News

WJLA

By Nick Minock

FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 to move forward with massive pay increases for themselves.

Before the raises take effect next year, there will be a public hearing on March 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center on 12000 Government Center Parkway Fairfax, Va. 22035. You can sign up to speak in person or virtually, according to a county spokesperson.

Chairman Jeff McKay and other supervisors explained why they felt taxpayers should give them upwards of a 45% raise.

“Some may have been born into a political dynasty and have wealth and have part-time jobs that allow this work to happen,” said McKay. “Others don’t come from that background.”

County taxpayers already compensate McKay $100,000 a year. McKay’s salary may now increase to $145,000 which would also give a big boost to his county pension. Other Fairfax County Supervisors make about $90,000 a year and their salary may increase up to $130,000.

Pat Herrity, who was one of two supervisors to vote against the raises, mentioned how the role of a supervisor is technically a part-time job.

“This is public service,” said Herrity. “This is a board position. This isn’t ten mini-county executives trying to run the county.”

McKay and Supervisor John Foust disagreed.

“I personally consider this a full-time job,” said Foust.

Herrity brought up how McKay drives a county car, which was first reported by 7News. We confirmed McKay drives a Ford Fusion Hybrid which is paid for by McKay’s office budget.

On Tuesday, 7News Reporter Nick Minock asked McKay’s office if McKay is reporting the use of the county Ford Fusion Hybrid as income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and asked if McKay is personally paying for the annual county property tax on the Ford Fusion Hybrid or is he paying the vehicle property taxes from his office budget. 7News will update this story when McKay’s office responds.

“I understand that there are some supervisors that have county take-home vehicles,” Herrity said during Tuesday’s meeting. “I don’t remember that coming before the Board [of Supervisors] but it would be useful to have that information and take that into account when we’re looking at compensation because compensation is bigger than just a paycheck.”

But, McKay changed the topic and brought up how only supervisors who vote ‘yes’ on the proposal would get raises and supervisors who disagree would have to give the raise back to the county.

Critics of supervisors’ and McKay’s massive pay raise said it is a slap in the face for county workers who may only get 2% raises from the Board of Supervisors this year and critics also argue the huge raise is tone-deaf as property taxes and car taxes are rising in Fairfax County –– something the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors could fix if they wanted to.

“Our residents are struggling with inflation, high inflation, they’re struggling with a 50% increase in their taxes in the last 10 years,” said Herrity. “We got a budget in front of us that doesn’t even address public safety and some of the other critical positions.”

But Supervisor Dalia Palchik called the raise a “slight change” and Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the current county salary is a barrier for people to run for the Board of Supervisors.

“When I had to deliberate on running for the Board of Supervisors, this issue was a very significant one,” said Lusk said during Tuesday’s meeting. “From conversations with my wife. She was trying to understand how I could take a salary cut is how she described it because of the compensation that we make on this board. I have two daughters, one that’s in college, she will be graduating this year. And the only reason I could run is because I had spent 30 years working in this county prior and I retired and then I became able to meet the financial requirements that I would have as a parent, father, husband.”

“I look forward to hearing from the community and hopefully we are able to make that slight change so that when we come around to another four years, we have a very representative body and candidates who are able to make that choice,” said Palchik.

The supervisors who voted for pay increases for next year’s Board of Supervisors include Penelope Gross, James Walkinshaw, John Foust, Rodney Lusk, Daniel Storck, Dalia Palchik, Kathy Smith, and Chair McKay.

The supervisors who voted against the pay increases were Pat Herrity and Walter Alcorn.

The Washington Post

By Antonio Olivio

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering raising the board’s salaries by as much as 45 percent for the chairman’s office and as much as 37 percent for individual supervisors — a move aimed at broadening the pool of applicants who seek a seat on the board, but one that has angered county employees seeking higher salaries.

A March 21 public hearing set by the board Tuesday will kick off a process to consider the board’s first pay raise since 2016, when the chairman’s salary was increased to $100,000 per year and supervisors began annually making $95,000.All of the positions are part time, although most board members treat them as full-time jobs, involving weekend events and time spent on regional boards.

