I don’t).
The County and LCPS both do need to reduce their rate of growth, which has been at more than 10% some years. In the past, we’ve been able to do this while still reducing the tax rate and holding bills steady (slightly reduced last year) because of new data center revenue. The fiscal guidance this year grows the County budget at 9% and the LCPS budget at 8%. As long as employees get pay increases, there is always going to be growth in the budget. Labor cost is far and away the biggest expense for both the County and the school system. So, I acknowledge that the budget does have to grow. But I would like to see a little less growth on both sides in this upcoming year, and at the moment, I especially would like to see the County budget target set at 8% instead of 9%.
While I do support putting additional revenue into capital projects to pay down debt and realize long term cost savings, I refuse to accept the notion that taxpayers will not see any tax rate reductions for the foreseeable future because we are concerned about a lack of new revenue that probably won’t materialize for several years. I believe we should be passing along some of these continued benefits to taxpayers - even if it is only on the car tax rate. “Smoothing out” an expected drop-off is a smart strategy, but I think we’re going overboard.
So in this budget cycle, I’m going to propose at least some additional tax relief. But as of now, it appears I’m in the minority. But as I said, a lot can change as we continue with this process. There is also the opportunity for public input, which we will be sharing once dates are set.
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Transit Summit
On December 8, the Board held our annual Transit Summit, where were heard updates from staff on public transportation in the County.
Microtransit
Overall, ridership on Loudoun County Transit rose steadily throughout the year. The biggest news was the success of a microtransit pilot program in the Leesburg area. Microtransit is smaller, need-based service where individual riders can request rides from minibuses and other smaller vehicles with a shorter wait time. Early numbers suggest well over 8,000 microtransit riders utilized the Leesburg pilot between July and October 2025. Ridership on the existing fixed routes in Leesburg also grew at the same time, suggesting a beneficial relationship between local fixed routes and microtransit. Staff will be returning to the Board in 2026 with an assessment of the Leesburg pilot program based on objective criteria such as ridership, average wait time, maximum walk distance for pickup, transit dependent rider accessibility based on demographic factors, and more.
The next microtransit pilot will be in the Sterling area and take place during FY27, after which I am very hopeful we can expand this service to other areas of the County including Dulles South. We previously had a fixed route local bus service in Dulles South that operated from 2015-2017 and saw exceptionally low ridership, and our current Silver Live bus service also is performing very poorly. Microtransit could be a more cost effective option to service the population that needs access to transit.
Commuter Bus Service and Local Fixed Routes
The Board voted 8-0-1 to authorize staff to initiate direct commuter bus service from the Leesburg Park and Ride Lot to Washington, D.C. and to apply for a Commuter Choice grant from the state to support the service. Furthermore, commuter bus operations will be relocated from the Dulles Transit Center to Loudoun Gateway Station. This will allow greater synergy with Metro, such that a commuter bus rider could take a commuter bus in one direction and Metro back home if their schedule changes or they need to stay late at work.
We also voted to reduce bus fares for senior citizens and disabled riders to 50% of the usual rate. This recommendation is in line with other transit systems that have the same or similar reductions available. As a reminder, our local and Silver Line bus service is free, while the commuter bus service fares are $12 per one-way trip with a SmarTrip card and $13 per one-way trip if you are paying with cash.
The commuter bus routes from East Gate and Stone Ridge saw mixed results, with 12 average riders per trip headed to the Pentagon, 28 to Crystal City/Pentagon, and 36 on routes to Washington, D.C. The Silver Line bus service serving our area, as I mentioned, is not performing well, with several routes averaging less than three boardings per revenue hour.
Bus Service from Outside the County
Earlier this year, we launched a pilot program to bus in County employees who live outside Loudoun in two locations: Frederick, Maryland and Dale City, Virginia. The idea is to provide some assistance to employers in Loudoun who are struggling to find employees, and to provide relief especially to the Route 15 corridor, which is about to see major construction.
So far, however, these routes are seeing very few riders. The industry standard is to let these programs run for about 2 years before judging the results, but these routes are doing so poorly that the Board may end them sooner. That will be a discussion in the FY27 budget process.
