At its February 25th work session Town Administrator Martha Semmes reported that the latest draft of Middleburg's General Fund Expense Budget for Fiscal Year 2017 totaled roughly $3 million, around an eight percent increase over the preceding year. Noting that the draft projected only a seven percent increase in revenue, Semmes reiterated her traditionally cautious approach to revenue estimates. "Revenue derived from Salamander's property taxes and tax-revenue-producing operations were always a question mark," she said, noting that, on the positive side, " they continued to exceed the Town's expectations."

While Middleburg's property tax assessments were up nine percent last year, she said, they were up only 5.8% this year.

The bulk of the decrease, Semmes suggested, was an appropriate decline in the taxable assessed value land owned by Salamander that had been zoned but has not yet been developed. Once houses are constructed on that land, the assessed value will increase.

Based on her conservative estimates, Semmes draft projects an equalized property tax rate of sixteen cents, a penny lower than the current rate. That penny decrease, she noted, equaled roughly thirty-one thousand eight hundred dollars less revenue.

Semmes reminded Council that the amount of the town's "contingency reserve" or emergency fund would change as the budget evolved. It currently stands at about $232,000.

In the weeks and months ahead Council faces decisions on whether to sell or improve several town properties including the Health Center Building: technology investments from street lighting to parking meters; if, when, where and how to move its police department and town offices; and funding options and requests related to worthy events, programs and causes, including the old Zion Church building, the Middleburg Museum, and support facilities made redundant by the removal from service of one of the Town's water wells.