If the plan is approved, the chairman’s salary would go up to between $140,000 and $145,000 per year, and supervisors’ salaries would increase to between $125,000 and $130,000 per year — starting in January, after county elections on board seats are held in November.

The median household income in Fairfax County is just below $128,000 per year.

Supervisor John W. Foust (D-Dranesville) — who introduced the motion and would not be affected because he is leaving the board after his term expires in January — said the proposed pay raises are a way to attract more people of modest incomes to run for the county board in a community where many residents struggle to pay mortgages or to find affordable child care.

“Compensation should not be a barrier to run for or serve in public office,” Foust said before the board voted 8-2 to schedule the public hearing. Supervisors Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Walter L. Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) opposed setting the public hearing.

But the idea may generate some controversy at a time when Northern Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction is still dealing with the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Taxpayer groups are unhappy about County Executive Bryan Hill’s proposed budget, which is based on a residential property tax rate freeze that nonetheless means homeowners would pay an average of $520 more in their annual tax bills because of higher property assessments.

The county’s more than 12,000 employees are also angry about what they called insufficient pay raises proposed under that budget, which included a 2 percent pay increase, plus raises based on performance and longevity, instead of a 5.44 increase that was initially calculated.

“Despite our calls for wage fairness for county employees, it appears the county has another priority — raises for politicians,” Tammie Wondong, president of the Service Employees International Union local that represents Fairfax County employees, said in a statement.

Foust’s proposal is based on two calculations made by county staff. First, the percentage increase is roughly equivalent to how much county employee salaries have risen since the board last approved a salary hike for supervisors in 2015.

Also, the proposed amount is about as much as what full-time board members in some other large jurisdictions make, according to the county.

In Montgomery County, the council’s president is paid $171,912.46 per year. The other members receive a salary of $156,284.05, according to that county’s website. The D.C. Council chairman makes $210,000 per year, and council members are paid $154,437.

However, neighboring Prince William County’s board chair earns $49,452 per year for that part-time position, and supervisors make $43,422. Loudoun County recently increased pay for its part-time board by regular increments over the next four years, with the chair’s position going up by 6 percent in January to $91,064.

Herrity argued that Fairfax’s compensation should be more akin to its closest neighbors in Northern Virginia since the supervisor’s position is still technically part time. He also said hiking the board’s salary now sends the wrong message to county employees who are also struggling with the region’s high cost of living.

“This is public service,” said Herrity, who earns a second salary as part-time chief financial officer to a computer security company. “What we’re forgetting here is that our county, our police officers, they’re not even at the average starting salary. We’ve got some work to do there.”

Supervisor Dalia A. Palchik (D-Providence) talked about how hard it’s been to serve her constituents while scrambling to find affordable child care for her 1-year-old daughter.

“My scheduling meeting every single week is a struggle,” she said. “We are trying to figure out how to make child care, which is so unaffordable, work.”

Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk (D-Franconia) said he wouldn’t have been able to get elected as the board’s first African American man if he didn’t already have a stable retirement income from his previous work in economic development.

“I would not be sitting here if I did not have the opportunity that I had,” he said. “And there are many that don’t.”

Fairfax County Times

By Taneika Duhaney

At two months into the new year, crimes against person and crimes against property in Fairfax County are on track to outpace 2022. 

The two types of crime are those against persons and those against property. Crimes against a person include assault offenses, homicide, human trafficking, kidnapping, and sex offenses. Crimes against property cover a broader range of offenses, including arson, bribery, burglary, vandalism, embezzlement, fraud, and theft.

In 2022, there were 936 crimes against person cases across the county compared to 1,187 as of Feb. 15. This trend parallels crimes against property, totaling 2,952 for 2022 compared to 3,176 as of Feb. 15, according to data provided by the Fairfax County Police Department.

This data builds on an upward trend in which crimes against person and crimes against property jumped by 10.5 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively, from 2021 to 2022. 

“Our officers, commanders, and Crime Analysis Unit constantly monitor trends within our community to ensure we allocate resources and implement strategies appropriately. Each week, commanders gather at our headquarters to discuss these trends. Commanders share their strategies and collaborate to identify solutions,” said an FCPD spokesperson. 