Study on In-Sourcing Transit
The County’s contract with Keolis, our transit operator, ends this summer, but has a 5-year renewal period that staff is recommending the Board exercise. It is likely that will happen given the time associated with bringing in a new contractor. However, my colleagues on the Board also voted to spend $500,000 of your taxpayer dollars for an 11-month study on bringing transit operations in-house. This has been advocated for by the Transit Union. I voted against this study because I don’t support bringing transit operations fully in-house. Having a contractor allows much greater flexibility and expertise in our operations, and also requires much less administrative support than would be required if we had to operate the entire system. It may make sense to do that for a very large system like Metro, but for smaller systems like ours, it is not efficient. This issue is not related to driver pay, because the Board essentially sets the terms of the contract which is directly responsible for wages. It also makes little sense to do this kind of study now, since the Board is contemplating major changes to our system with the introduction of expanded microtransit. Nevertheless, the study will occur, and I will report back its findings.
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Glass Recycling Program Expansion
County staff brought us more information at the Finance Committee this month about expanding the County’s glass-only recycling program as part of the FY27 budget process. Possible locations for future glass-only recycling centers include Algonkian, Ashburn, and finding a location south of Route 50. The current location closest to us is the Old Arcola Elementary School on Stone Springs Boulevard. However, there could be the potential to add a mobile glass recycling container/trailer be placed within the Stone Ridge Park and Ride lot. I support bringing this option closer to the more populated areas south of Route 50 and will be looking forward to more discussion on that option.
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2026 Legislative Program
Each year, the Board submits a legislative program for the upcoming General Assembly session in Richmond. This outlines our priorities for what we’d like to see passed at the state level this year. I continue to have concerns about some items in the legislative agenda that I think simply don’t belong there because they deal with issues well beyond the scope of County government. I also was not prepared to support a request to pass legislation that will enable localities to start rent control policies. While I understand concerns about the cost of rentals, there is evidence that these policies reduce the inventory of rentals and actually can make the problem worse, especially in suburban areas like Loudoun. I voted against adding this request to our legislative program, but the majority on the Board supported it.
E-Bikes and Scooters
There is one item that I’ve been working on for the past year. I made a motion to add to the Legislative Agenda support for legislation addressing e-bikes and scooters. I have seen many issues associated with the use of e-bikes and electric scooters by children in the community. Oftentimes they aren’t wearing helmets and aren’t operating them in a safe manner, which has the potential to end badly in injury or worse. The Sheriff’s Office has done a lot of outreach on the issue but there are limitations in how much we can require and enforce on the matter, and clarification of the types of devices and more education are needed.
The language in our legislative program reads: “The County supports legislation that defines and classifies different types of legal electric vehicles, where they can be utilized, the appropriate age for operation of such vehicles, and that introduces vehicle safety education for juveniles.” Hopefully by clarifying the types of devices, where they can be used, and at what age, we can bring about positive change to the current situation.
There are several bills addressing this that have been pre-filed, and the County is working with our state delegation on them. I will continue to update you in future newsletters if the General Assembly takes any action on this topic.
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Leniency for Late Tax Payments
Proposal
At the Board’s December 2 Business Meeting, we voted to approve Loudoun County Treasurer Henry Eickelberg’s proposed reduction in the penalty assessed to Loudoun County taxpayers for late payments. Mr. Eickelberg’s proposal changes the current 10% flat penalty to a 2% fee for late tax payments made within 30 days of the initial due date and a 10% penalty for late tax payments made after 30 days.
My View
The motion passed the Board without opposition. Tax payments are large, and an automatic 10% penalty for someone who is just a day late due to an oversight is pretty harsh and easily could cost them several hundred dollars. Most County residents do pay on time, and there is a larger category of people who are more than 30 days delinquent than those who are under 30. Under the current ordinance, however, all of those circumstances are treated the same in terms of the penalty, although interest does not accrue until 30 days.
Budgetary Impacts
This change will reduce revenue for the County, as several million is collected annually in fees. In addition, the County does collections for the towns, and there may be some concern from them about lost revenue. I do not support subsidizing the towns' lost revenue on this item, however, as the number is relatively small.
Next Steps
The change will not take place until the first taxes of 2027 are collected, since we need time to get the towns on board and make the necessary ordinance revisions. I will provide an update closer to May 2027 when the new ordinance would become active.
