Tony Sabio was recently appointed as Purcellville’s interim Town Manager, effective Friday, November 14. According to Sabio, while he lacks experience in municipal governance, he brings a wealth of knowledge from his work in federal contracts, the Secret Service, and the private sector. In addition to this new role, Sabio is also campaigning to become the Republican nominee in the upcoming election for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District.
His involvement in the interview process began about a month and a half ago through connections in the federal government and private sector. The mayor and a majority of town council members interviewed him, stressing the importance of transparency and communication. Notably, council members Erin Rayner, Caleb Stought, and Kevin Wright were not part of this process and were unaware it was happening. Additionally, the majority members did not inform Sabio of the existing recall process during their discussions.
During council comments on Tuesday, Mayor Bertaut elaborated on the need for Sabio’s expertise during budget season. He highlighted public concerns that have been expressed about the town potentially falling off a fiscal cliff if the drawdown in reserves were to continue unchecked. Bertaut noted that, what he hasn’t seen is progress and that he sees this (Sabio) as a necessary step in that direction.
Due to past experiences with political targeting, Sabio has chosen not to publicly share his exact residence, confirming only that he lives in Northern Virginia. Although he maintains his business in Vienna, he has moved to safeguard his family’s privacy, explaining, “We have this… the 15-mile radius… I’ll figure that portion out.”
During his interview process with the Mayor and his majority, Sabio learned about town-specific issues, such as the ongoing criminal allegations against Nett and Fraser. Although he had a limited past connection with Nett from their time in the Secret Service Academy, their professional paths diverged after graduation. Reflecting on this, Sabio stated, “Ben Nett was in the same academy as me back in 2002. After graduation, he went in his own direction. The connection now comes because… it was, ‘Hey, somebody that you know is over there on the council, Ben Nett.’” Despite not having a background in municipal governance, Sabio said he is dedicated to working with all council members to effectively serve the community.
While balancing his interim Town Manager duties with his congressional campaign, Sabio views his new position with the town as temporary, aiming to stabilize town operations over the next three months before considering his next steps. However, budget season will extend beyond Sabio’s three-month commitment, typically extending until May or sometimes June. “I’m looking, I’ll be looking at three months… I told them just three months, we can re-evaluate,” he remarked. Despite these dual commitments, Sabio said he remains committed to engaging fully with Purcellville’s council and community, and to bringing a fresh perspective as the town’s interim town manager.