As the department works to combat the five-year high crime trend, residents continue to post on social media platforms and apps like Neighbors to raise awareness and increase vigilance across the county.  

In addition to residents, county leaders have taken note of this unsettling trend and have sounded the alarm. 

“I recently asked for the preliminary crime rates for 2022 as I was having difficulty reconciling statements by some elected officials that crime in Fairfax County is down with what I’m hearing from residents. It looks like the residents are correct,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity in his Jan. 26 newsletter.

Like Herrity, residents are concerned about the FCPD staffing shortages. A March 2020 to August 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau analysis found that law enforcement employees decreased by 4 percent nationwide.

“Our police department has had to eliminate many of its specialty units (neighborhood policing, speed enforcement teams, etc.) in order to staff patrol positions due to the staffing crisis that the Board [of Supervisors] has been slow to address despite my continued advocacy,” said Herrity. However, FCPD contends that “despite staffing challenges in law enforcement agencies across the country, the FCPD remains dedicated to keeping our county one of the safest jurisdictions of its size. As of Feb. 9, we have an authorized strength of 1,492 police officers and 186 vacancies. Last fall, our department moved to two 12.5-hour shifts and increased our minimum staffing levels. Patrol areas have not been consolidated and remain the same as they have been.” 

As residents and county leaders look to FCPD to stem the uptick in crimes, the department continues to explore various avenues to keep residents safe. 

“Our Crime Prevention and Community Outreach Officers are constantly working to inform the community about the latest trends and ways to help reduce crime. From handing out locks to reduce the Kia and Hyundai thefts, VIN etching events, neighborhood watch programs, Hidden in Plain Sight, home security surveys, and more, we’re working with our community every day to reduce crime,” FCPD said in a statement.

These actions may prove effective. In 2022, research firm SmartAsset ranked Alexandria the sixth safest city out of 200 of the largest cities across the country. 

FCPD continues to encourage community members to report suspicious persons and crimes to help the department identify trends and collect data so resources can be appropriately allocated across the county.

Fairfax County Times

By Richard H. Hronik III

The Fairfax County Executive revealed the advertised fiscal year 2024 budget at a Board of Supervisors meeting Feb. 21.

This proposed budget assumes no change in the property tax rate, the personal property tax rate, or the McLean Community Center tax rate. It includes an enhanced tax relief program for the elderly and disabled, approved by the board last year, to include the new 75 percent tax relief bracket and tax deferral program.

Also included is a fully-funded recurring school operating request, as included in the superintendent’s proposed budget, compensation for county employees including performance, merit, and longevity increases, a 2% market rate adjustment, and benchmark adjustments. In addition, the proposed budget includes funding to address the impacts of inflation and funding for new facilities.

Revenue projections for this budget are partially based on the existing real estate tax of $1.11 per $100 of asserted value. However, recently released 2023 real estate assessments show an average residential property value increase of 6.97 percent. These increases in value would still result in increased property tax bills across Fairfax County.

“It is no surprise a tax increase on the average homeowner is still on the table with this Board’s unrestrained spending, a declining commercial real estate tax base, and the end of federal pandemic aid,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity. “Surrounding jurisdictions, not to mention prior Fairfax County Boards, have been doing what I have been proposing: looking at ways to cut spending and find efficiencies. This Board has refused and our residents, who are already suffering due to the pandemic and inflation, are paying for it.”

To offset lower-than-expected returns on county retirement pensions for police officers, and uniformed, and non-uniformed employees, the proposed budget includes additions to these pensions. Provisions for other limited, targeted investments are also included to address various needs across the county. All new positions are offset by reductions, with a net impact of no new positions.

Projected revenue growth also includes an increase of almost $2 million in emergency medical services transport fees. 

“This stands in stark contrast to what our state leaders accomplished last year and are trying to accomplish this year,” said Herrity. “Reducing tax burdens on residents and businesses.”