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Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Permanently Disabled
In Loudoun County, elderly residents and those who are permanently disabled may qualify for relief from real estate tax burdens. For more information on the program, please click here.
New Action
At the Board’s December 2 Business Meeting, the Board voted 8-1 to approve a change to the County’s Codified Ordinances to provide for an automatic annual adjustment to the qualifying income and net worth criteria for receiving this relief. This change permanently adds to the ordinance a requirement that the income and net worth criteria increase every year with inflation. I did not support this change.
My Concerns
My primary concern is about making the adjustments automatic. The concept of tax relief for seniors is laudable, and Loudoun has one of the most generous programs in the region. I would have supported adjusting the criteria to adjust for inflation this year, and to review the number periodically. But we should be mindful that the relief we are providing has to be made up by all the other residents - essentially, we are subsidizing this group of our population. You can make a fair argument that this group uses less County resources because they don’t have children in schools, and indeed that’s why I support the general concept.
But we don’t know what the future will bring. If we are in a sizeable recession, if we continue to see impacts or job losses from the federal workforce reduction, or any other number of things, the Board should not be automatically increasing the pool of residents for tax relief - it would only make a budget deficit worse. I fear that most of my colleagues do not recall what it was like for the Board in the 2007-2010 time period, when residential real estate values crashed and the Board had to make dramatic cuts and huge tax increases. This was just before I was on the Board, but I was following closely and have talked many times with staff from that era about the experience. You need as much flexibility as possible when those circumstances occur.
It would make much more sense to review the criteria every two years, and then make the decision at that time whether to make adjustments. The process of amending an ordinance takes months, so it would be much more difficult for the Board to pause this now if it ever wanted to.
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Vehicle Assessment Changes Go Into Effect January 1
Updated Criteria
Based on the results of a recent benchmarking study, Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue Robert S. Wertz Jr., is updating the assessment methods used for some vehicle personal property. This is not an action of the Board of Supervisors, and I didn’t vote on it. But I’m sharing it for informational purposes.
The J.D. Power Official Used Car Guide will continue to be the primary source for vehicle valuations. However, beginning January 1, 2026, methods used to value certain types of vehicles will change, including for newer model year cars, small pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs that are not listed in the J.D. Power Official Used Car Guide as well as boats, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, heavy trucks, and pull behind trailers. These assessment methodology updates impact both personal use and business use vehicles.
Virginia law gives local governments the responsibility for taxing tangible property. All property within the same classification must be taxed uniformly and assessments must be based on fair market value (VA Code §58.1-3503(B)). The Commissioner of the Revenue contracted with PFM Group Consulting to study assessment schedules used to value vehicle personal property in Loudoun County, compare them with other Virginia counties and cities, and evaluate how closely they correspond to fair market value. That benchmarking study was completed in October of 2025.
Previously, vehicles were valued at a percentage of their purchase price as reported to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles or, if the vehicle was not listed in a recognized pricing guide due to insufficient sales information for a particular year and model, at a percentage of the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).
To better reflect fair market value of vehicle personal property, promoting fairness and uniformity, the assessment methods used to value the affected vehicles will change as follows. Taxpayers will see the changes reflected in their next personal property tax bill, which will be due on May 5, 2026. All vehicles are assessed on the assumption that they are in average condition for their age. Each schedule represents how the model year vehicles will be assessed for Tax Year 2026. Which model year is “current” changes annually; next year, it will be 2026.
Cars, Trucks, Vans, & SUVs
Most vehicles will continue to be assessed based on the values provided in the J.D. Power Official Used Car Guide. Those cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs that are not listed in the Guide, typically because used sales data is limited for newer model years, will be valued according to the new schedule. I underlined that part because I get questions frequently about how the value of a vehicle is determined - and that is how. Specifically, the Commissioner’s office uses the “clean loan value” based on average mileage for the year of the vehicle. The value in the guide is based on actual transaction data compiled. Residents who think the value is too high can appeal following the prescribed process, to which there are no changes.
Personal Watercraft, Motorcycles, Recreational Vehicles, and Heavy Trucks
Through tax year 2025, both business and personal use boats, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and heavy trucks have been valued based on a percentage of the vehicle’s purchase price.
