Edinburg

Newsletter

EDINBURG NEWSLETTER
May 2026
112th Edition

GREETINGS FROM THE MAYOR
AND TOWN COUNCIL

I hope that this finds you and yours healthy, safe and enjoying the onset of spring. This has been another interesting year where we sometimes have gotten to enjoy all 4 seasons during a single day. Although looking around the rest of the Country, we can’t complain too much other than needing rain. Hopefully, we will soon get some nice rain to solve our drought issues before we move into summer.

I need to apologize about the lack of a February Newsletter this year. I remember wondering what I could talk about back in February and then the next thing I knew it was March moving into April. I’m going to blame it on the tax reassessment which definitely has given me a little more to work through this year. It has been a challenge to look at the changing values and determine what impact it will have on our residents, as well as how it might change revenues.

While none of us likes to see tax rates increase, the impact of the reassessment was vastly different as you looked at the different areas of the Town. Most of the older homes within the Historic District saw values increase 50% to more than 70%. Other areas saw much lower changes in value and actually would have had a minimal tax increase even if the Town had decided to leave the tax rate at the 2025 level of $0.19 per $100 of assessed value.

The Town Council decided at the April meeting to set the 2026 Real Estate Tax Rate at $0.17 per $100 of assessed value. This has the potential of increasing revenues by approximately $49,995 for the total year. With the twice a year tax billing we could see half of this coming in with the current Budget that ends on June 30, 2026. I said “could see” because not everyone pays their taxes by the June 5th deadline. The $0.17 Tax Rate will carry over to the new 2026-2027 Budget year.

You might also remember that the June Personal Property Tax bill will include the annual Car Licenses starting this year. This is also a Tax that some residents do not always pay in a timely manner. The Town Office plans to continue taking more aggressive steps, like the DMV Stops, to collect this tax including the car license.

While I’ve always dropped my tax payments off at the Town Office, there are other ways these can be paid. Payment may be made by mail, by phone, night drop box or in person at the Town Office. They may also be paid on-line at  www.townofedinburg.com  Once on the Town’s website, click PAY BILL on the homepage, select pay taxes and enter the amount to be paid. Then click on pay bill and follow the instructions to make the payment. You can also pay your water and sewer bill this way. Starting last year, there is a 2% fee for Credit Card payments, and please remember that any tax bill not paid by the due date will be subject to a 10% penalty, 8% interest per annum.

One last thing about taxes; you must let the County know when you trade, sell, donate a vehicle, or move from the Town of Edinburg so that they can remove the vehicle, and possibly you, from Edinburg’s Personal Property Tax bills. We get our tax information from the County and vehicles are based on what is on the County’s records as of January 1 of each tax year.

With the new $0.17 Tax Rate carrying forward into the 2026-2027 Budget, theTown Council has finalized the proposed Budget for the year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. The only fee increase is an additional $0.50 per month for Trash Pickup. This is needed to cover an increase in our contract for the service. The Budget includes additional sidewalk repairs, the purchase of a new winter pool cover, fence repairs, and upgrades to the Town Park.

The upgrades to the Town Park are tied to a $50,000 grant application that we hope to hear about sometime in May. We applied for the T-Mobile Hometown Grant in March. If we are successful it will allow us to add 6 fitness stations along the Park’s Walking Trail as well as some additional Playground equipment. The Grant will cover the purchase of the equipment and the Town will be paying around $15,000 for installation and other necessary work involved. If all goes as planned we will have the money in hand before the end of June and have until March 2027 to complete the project.

The Town Council will be holding a Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 7:15 pm to receive comments on the amended 2025-2026 Budget and the proposed Budget for the year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027.

In addition to the planned work, a number of events will be happening at the Town Park during the next couple of months. The Luray Model T club will be at the Park on Monday, May 11th. They will head our way that Monday after gathering for the weekend of May 8th in Luray. The group will be traveling here by way of the Fort Valley and be taking a break at the Town Park before traveling on to New Market. They are scheduled to arrive between 8:00 am and 10:00 am here in Edinburg.

The opening of the Town Pool is scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd during the Memorial Day Weekend; the Shelters, Disc Golf, Tennis Courts, Playground, and Restrooms at the Park are all sure to be in use before then. If you play Tennis, we hope that you like the new courts; steps have also been taken to make the Disc Golf Tees easier to locate.

Skyline Street Rods will be back in the Park again this year with a Car Show on Sunday, June 28th. This popular event starts at 9:00 am and always attracts a crowd to see all the vehicles which include antiques, street rods, custom cars, trucks and sport cars. There is sure to be something to please the car lovers.

I’m sure you have been hearing about a number of Anniversary Events celebrating America’s 250th. You might even have attended one or two that have already happened in other communities. Our local VFW Post 2447 here in Edinburg will be holding an event on Saturday, May 2nd that will start at 1:00 pm. District 3 Supervisor David Fergusson will be the featured speaker; along with a musical presentaton followed by Lunch. Everyone is invited to join in as they kickoff the 250th Anniversary of the United States here in Edinburg. This event is in addition to the VFW’s annual Memorial Day Program that will be held on Monday, May 25.

Then mark your calendar for Saturday, June 20th and head to Woodstock for “Shenandoah County Celebrates 1776”. The event will be hosted by The Shenandoah County Historical Society from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The opening ceremony will be held at the historic 1795 Courthouse. It will include a community choir, remarks by descendants of General Peter Muhlenburg, a presentation of flags and a march of re-enactors and Dragoons. The day will include living history encampments and reenactments, with calvary and weapon demonstrations. Attendees will also be able to meet notable Founding Era figures brought to life by period portrayers. There will be numerous featured speakers, as well as authors and historians doing presentations throughout the day.

Visitors will be able to take part in hands-on demonstrations of period trades including blacksmithing, leatherworking, gunsmithing, weaving, basketry, medicine and surveying. Other activities will include musical performances, colonial-era dancing, and a Children’s Activity Center.

Visit sc250.shenandoahhistory.org or contact Suzanne McIlwee at sartz@shentel.net or (540) 335-4477 to see the full schedule.

We have been hearing all about the importance of the mid-term election that will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026; but did you know it will also be a Town Election this year? Three Council seats are included in this election. Fay Wymer-Hollar, Brad Dellinger and Steve Wood are up for re-election. My position as Mayor is also up for re-election this year. As far as I know, everyone is planning on running again.

I believe we have a really good Town Council that has always kept the best interests of Edinburg’s residents in mind; and have done a very good job of accomplishing much with the very limited resources of a small town.  It is the sincere hope of all of us that you agree and will come out to vote in November.  With that being said, we realize you can’t make everyone happy all of the time; so if anyone is interested in running, they will need to turn in the required paperwork by Tuesday, June 16, 2026 to be included on the ballot.  Town Clerk, Mary Lowerre, has the paperwork needed to be placed on the ballot at the Town Office for anyone that might be interested.

I reported back in November that the Town was working on an Edinburg “LOVE” sign. It is really coming together and is going to be one of the more unique LOVE signs in Virginia. I wish I could have incuded a full color picure of the sign, but this black and white one will have to do for now. You can see a full color version at the Town Office if you are interested.

To all you moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

THAT’S IT FOR NOW, HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!  Your Mayor, Dan Harshman