We All Deserve Each Other

December 31, 2025 · By Jay Hubbard

Council thanks departing members at its last meeting of 2025, with the Mayor joining by video, December 11, 2025. (Town of Middleburg meeting video)

Council's last meeting of 2025 was mostly goodbyes. Peter Leonard-Morgan and Bud Jacobs left after nearly a decade apiece, along with three committee members. The new delegate came to say he wants a state study of the water table. A clean audit closed the books on fiscal 2025, and the farmers market got another reprieve. At a committee meeting, someone proposed new life for the old Fun Shop building, with apartments on a new third floor.

Council met December 11 with Councilmember Darlene Kirk absent. Mayor Bridge Littleton joined by video for the first part of the meeting, so Vice Mayor Chris Bernard presided. The Mayor votes only to break a tie.

We All Deserve Each Other

Council's resolutions told the two careers ▶ video:

Peter Leonard-Morgan: appointed in November 2016, he led the Sustainability Committee's "Go Green" work, the clean-ups and the Utilities Committee. Councilmember Pam Curran said she was told he was "the gold standard in terms of community engagement" when she took on her own committee. Littleton, who joined Council at about the same time, said he would miss Leonard-Morgan's energy and positivity. Leonard-Morgan gave the credit to staff and committee members and promised to keep coming to meetings as a citizen.
Bud Jacobs: he started in 2015 on the Wellhead Protection Advisory Committee, chaired it, and went on to Council and to Council's seat on the Planning Commission. Littleton said that after hearing Jacobs's first presentation on the wells, he thought, "that is the most absolutely objective man I have ever met in my entire life." Councilmember Kevin Daly said of the whole Council: "we take the task seriously, but we don't take ourselves seriously."

Jacobs closed with a story. A former Purcellville town manager, once a Navy SEAL, had told his town that its staff was the best team he'd ever served on. "Although I've never been a Seal," Jacobs said, he could say the same: "none, absolutely none as good and as solid as this one." He also told an old Russian joke that every people gets the government it deserves except the Americans, who deserve worse. Then he turned it around for the town, its committees and volunteers, its Council and its Mayor: "You all we all deserve each other. And I'm just so honored and so pleased to be a part of it."

Jacobs isn't going far. Effective January 1, Council appointed him to the Planning Commission seat left open by Chris Hersh's election to Council. Council also thanked three departing committee members:

Dev Roszel, Planning Commission chair, nearly ten years on the Commission. Jacobs said he took the chair at a hard time and led with thoroughness and kindness.
Rachel Minchew, Planning Commission since 2018, who moved here from Arlington wanting a community and said she found one.
Ric Woodie, Sustainability Committee since 2020, who stepped aside because his schedule was hurting the committee's quorum and plans to stay involved.

A Delegate and the Water Table

Delegate-elect John McAuliff of The Plains, who will represent Middleburg in Richmond, came to public comment to introduce himself ▶ video. "One of the things I'd like to do in my first term is make sure that we can get a state level study of what's going on with our water table here," he said. Town Manager Danny Davis said later that if he files that bill, the Town will throw its full support behind it. Council readopted last year's legislative positions for the 2026 session, 6-0: zoning, taxes and fiscal matters should stay local ▶ video.

The water picture hadn't changed much. Wells L and P drop when they run and recover slowly. Well 4 fell in early November to its old sensor depth of 295 feet, which Davis called unusual. Its sensor now sits ten feet above the pump, at 483 feet. The Town billed for 90 percent of the water it produced, which is normal. But the sewer plant treated 1.5 million gallons less than the Town pumped in October, so the Virginia Rural Water Association will come in to test for leaks.

A Clean Audit

David Foley of Robinson, Farmer, Cox gave fiscal 2025 an unmodified opinion, the cleanest an auditor can give ▶ video:

The general fund: a $928,000 surplus.
The utility fund: a $108,000 deficit, after paying off a $300,000 line of credit. It still meets its reserve policy, with $1.7 million unrestricted.
All funds: total governmental fund balance of $11.4 million, including the $6.3 million fiscal reserve and $3.8 million unassigned, of which $1.1 million is the loan to the utility fund.

