n LOUDOUN
4 | n LEESBURG
VOL. 10, NO. 12
10 | n PUBLIC SAFETY
15 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
Community-Supported News. Free to all.
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JANUARY 30, 2025
Purcellville Council Approves $185K Contract for Fraser BY HANNA PAMPALONI
hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now
Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence speaks at the Jan. 24 School Board retreat.
Inside the Proposed $2B School Budget BY AMBER LUCAS
alucas@loudounnow.org
In the weeks since Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence presented his proposed $1.96 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget Jan. 14, the School Board has been getting detailed briefings on the new programs and personnel included in the package. Spence is proposing a 7.2% increase
over the current year. Most of the budget increase, $99.1 million, is for staff compensation increases averaging 6.5%. If implemented the school division will add more staff positions than new students next year. The School Board has been briefed on the proposals during three work sessions, with another planned Jan. 30. The Jan. 23 public hearing generated no public comments.
The board is scheduled to vote on the spending plan at its Feb. 4 meeting. NEW PROGRAMS:
A proposal to roll out a new enterprise resource planning system would include several security enhancements at a cost of $7.9 million. The plan includes hiring eight school support officers for SCHOOL BUDGET continues on page 35
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Purcellville’s newest interim town manager, Kwasi Fraser, will be paid $185,000 a year during his time in the role, after a divided Town Council approved his contract Tuesday night. That salary comes to just over $7,115 every two weeks. Fraser, who served four two-year terms as the town’s mayor, was appointed during a Jan. 8 special meeting immediately after a newly elected council majority voted to fire Town Manager Rick Bremseth. Council members Erin Rayner, Kevin Wright, and Caleb Stought opposed Bremseth’s firing Jan. 8, and Fraser’s contract Tuesday night. The council had been poised to vote on Fraser’s contract during a Jan. 14 meeting, but Rayner, Wright, Stought and Council Member Susan Khalil said they had not had time to review the contract because it had not been sent to them in advance of the meeting. Vice Mayor Ben Nett said the contract was based on the contract used for Bremseth when he was first hire as an interim manager. During discussions Tuesday night, Wright said he had only received the contract Friday, Jan. 24 and asked how the contract’s salary had been reached, noting it was higher than Bremseth’s interim contract. That was agreed at FRASER CONTRACT continues on page 39
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