The Loudoun Museum failed again Monday to convince Loudoun supervisors of its financial viability and worthiness of a county grant, leaving a dim fate for the nonprofit group.
The board’s finance committee voted unanimously to recommend to the full board to withhold the county’s currently planned $63,000 donation to the museum. Loudoun County’s total budget is approximately $1.8 billion.
During fiscal 2013 budget discussions in March, the full board voted to tentatively fund the museum pending review after a 120-day planning period. The board requested that representatives of the museum show an ability to raise a greater share of funding outside taxpayer dollars, as well as exhibit more of its collection on a consistent basis.
County staff said their review didn’t find either of those two conditions have been met.
The museum in downtown Leesburg houses nearly 8,000 Loudoun County artifacts, including fine furniture and documents signed by George Washington and James Monroe, antique quilts and clothing. In recent years, the staff has been cut by nearly two-thirds and funding reduced more than 70 percent.
Supervisor Ken Reid (R-Leesburg) said he doesn’t believe the museum is capable of finding a sustainable path.
“I think it’s very clear when you look at the financial statements that the museum doesn’t have a market,” Reid said.
The president of the Loudoun Museum, Liz Whiting, said her organization has held at least one emergency meeting and shown a willingness to explore new avenues of funding, but it’ll be a long process.
Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin), who’s also a member of the museum’s board, agreed with Whiting. He asked that the board give the museum more time to strengthen fundraising efforts
“This isn’t going to happen overnight, but I think the museum can get on its feet and draw more funding from outside,” Higgins said. “Be aware, the funding they had from government entities has gone from $306,000 to $63,000.”
The full board will take up the museum’s funding during its July 17 meeting.
I remember about 4 years ago, the County Board of Supervisrs cut the Museum’s $300,000. grant in half, then the NEXT year that amount was cut in HALF! The Museum had to lay off talented full time employees, stop programs and scramble to try to stay “alive” and open. Now, I think that this year’s grant is lower again.
If the Museum closes, what will happen to their tons of Loudoun artifacts?
Preserving history & heritage cannot always a “revenue neutral” enterprise!(a term I keep hearing thrown around by the Board.)
Shame on Mr Reid! He’s had it out for the Loudoun Museum since his Leesburg Town Council days.
Don’t let flippy floppy Reid off the hook he wants it both ways with metro for hundreds of millions of dollars but will not support this museum hmm wonder what Reid said about Minchews Post Office that looses money year after year?
Museums are like roads, they don’t earn money they cost money; does not mean they have no value.
All the money we spent on sports complexes, a water park, etc and we cannot even find less than a dollar from each household to give the museum?
Yikes! Come on Reid…some institutions don’t generate money because they provide an invaluable service, like this one…the history of Loudoun. It isn’t always about the bottom line….it’s about the intangible advantage to have this museum operating. We’ll look like a bunch of hicks for not recognizing the value of our historical roots. Wake up board! Reid maybe you should donate your time and energy to planning a fundraiser for it….show us how easy that is to do.
I wrote about this issue in the Loudoun Time’s-Mirror’s Historic Downtown Tab, published February 2, 2011. Apparently, lots of people missed the red flag. Anyone who’s concerned should show up for the July 17th meeting???? Here’s a pdf of the article, written before the curator’s position was cut: Loudoun Museum4.pdf
A BILLION for one metro stop in Ashburn, and they can’t fine any money for a piece of Loudoun county history? Shame on our board of supervisors!
It might be too late, but they could start with advertising its existence. I’ve live in Loudoun for 20 years and have never heard of it. People’s time is finite; they need to bang the drum on what they have and why it’s important. I’ll make it a point to go check it out.
Gosh, really? Do culture and history mean anything at all to this board of supervisors? In addition to its good employment opportunities and planned neighborhoods, Loudoun County has long been known for its rich history. This little museum is one of the rapidly dwindling symbols of the roots of our esteemed county. Every organization is suffering right now—why single out the museum this way, when its existence should have everything to do with its importance to our county’s heritage, rather than it’s profitability. Wow, I’m really sad to see this is the mindset of the current supervisors. I hope some citizens of our fine county who still recognize and respect Loudoun for where it’s been as well as where it’s going will rise to the occasion and impress this message upon the BOS. They succeeded in getting Metro to Loudoun (another big win for the builders and power mongers who stand to benefit the most from this). How about lending a hand to a small but noble institution that seeks to preserve the memories of much of what helped Loudoun to become the wonderful county it is today.
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