Davis credited Finance Director Angela Fletcher and the switch to digital records the auditors could pull themselves.

The Market, One More Year?

Ali MacIntyre's survey reached nine of the market's 23 vendors, and seven said they would come back ▶ video. Visitor counts ran 300 to 400 a Saturday. She asked for a seasonal part-time market manager, since America 250 will take her time next year. The Council that's leaving leaned toward one more try:

For: Curran wants one more year, with less spent on music. Councilmember Cindy Pearson, who wanted to stop it a year ago, called this season "a breath of fresh air" and supported hiring help. Daly wants recruiting for next year's vendors to start now.
Wary: Leonard-Morgan was worried about the cost.
Bernard: 400 visitors a Saturday is "nothing to sneeze at." He suggested looking for a community partner to take on most of the cost, and said the Mayor would have more to say in January.

No vote was taken.

Also This Month

- The Fun Shop building: Deputy Town Manager Will Moore reported that the Historic District Review Committee held an early, pre-application talk about the former Fun Shop building on West Washington Street. It would get new façade work and a third floor, with "possibly as many as eight apartment units." The Comprehensive Plan calls for more housing, and Moore said the idea was fairly well received, "maybe other than colors." (The story of the shop itself, which closed in 2023, is in our feature If They Didn't Have It, You Didn't Need It.) - Christmas in Middleburg: the parade drew about 10,000 people, by Davis's estimate. Punkin Lee reported more than 400 at the tree lighting. Merchant parking was a scramble, and some frustrated visitors were rude, but the day went well. - Visit Loudoun: Beth Erickson reported that Loudoun wineries' yields fell by half this year. Visitors still come for tastings but are buying fewer bottles. A visitor study starting this month will look at Middleburg day-trippers versus overnight guests. - Asbury Church: the project committee sees the 90 percent schematic design on December 18. Most of the oral-history films are final, and Country Zest will feature the project in January. HDRC Chair Tim Clites is helping look for chandeliers to match the church's rescued 1923 fixture. - Other business: - Council approved a temporary part-time receptionist while an employee is on extended leave. - Jonathan Gifford was recommended for another term on the Board of Zoning Appeals. - Punkin Lee and Linda Wright were reappointed to the HDRC, and Steve Simons appointed. - Lynne Kaye was reappointed to the Sustainability Committee. - Will Moore is now a certified zoning administrator. - Rallye Middleburg plans to grow next year with the Vintage Racing Group. - The Salamander Farms suit was back on the closed-session agenda, so it is still active.

Public Comment

December 11 ▶ video

Delegate-elect John McAuliff, of The Plains, introduced himself and said he wants a state study of the water table.
Punkin Lee, West Federal Street, president of the business association, thanked the police for the tree lighting and the parade. She asked that merchant parking and drivers getting around the barricades be addressed for next year, and thanked Jacobs and Leonard-Morgan.

Tips & Wags (opinion)

Tip of the Hat to Bud Jacobs and Peter Leonard-Morgan. Between them, nearly twenty years of wells, sustainability, Ridgeview and good humor. We all deserve each other, and the town was lucky to get them.

Tip of the Hat to Delegate-elect McAuliff for walking in the door with the right first bill. File it, and Middleburg will be in Richmond to testify.

Wag of the Finger to the parade-day drivers who were rude to the National Sporting Library's staff over a parking space. It's Christmas in Middleburg, not a Black Friday lot.

Coming Up

December 13: Jingle in the Burg. December 18: Asbury schematic design to committee. December 20: Jingle Paws Parade.
January 8, 2026: new Council sworn in, with Chris Hersh and Deborah Gallagher; Vice Mayor election.
January: General Assembly session opens; a special use permit from the Planning Commission comes to Council.
January 23–24, 2026: America 250 kickoff and Burns Night.
February 11, 2026: Asbury Church oral-history premiere.

Sources: the meeting video (December 11), the Town's minutes (pending approval) and the transcript attached to them. Quotes come from the Town contractor's transcript; each ▶ link opens the video at the start of that agenda item.