“We are deeply disappointed with the Fairfax County Executive for proposing a budget that undervalues the officers and employees within the Fairfax County Police Department,” said Steve Monahan, president of the Fairfax County Chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. “This proposed budget will ultimately compromise the safety of our community…Officers within the Fairfax County Police Department feel like they are burning the candle at both ends. They are undervalued, overworked, unappreciated, and increasingly underpaid.”

In total, the advertised budget’s revenue proposals yielded $346 million of additional tax revenues. This leaves a balance of just more than $90 million to be used at the Board of Supervisors’ discretion. This would allow the board to vote for increased spending, slightly lower tax rates, or both.

The McLean Citizens Association and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust will host a virtual public meeting on the proposed FY 2024 county budget on March 9 at 7 p.m. The meeting will feature Fairfax County budget director Phil Hagen who will present information on, and answer questions about, the proposed budget. Similarly, other county supervisors will hold town hall meetings for their districts. The county board of supervisors will hold public hearings on the FY 2024 budget from April 11 – 13. The FY 2024 budget will be adopted on May 9.

FFXnow

By Angela Woolsey

Fairfax County officials are guarding their wickets carefully as they size up a recent pitch for a possible cricket and baseball facility at George Mason University.

The Board of Supervisors directed county staff last week to monitor and get involved in a feasibility study that Mason and Major League Cricket (MLC) initiated in November.

Since the study is still in its early stages, major questions remain, including what sites are being considered, but there is definitely demand for a regulation cricket pitch, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk and Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity said.

“I’m just interested in seeing if we have the opportunity to at least have a conversation and to see if there’s any feasibility on this coming to fruition,” Lusk said during the Feb. 21 meeting. “…There are many in the community who have been asking for this and would really enjoy having this opportunity to play cricket in a facility of this nature.”

GMU announced on Nov. 29 that it’s collaborating with MLC to study the possibility of building a multi-purpose facility that could host international-level cricket games as well as the university’s baseball team.

Funding for the study comes from technology entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, a founding investor in MLC, according to the press release. The group aspires to have an operational facility that would serve as a home for an MLC franchise by summer 2025.

A regulation cricket field is the size of three baseball fields, making it “extremely difficult to assemble” within the Fairfax County Park Authority’s standard field dimensions, Lusk and Herrity said in their joint board matter.

“This innovative approach has the potential to fill a recreational void in our community, provide a multi-use amenity of benefit to the entire county, and generate a meaningful economic impact as the sole facility of its kind in the region,” the board matter said.

In the community immediately surrounding GMU’s Fairfax campus, however, the proposal may face an uphill battle.

Though he expressed support for both GMU and cricket, Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw warned it will be “really important to manage this process” to avoid a repeat of “some decisions that the university made that created some real challenges and animosity in the neighborhoods.”

He didn’t specify which decisions he was referring to, but he noted that the proximity of Mason’s existing athletic facilities on the west campus to residential neighborhoods “has presented a lot of challenges over the years.” In addition, one possible, currently undeveloped site at Braddock and Shirley Gate roads is in the Occoquan Watershed.

The new facility’s potential traffic impact could also be an issue. An extension of Shirley Gate Road from Braddock to Fairfax County Parkway is in the works, but that’s about it for planned road improvements in the area, according to Walkinshaw.

“If we’re going to be building a facility here that will bring large groups of people, the university’s got to take some responsibility for how people are going to get to and from the campus, because the existing transportation network doesn’t support it,” he said.

Board Chairman Jeff McKay concurred that the county needs to approach the proposal “with our eyes wide open,” noting that GMU-owned properties aren’t subject to local land use review processes like private or county developments.

The One University and Capstone housing projects near the university campus, for instance, may have ruffled feathers, but the public was still guaranteed opportunities to provide input.

“Unlike the county, [GMU doesn’t] go through our regular land use process,” McKay said. “That’s one of the reasons you’re hearing some of the caution flags about making sure this process works right and the board is informed of what’s going on.”

Reston Now

The proposed 2024 budget has real estate taxes once again increasing for many, as home values across Fairfax County continue to rise.

At yesterday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, County Executive Bryan Hill presented his proposed fiscal year 2024 budget. The $5.1 billion budget is up $280 million from last year — an increase of about 6%, largely due to real estate taxes going up.

