Eugene Delgaudio - Sterling District
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Springtime is Tax Time?

April 5, 2004

I want to invite you to my Spring Celebration on April 17. I am reminding you that I can not carry on this campaign without you.

I know it is a cold Spring and Easter is just days away. It will warm up and I need your help to get our work done.

Call me at 703-421-4599 to be part of the fundraising event for my re-election campaign on Saturday, April 17, 2004 at 4 p.m. at

In times when a Democratic Governor, and some Republicans, push for more spending, you can count on me to represent your voice for decreasing the spending burden. In times when regulations pour out from Richmond, Washington and Leesburg, you can count on me to reduce the unnecessary regulation.

What is going on in Leesburg?

In a non-binding straw vote, the board of supervisors voted six "yes" and three "no" last Thursday night on a tax rate and budget at a quarter of a penny shy of $1.11. The supervisors voting NO to this rate were Eugene Delgaudio, Mick Staton and Lori Waters.

Tomorrow, April 6th there will be a regular Board of Supervisors meeting and those 3 Supervisors may vote against the proposed one quarter of a penny shy of $1.11 tax rate.

The other 3 Republicans (Bruce Tulloch, Steve Snow, and Jim Clem) along with the 3 liberals voted for the proposed one quarter of a penny shy of $1.11 tax rate. And they may vote formally for it Tuesday, April 6.

How did we get to this point?

As reported in the newspapers, many of my proposals and methods for reducing spending were embraced over the last 90 days and it took a lot of work on the part of the six Republican Supervisors. In actions taken by the board: Administrator Kirby Bower's proposed budget was reduced from $1.19 to $1.11, with $36 million in reductions of one kind or another. Then Supervisors further reduced spending over a two week period to $1.10 (one penny lower).

About one week ago tonight, sometimes 5 or 6, 7 or 8 of the Supervisors continued adding to the budget, ending with add-ons for salary and things like the Lovettsville Park.

So unless a majority of Supervisors change their minds and a deadlock ensues, the budget will be passed with an effective increase in the amount of money that taxpayers pay in property taxes.

The equalized rate or the rate that raises the same amount of money that was spent last year, without any increase, would be $1.02.

The Republican Committee promoted a $1.09 tax rate, which would have slowed the rate of tax increases. I promoted a 99 cent rate, which would have countered rising assessments and delivered actual tax cuts.

Many of the proposals for reductions did pass. But many other reductions in recent days were presented by Supervisors Delgaudio, Staton and Waters and were voted down or did not gather a majority of votes. There will be more information coming your way on this.

I kept my promise to support real tax cuts, and will continue to do so. Some Supervisors claim that there are no proposals to reduce spending. You know different.

Had they adopted ALL of my proposed reductions, proposals supported in part or in whole by the Loudoun Easterner, Leesburg Today and Northern Virginia Journal, (or reported in the other papers) there would have been no need for the School Board's proposed cuts.

You know for example that a simple salary freeze would net many millions of dollars. But there was not 5 votes out of 9 for a complete salary freeze. We needed five votes for a salary freeze.

There were many other proposals, like completely eliminating the DARE program in the schools because it only promotes drug use according to a study that was presented to the Board.

You know that spending and wasteful programs can be eliminated. Supervisors do not have to spend money on a new park in Lovettsville or Franklin Park, especially when schools have to do with less.

Here are some links to articles reporting the "discussions" to get this far.

BOARD Backs Lovettsville Park; Snow, Delgaudio Spar Over Cuts Leesburg Today - Leesburg,VA,USA

"... (a) commitment of about $2 million over five years-for a new park just outside the town sailed through on a 7-1 vote, with Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) (voting no)"

BOARD To Cut Tax Rate By One Quarter Of One Cent; $3 Million ... Leesburg Today - Leesburg,VA,USA

"... Supervisors Lori Waters (R-Broad Run), Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) and Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) opposed the vote."

(Let me, again, share with you something that many people in Loudoun County don't know. If you send an e-mail to [email protected], your message will be distributed to all the elected Supervisors in Loudoun County. I don't know if all Supervisors read these messages, but I know that I do.)

Please visit April 17.

I need to catch up with you and maybe you can spare some time to help me do that.

To replace the money spent on two newsletters that have been sent to 12,000 voters (95 percent of my expenditures are in the newsletter) and to help pay for the next newsletter, my re-election campaign committee is hosting a Spring Celebration, Saturday, April 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Santini's Restaurant (formerly Jimmy Gs) in the community plaza shopping center under the Clock Tower.

THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PIZZA, SALAD AND SODA FOR YOU AND YOURS ON APRIL 17.

In my next e- newsletter, there will be reports on traffic signals, stop signs, the massive replacement of the sewer pipes in Sterling and our celebrities will be announced for April 17.

I am worried you will not be coming. I have not heard from you. Please take the time to donate anything from $1,000, to $15, depending on your resources, and the intensity of your feelings that we need to preserve the interests of the residents of Loudoun County.

Of course, it is a good time to get together since the last event in December was a lot of fun.

P.S. Career Day at Sterling Middle School, photos of my speaking to students at

http://joineugene.com/photogallery/gallery.php?id=16

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