Tears of Joy

February 28, 2026 · By Jay Hubbard

Council weighs a $55,000 offer to run the farmers market, February 12, 2026. (Town of Middleburg meeting video)

On February 11, 160 people filled Town Hall to watch the Asbury Church oral histories, the stories of the church and of Middleburg's Black community, told by the people who lived them. The next night the Council canceled the farmers market after nearly thirty years, turning down a $55,000 offer to run it. It also took a first look at water rates that would charge heavy users more, and learned the Town's water rates may be the highest in Virginia.

Council met February 12 and February 26 with all members present. Mayor Bridge Littleton votes only to break a tie.

Tears of Joy

The America 250 evening on February 11 was the premiere of the oral-history films, about 20 minutes of composite and ten individual interviews, along with the first public look at the church's restoration design. Town Clerk Rhonda North said the night after that 160 chairs were set out and almost all were full ▶ video. Town Manager Danny Davis stayed up late putting the films on the Town website. By the end of the month the composite had nearly 600 views, and the films more than a thousand together.

North read a note from the son of one of the women interviewed, who wrote that he was "fighting back the tears of joy because of the history and amazing family ties to the community." "This project was a project of a lifetime, and I really appreciate the opportunity to have led that," she said.

At public comment, Megan Gallagher thanked the Asbury Church committee: Councilmember Cindy Pearson, former Councilmember Bud Jacobs, former Mayor Davis and the Town Manager. She called the evening a triumph and announced that the Board of Supervisors would honor baseball legend Asbury Lloyd, one of the interviewees, on February 18 ▶ video. Punkin Lee said the night was "goosebumps, warm and fuzzy. Very sobering," and praised those who told their stories for telling it like it was. Donations for the restoration have started coming in. Lee's Beautification Committee will plant the garden, and Jim Roberts will donate the clock that once hung in the church.

The End of the Market

Ali MacIntyre brought the one outside offer to run the farmers market ▶ video. The operator runs the Brambleton market, which draws 4,000 people a weekend. It wanted $55,000, down from $65,000, to run a turnkey market here. It aimed for at least forty vendors, charged vendors far more than the Town's $150 season fee, and planned a 35-week season. Staff recommended not going ahead.

Size: Vice Mayor Chris Bernard was surprised the operator thought "it's such a slam dunk to double the size of it and still make it viable," and asked where a market that size would even fit.
Parking: Davis asked where an extra thousand people would park and eat on Saturdays. Council's own goal has been to move visitors to weekdays because "our weekends are already packed."
The mission: Councilmember Pam Curran said the offer would add vendors but not deliver a smaller market supported by locals, which was the point.
The business case: Councilmember Chris Hersh said the Economic Development Advisory Committee had already concluded the return wasn't worth even $40,000. A farmers market "is kind of a cool thing to have present," he said, but not from the business side.
Cancel: Councilmember Kevin Daly: "I'd go so far to say cancel it."

Councilmember Darlene Kirk, who shops at the market weekly, argued forty vendors would bring business to town. Council voted 6-1, Kirk opposed, not to hold a 2026 market. Littleton asked staff to keep looking for someone who could run one for less. MacIntyre thanked market manager Kim Shelly.

Who Pays for Water

The tiered water rates came back on February 12 ▶ video:

Who uses what: 87.7 percent of customers use under 10,000 gallons every two months. Twenty-two users take 62 percent of the water, and Salamander alone about half.
The proposal: the minimum bill would drop from $83 to $43 and the average household bill by 28 percent. Users above about 21,000 gallons every two months would pay more. Multifamily buildings like Windy Hill's get their own category so they aren't hit by the higher tier.
The worry: the Strategic Finance Committee isn't ready to recommend it. Bernard called it "a political decision." Pearson worries about restaurants already squeezed on food, labor and power. A big restaurant might see its bill rise 8 to 10 percent.

