Economic Development

Loudoun County’s economy should create opportunity for residents and support businesses that employ people, serve neighborhoods, and contribute to community life.

Good jobs. Strong local businesses. A balanced economy.

Donate
Get Involved
Ask a Question

Introduction

Data centers have generated substantial tax revenue, but Loudoun should not build its economic future around one industry.

A strong economy includes small businesses, trades, restaurants, retail, healthcare, childcare, technology, professional services, manufacturing, arts, tourism, nonprofits, and businesses that employ residents at a range of skill levels.

Jon supports economic development that creates jobs, strengthens commercial areas, and brings services residents actually use.

What Jon Supports

Diversify Loudoun’s Economy

  • Create substantial local employment

  • Provide career pathways

  • Serve residents

  • Fill gaps in underserved areas

  • Strengthen commercial districts

Loudoun should actively recruit and support businesses beyond large data centers.

  • Support tourism and community identity

  • Offer apprenticeship and training opportunities

  • Contribute to a balanced tax base

Support Small and Local Businesses

  • Streamlined permitting

  • Clear guidance

  • Faster responses

  • Small-business technical assistance

  • Help navigating county processes

  • Local procurement opportunities

  • Support for minority-, women-, veteran-, and immigrant-owned businesses

  • Fair treatment in contracting

Small businesses create jobs, build community, and keep more money circulating locally.

Government should maintain health, safety, and environmental protections without creating unnecessary obstacles.

Mitigate Computer-Equipment Tax Impacts

  • Small-business grants

  • Targeted rebates

  • Low-interest loans

  • Credits where legally permitted

  • Phase-in assistance

  • Equipment modernization programs

  • Eligibility limits focused on genuinely small businesses

Increasing the data center computer-equipment tax can also affect smaller businesses with taxable computers and equipment because of Virginia’s current tax structure.

Jon supports seeking state legislation that separates large-scale data center equipment from ordinary business equipment.

Large data centers should not receive a discount simply because state law also captures neighborhood businesses.

Until that happens, Loudoun should consider:

Use Data Center Revenue Strategically

  • Infrastructure

  • Commercial-district improvements

  • Workforce training

  • Childcare assistance

  • Transit

  • Small-business support

  • Utility relief

  • Public facilities

  • Economic-development reserves

Additional revenue should help create a broader and more resilient economy.

These investments can be adjusted if revenues change and do not require permanent dependence on one industry.

Jon supports using flexible revenue for:

Make Commercial Space More Accessible

  • Preserving commercial areas for active businesses

  • Reviewing zoning barriers

  • Supporting mixed-use districts

  • Encouraging smaller storefronts

  • Preventing incompatible uses from consuming valuable transit-oriented land

  • Exploring tools that lower barriers for local entrepreneurs

Data center demand and speculative development can increase land values and make it harder for community-serving businesses to locate in Loudoun.

Land near Metro and major population centers should prioritize housing, employment, services, and community activity.

Workforce Development

Economic development should connect residents to real jobs.

  • Apprenticeships

  • Trade education

  • Partnerships with schools and colleges

  • Paid internships

  • Career training

  • Programs for young adults

  • Support for displaced workers

  • Employer partnerships tied to measurable hiring

Responsible Incentives

  • Job-creation commitments

  • Wage standards

  • Transparent agreements

  • Community benefits

Public incentives should produce clear public benefits.

  • Performance reporting

  • Clawback provisions when promises are not met

  • Public review before major commitments

Economic development should be measured by more than square footage and tax revenue.

DONATE
GET INVOLVED
ASK A QUESTION

Jon will work to build a diverse economy with good jobs, strong local businesses, active commercial areas, and real benefits for the people who live here.