Pull Behind Trailers
Pull behind trailers, such as horse, utility and tractor trailers will continue to be valued using a percentage of the purchase price. The percentages used through tax year 2025 and beginning with the 2026 tax year are listed in the table below.
Updated Assessment Schedules
For the old schedule and the new schedule starting in 2026 for all these types of vehicles, please click here.
Notices and Information
Taxpayers received letters advising them of these assessment schedule changes beginning December 1, 2025.
More information is online at loudoun.gov/cor. To request personalized assistance or clarification, contact the Personal Property Division in the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue at loudoun.gov/ContactCOR or 703-777-0260, option 1.
Anyone who requires reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or needs language assistance may email cartax@loudoun.gov or call 703-737-0260 (TTY-711). Three days’ notice is requested.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Holiday Recycling
Loudoun County encourages residents to recycle during the holiday season. The County provides several opportunities for holiday-related recycling and offers these recycling tips for the holidays.
Packaging Materials: Paper, Cardboard and More
Loudoun County's recycling drop-off centers are available to accept the extra packaging generated during the holidays such as cardboard boxes, gift wrapping paper, and bottles and cans. All cardboard boxes should be flattened and deposited loosely into the recycling bins: no Styrofoam or plastic foam. Paper gift wrap is accepted; however, no ribbons or bows. Metallic, cellophane or plastic-coated gift wrapping is not recyclable. Follow the posted guidelines on what is accepted to avoid filling the recycling bins with materials that cannot be recycled.
Items accepted for recycling include aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, jugs, and jars, paper, cardboard boxes, shoe boxes and tissue boxes. All items should be dumped loosely into the recycling bins, not in plastic bags; this applies to curbside recycling also.
Food Waste
The Food Waste Composting Center at the Loudoun County landfill accepts compostable food scraps from residents for free composting year-round.
Electronics
If new electronics are on your gift list, remember that Loudoun County will host electronics recycling events in 2026, beginning in the spring, for all the old televisions, laptops and other electronics that might be discarded during the holidays. In the meantime, there are other local recycling services available now. Remember to remove the batteries from electronics such as power tools, toys and computers prior to disposing or recycling and bring the batteries to one of the county’s upcoming household hazardous waste collection events for free recycling. Never put lithium batteries or electronics containing lithium batteries in the trash or recycling bin; they are a fire hazard. When storing lithium batteries to be recycled, cover the terminals with clear packing tape as a safety precaution. Keep all batteries out of the reach of children. More information on battery disposal is available at loudoun.gov/batteries.
Christmas Trees
Loudoun County will accept Christmas trees from residents at five locations December 26, 2025, through January 20, 2026. Only natural, cut trees and wreaths will be accepted, no artificial trees or artificial wreaths. The trees will be converted into mulch, which is available free of charge to Loudoun County residents at the Loudoun County landfill.
Residents who receive curbside recycling service should contact their homeowner’s association, town office or recycling service provider for Christmas tree collection schedules.
Whether dropping off at one of the county’s Christmas tree collection sites or at the curb, remember to remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, wire, stand and tree bag. If the tree is in a tree bag, remove and dispose of the bag with your regular trash. If you wish to recycle a natural wreath, remove and dispose of all wire, bows, twine, lights and ornaments before recycling the wreath. If removal of these items is not possible, dispose of the tree or wreath with your regular garbage.
The Christmas Tree Recycling Program is a public service for Loudoun County residents only. Tree vendors operating in Loudoun County with leftover trees may recycle them at the Loudoun County landfill for $78 a ton. Netting, rope, wire, tags and other items must be removed and disposed prior to recycling. Visit loudoun.gov/landfill or call 703-771-5500 for more information.
For residents, Christmas trees will be accepted for recycling free of charge at the following locations December 26, 2025 - January 20, 2026:
- Leesburg: Loudoun County Landfill Recycling Center, 21101 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg, 20175. Open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Lovettsville: Game Protective Association, 16 South Berlin Pike, Lovettsville, 20180. Open daily.
- Purcellville: Franklin Park, 17501 Franklin Park Drive, Purcellville, 20132. Open daily, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- South Riding: Meadows Pool Parking Lot, 42920 Center Street, Chantilly, 20152. Open daily.
