Merit Versus Reality: Town Council Weighs Priorities Against Finance

“We have many needs, not wants but needs.”

Councilman Glenn Wood summarized the prevailing concern at a work session on March 9. Is it realistic, he wondered, to completely rule out the possibility of raising taxes in the future? Last year, tax was reduced, but with growing concerns that only intensify with time, that trajectory, he suggested, may not be sustainable. Vice-Mayor Amber Veitenthal, while friendly to the idea of entertaining this question at the upcoming council retreat, emphasized the negative impact of a tax hike, specifically on Town employees, who are doing their best to break even in a career that they love. With a valid point being made on each side, the conversation stressed the need for strategic thinking in the days and weeks ahead.

The Town Council gathers for a work session on March 9. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

Craig Kleinhenz of AMP presents two potential power purchase agreements to the council.

Perhaps, at such a time, it is beneficial to be reminded of something that the council can safely say is not a wise expenditure of time and money. A representative of MSW Consultants presented a feasibility study of semi-automated trash collection to the council. A hydraulic arm controlled by a joystick in the one-man operated cab has the potential to replace any human trash collectors outside the cab. The pros for this method include greater speed and less exposure to injury. The cons include a more frequent need for replacement of equipment and the incompatibility with many of Front Royal’s neighborhoods. The report came with a recommendation of disapproval, based on the calculation that approximately eighty percent of the homes in town would present barriers to this method, due to challenges that include cul-de-sacs and parking on both sides of the street.

John Culbertson of MSW presents a feasibility study to the council.

Clerk of Council Tina Presley presents to the council an ordinance amendment pertaining to the administration of government.

Amid budget and ordinance amendments, proposed power purchase agreements, and the mayor’s commendation of staff for everything they have done to prepare the budget, the question hung in the air: What does it mean to be good, not merely as individuals, but as a community? To Wood’s point, it is not good to live with needs that become more acute with time, for the sake of financial security that is fleeting because it was achieved at the expense of those needs. To Veitenthal’s point, it is certainly not good to make fiscal decisions that disadvantage the Town’s most vital personnel. So, which comes first, the restraint or the investment? Both will be deciding factors at the retreat on March 16, which the Royal Examiner plans to cover.

Watch the Front Royal Town Council Work Session of March 9, 2026.