Emily Windle

Today was “Bring your child to work day” in the life of a City Councilor!

Liv and I enjoyed seeing the new exhibit at the Shenadoah Discovery Museum, and reading to students at Virginia Avenue Charlotte DeHart Elementary School! Thank you, Wi******er City Sheriff's Office for a continued effort organizing reading and giving books to every student!

I’m grateful for a community that embraces children and families.

Here’s the opening and closing ceremony information for the Healing Field Of Honor event! Come join us!!! 😊

Redistricting is officially over 🇺🇸
Virginia is too beautiful to be divided.

The City of Wi******er did what the state and federal government so often fail to do: we passed a budget, and we did so without increasing taxes.

I am fully aware this will not be the headline. In typical political fashion, much of the conversation will focus on what we did not do. This was a 4–5 month process involving public input, difficult conversations, revisions, deep dives into expenditures, and significant accomplishments. I will not allow the shortcomings to erase the successes.

Our staff tackled an astronomical increase in employee health insurance costs, assessing multiple models, negotiating different plan options, and ultimately achieving substantial savings during a nationwide insurance crisis. We secured the SAFER Grant, allowing us to continue growing our Fire & Rescue Department over the next five years. Every city employee will receive a 4% raise. Capital improvement projects remain on track, and one-time investments in vehicles and equipment continue as scheduled.

Our schools retained $1.8 million in carry-forward funds for one-time requests, and we increased their allocation by an additional $1.3 million over last year.

During this process, I proposed a model where approximately 33–34% of our organic revenue growth would automatically go to the schools. No other councilor supported that proposal. That is okay, I recognize there are challenges with that model as well, but I remain committed to finding ways to improve our budgeting process and create more predictability moving forward that does not always rely on a meals tax increase.

Our Sheriff also presented a program I would have liked to see funded, but it was not included either. That is the reality of budgeting: needs will almost always outpace available resources.

At the beginning of this budget cycle, downtown restaurant owners came before council and asked us not to increase the meals tax again. At 11.5%, Wi******er is already approaching one of the highest meals tax rates in Virginia. Combined with special assessment fees, parking costs, and other downtown expenses, many businesses are struggling to stay competitive.

I explored whether a special taxation boundary could shield downtown businesses from another increase, but state limitations made that impossible. Early in the budget process, a majority of council agreed to take a meals tax increase off the table. To reverse course at the eleventh hour would have broken faith with the people who trusted our word.

We still face serious challenges. Wi******er’s area median income has declined over the past four years. That is a troubling economic trend, and it is not solved simply by raising taxes. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth itself still does not have a finalized budget, and if the state fails to reach an agreement in the coming weeks, localities across Virginia could once again be forced into uncertainty and renegotiation.

The reality is that it may be a very long time before Wi******er is able to pass another budget without raising taxes. Between unfunded mandates, infrastructure demands, rising operational costs, and the pressures of growth, the road ahead will not be easy.

But this year, we accomplished something meaningful: we passed a responsible, balanced budget that protected taxpayers, invested in employees, continued supporting our schools, and kept the city moving forward without asking more from residents and businesses already feeling the weight of today’s economy.

No budget is ever perfect, but we cannot allow the pursuit of perfect to erase the good that was accomplished. The work for next budget cycle starts today, and if this one was any indication, we are going to continue to improve our processes and find ways to continually do better for our citizens.

Motherhood changed me for the better, and I’m still figuring it out day by day. Grateful for my girls, a supportive and loving husband who has helped me every step of the way, and the best mother who set the example and standard for me growing up.

Happy Mother’s Day to all ❤️

The VA Supreme Court made the right decision today, protecting our constitution and the voice of voters all across Virginia.

We cannot undo the political division, billions wasted, and time lost to this stunt, but we can move forward. Next step: national ban on gerrymandering. Districts must be drawn following each census and focus on keeping communities together, not divided for political power.

Mother’s Day is around the corner and you’re looking for that perfect homemade gift? Grab some paper and let me (6 years ago) show you:

Paper Dress Tutorial Made specifically for distance learning Mother's Day activity

Driving through the city this morning, you’d never know the Apple Blossom Festival just wrapped up. No trash, no clutter, everything back in perfect order.

Huge thanks to the city staff who jumped right in and cleared the streets so quickly. And thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this weekend such a success. Your efforts didn’t go unnoticed!

Appreciate you all.

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Picture of our walk home, feet sore, bellies full of pink and green sugar.

This morning, I found myself reminiscing about my very first Apple Blossom Festival. I’ll never forget that feeling, standing in the middle of it all, completely overwhelmed (in the best way) by the sea of people, the pink and green, and the powerful sense of community.

I was a new teacher, fresh out of college, and I knew maybe ten people. But I felt really inspired by the love of community here.

This week, I got to watch my daughters experience that same magic. You welcomed them with open arms, doted on them, included them in the fun, and may have spoiled them with more than a few extra cookies. Watching their eyes light up as they felt the love of this community has been the greatest gift.

Thank you for embracing us so beautifully and for giving me the honor of serving this incredible city I am blessed to call home.

Happy Apple Blossom, Wi******er! 🌸✨ Let’s keep blooming together.