- Sterling: Claude Moore Park, 46150 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, 20164. Use Loudoun Park Lane entrance, follow Loudoun Park Lane to end. Open daily, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
More information about the county’s recycling services can be found at loudoun.gov/recycle.
New Sunday Hours for Libraries
Effective January 4, Loudoun County Public Library branches with Sunday hours will be open from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. every Sunday. If a branch does not have Sunday hours, these new hours won’t apply.
Annual Survey of Youth and Parents
The Loudoun County Advisory Commission on Youth (ACOY) has opened the annual Survey of Youth and Parents to gather information that will help county leaders make informed decisions about programs and services designed to support young people in our community.
The survey is intended for middle-and high-school-aged students and their parents or guardians. It takes approximately ten minutes to complete and includes questions across four topic areas:
• Activities and interests
• Drug and alcohol use
• Mental health and stress management
• Online access and activity
All responses are anonymous. Participants will not be asked to provide identifying information such as name, home address, birth date, IP address, or similar data.
Survey Links
The survey is open through Friday, February 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Survey results will help inform ACOY’s State of Loudoun Youth annual report to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.
First launched in 2019 as part of the Board of Supervisors’ youth initiatives, the survey serves as an ongoing feedback tool to help county leaders stay current on trends in youth behaviors, interests, and needs, ensuring programs remain effective and responsive.
More information about the youth survey is available at loudoun.gov/YouthSurvey.
Information about ACOY, including a link to the most recent State of Loudoun Youth report (PDF), is available at loudoun.gov/ACOY.
VCE January Programming
The Loudoun chapter of the Virginia Cooperative Extension has some programming in January 2026 that may interest you. For more information or to sign up for any of these events, please email paul.gentine@loudoun.gov.
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BRCA Chili Cook-Off - Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026
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Budget-Friendly Cooking - Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026
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Veganuary: Plant Forward Eating - Monday, Jan. 12, 2026
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Thrive After 65: Aging Gracefully with Nutrition - Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026
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New Year, New Money Goals - Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026
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Planting Rain Gardens with Native Plants - Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026
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Feeding Time For All: Animals and Kids - Monday, Jan. 19, 2026
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Tax Season 101: Filing with Confidence - Monday, Jan. 26, 2026
VDOT Winter Weather Information
VDOT is responsible for clearing over 60,000 miles of state-maintained roads in the Commonwealth of Virginia during winter weather events. VDOT encourages folks not to drive if it is snowing, and to be safe in the case of a storm. VDOT will prioritize getting the roadways as safe as possible before moving on to shoulders, ramps, turn lanes, intersections, park and ride lots, and more. If you feel that your street is missed after these time frames have passed, you can use the resources below to get more information on plowing status and/or report your issue directly to VDOT:
Please note that according to the Loudoun County Codified Ordinances, property owners must clear sidewalks in front of their homes within six hours of the end of a winter weather event.
Donations to Local Food Banks
Dulles South Food Pantry
Thank you to those that helped the Dulles South Food Pantry (DSFP) feed families this holiday season. Even with the holiday over, donations are needed more than ever and can be made in person at the pantry at 24757 Arcola Mills Drive on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or online. DSFP provides food assistance up to twice a month to any person who resides in the attendance zones for the following high schools: Freedom, John Champe, Lightridge, Independence, Rock Ridge, and Briar Woods. Call 703-507-2795 or email info@dsfp.org to schedule an appointment. See the pantry's website for information on how you can help fight local hunger. The pantry is currently looking for plastic bag donations as well.
America’s Soup Kitchen
The Dulles South Soup Kitchen is now America’s Soup Kitchen! Donations to the kitchen can be made on their website or at their location by appointment. Call (202) 930-3775 or email to make an appointment. America’s Soup Kitchen distributes fresh and nutritious hot meals to anyone in need within Loudoun County every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the StoneSprings Hospital Center parking lot by Route 50. Registration is required on their website.
Blood Donation
American Red Cross
To schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets with the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org/give-blood.
Inova Blood Services
Inova Blood Services also takes donors by appointment.
Visit https://www.inovablood.org/ to schedule an appointment.
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