Purcellville Mayor Christopher Bertaut is planning the the Town Council’s long-awaited strategic retreat – but councilmembers told Loudoun Now that only members of Bertaut’s majority coalition will be attending. Since taking office in January, all council members have highlighted the importance of a retreat to develop a directional plan for the town over the coming years. Councilmember Erin Rayner said that Bertaut has scheduled the retreat for Saturday, July 19 despite knowing for months that she and Councilmember Kevin Wright would be out of town that weekend. The date also coincides with the town’s Wine and Food festival, scheduled from 2 to 8 p.m. Councilmember Caleb Stought said he had booked a table at the event prior to learning of the scheduling.

For Charles City County, which has had to borrow money to pay its bills, the promise of a financial windfall has butted up against citizens’ fervent opposition to a proposed data center — and for many, a deepened lack of trust in government. “Treat us like the adults we are, and not like petulant children,” county resident Doreen Billingsley told the board Tuesday. “Everyone here tonight, and likely everyone in the county, wants to see this county flourish and do amazing things, but we cannot do that when important decisions affecting all of us are being made behind closed doors without our input.”

The city of Charlottesville lost a major battle Monday in its fight to preserve a recent citywide rezoning after its two-man legal team forgot to make a timely filing — a mistake that led a judge to issue a default ruling against the city. Charlottesville Circuit Judge Claude Worrell said he would enjoin the city from enforcing the new zoning ordinance that would have allowed greater density in construction across the city.