Davis said, "We have what I believe are probably the highest rates in the Commonwealth," about $20 to $21 per thousand gallons. Littleton pushed back on that. Most towns sell water to customers outside town limits; 85 percent of Round Hill's users are outside and pay far more. Middleburg refuses to, he said, "because that promotes sprawl," and so it controls its own future. Hamilton just raised rates 37 percent after years of not keeping up, Davis noted, while Middleburg has raised its rates 3 percent a year. Still ahead: about $1 million to treat Well 3's water, about $1.7 million to replace Ridgeview's breaking water lines, and $4 million to $4.5 million in equipment replacement over five years, more than the utility fund can borrow. Council will take this up at its retreat, with a public hearing in May.

Also This Month

- Taxes: real estate values rose just over 7 percent, and existing single-family homes 9.2 percent. Five new homes at the Residences at Salamander, at $3 million to $6 million each, account for about a third of the jump. Davis is building the budget on an equalized rate plus 3 percent. Meals tax is up about 5 percent and lodging tax about 2 percent. - The Fun Shop: the Historic District Review Committee gave conditional approval to the exterior changes and rear addition at the old Fun Shop. Site and building plans are next. - Police: Chief Shaun Jones earned the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police's executive certification. In January one officer, taking a woman into emergency custody without backup, was out of town six to seven hours while the bookstore had to be evacuated. - Snow: after the biggest storm in six or seven years, the Town cleared parking along Route 50 a block at a time, with Chief Jones and maintenance supervisor Tim Cole planning twelve hours a day. Staff will propose standard rules for future storms, including whether the Town should clear some sidewalks. - Burns Night: it sold out despite the snow, with gross sales of $12,000. A raffle raised $960 for Seven Loaves, and Artists in Middleburg raised more than $2,100. The Arts & Community Events Committee wants to run it again in 2027 for $23,000, then hand it off. Kathleen Fraser praised the Mayor's part in the traditional ceremony ▶ video. - Christmas in Middleburg: Doug and Michelle Myers reported a record number of volunteers, a new Kids' Zone with Foxcroft and the Community Center, a $151,000 cost, and 10 percent of proceeds given to local groups ▶ video. Littleton called the crowd size "spot on." - Water studies: Loudoun Water, at the County's request, is starting two studies, one of how the towns run their systems and one of western Loudoun's groundwater. Littleton said Loudoun Water confirmed it has no intention of taking over the towns' systems. - Other business: - Bills the Town is watching: by-right multifamily housing in commercial districts (HB 816), and a surviving backyard-apartment bill the Town has written to oppose. - The County Administrator's budget left out South Madison Street. - Three sewer repairs will go out to bid, to be done before VDOT repaves Route 50. - Council accepted a Ten Eyck print of the Loudoun courthouse from Mark and Betsy Davis. - Windy Hill's housing plan for the Robinson property goes to the retreat.

Public Comment

February 12 ▶ video

Megan Gallagher, East Marshall Street, thanked the Town and the Asbury committee for the premiere and the restoration design, and announced the County's tribute to Asbury Lloyd.
Punkin Lee, West Federal Street, praised the premiere and those who told their stories.

February 26: no one spoke.

Tips & Wags (opinion)

Tip of the Hat to Rhonda North and everyone who sat in front of Caandor's cameras. Watch the films on the Town website. They are the best thing Middleburg made this year.

Tip of the Hat to Council for ending the market honestly. Twenty-six Saturdays of staff time for a few hundred shoppers was never going to add up, and nobody pretended otherwise.

Wag of the Finger to the idea that one officer can cover a town for seven hours while taking someone to a hospital. That is the staffing gap Council heard about in 2025, and it hasn't gone away.

Coming Up

February 18: Board of Supervisors honors Asbury Lloyd.
Early March: Council strategic planning retreat: Asbury costs, water rates, Windy Hill, the market's future.
March 11: Citizens Academy.
March 24: America 250 Women's History celebration.
April: America 250 Trivia Night at Lost Barrel. April 25: Wellness Day.
May: utility rate public hearing. May 9: Art in the Burg.

Sources: the meeting videos (February 12, February 26), the Town's minutes (pending approval) and the transcripts attached to them. Quotes come from the Town contractor's transcripts; each ▶ link opens the video at the start of that agenda item.