While the budget calls for the tax rate to stay the same as last year at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value, the average bill is set to increase by about $520 for homeowners, thanks to a nearly 7% rise in real estate assessments.

Hill warned in November that assessments were likely to go up, and Board Chairman Jeff McKay told FFXnow last month that he expected real estate taxes to be a big discussion point during the budget debate. But the extent of the increase nonetheless elicited strong reactions from supervisors.

McKay said that, given last year’s numbers, the tax rate is “far too high,” while Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity called the increase “unacceptable.” They signaled strong support for finding a way to provide residential tax relief to residents.

The proposed budget includes $90 million in unallocated funds that can be used at the “Board’s consideration.” A huge chunk of this, if not all, could be used to lower residents’ tax burden in some form, as was the case for the current fiscal year 2023.

The county’s budget continues to rely on real estate taxes, more than three-fourths of which come from residential property owners.

Nonresidential real estate values also increased this year, but by less than residential values. This means that real estate taxes make up more of the tax base than in FY 2023, increasing by about 0.75%.

While seemingly a small tick up, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the trend is going in the wrong direction and that commercial real estate taxes should make up at least 25% of the tax base. It currently only makes up just over 16%.

“Clearly, we are off. It’s not good and very disconcerting,” he said. “We need a plan or a strategy to address these issues.”

Hill’s budget plan proposes a $144 million increase in funds provided to Fairfax County Public Schools, which typically gets over 50% of the overall budget. That represents more than a 6% hike from FY 2023, which began on July 1, 2022.

The FY 2024 Advertised Budget proposal includes a 6.3% or $144.1 million increase for @fcpsnews in addition to support for programs like Head Start, school health, behavioral health services, crossing guards, field maintenance and other costs. pic.twitter.com/8cNyztgNbJ

— Fairfax County Government (@fairfaxcounty) February 21, 2023

But that number is about $15 million lower than what Superintendent Michelle Reid initially requested.

As expected, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers doesn’t agree with this proposal, writing in a statement that it “strongly encourages the Board of Supervisors to fully fund the FCPS budget request.”

One of the bigger questions hanging over this year’s school budget is if the state will rectify a calculation error expected to lead to FCPS getting about $18 million less than anticipated. That includes about $13 million missing from the FY 2024 budget.

It remains unclear if the state will reimburse the missing money, or provide any extra, from its $2 billion surplus. When Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust asked when the state will make a decision on its budget, a few chuckles arose from staff about the uncertain situation.

Christina Jackson, Fairfax County’s chief financial officer, said the county is optimistic and is in a “better position” to see much-needed funds headed their way from the state.

As anticipated late last year, this year’s budget process may be one of the “one of the most challenging” in years. This is due to inflation, staff retention challenges, and surging real estate values.

“Balancing the impacts of inflation, the labor market and other economic pressures with the need to fund critical programs and services has made this a difficult budget year,” Hill said in a county press release. “But I am very proud of the work of our budget staff and all our employees in managing through these challenges and moving forward to meet the needs of our residents.”

Hill led off his presentation to the board by emphasizing that the aim of this year’s budget is maintaining and “stabilizing our core,” meaning county staff and existing programs.

“I know that the Board remains concerned about the retention and recruitment issues that our agencies have been facing over the past two years, and I have spent considerable time with my leadership team developing ways in which to tackle these issues,” Hill wrote in his budget message to supervisors.

In the budget is a $134.5 million increase in county disbursement, including a 2% market scale adjustment for most county employees. That’s lower than even what staff had recommended in order to stay competitive in hiring and retention. They had calculated a rate of 5.44%.

“The proposed Fairfax County budget misses the mark when it comes to giving workers the wages we deserve, ” Tammie Wondong, SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax’s president and a 33-year county employee, said in a statement. “In fact, when the county funds the market rate adjustment (MRA) at only 2% when it should be 5.44%, let’s call it what it is — a pay cut.”

Inflation also adds $18 million to the budget this year, associated with cost increases to cover utility and information technology contracts and lease adjustments.

Supervisors will host a number of public meetings over the next few months to allow residents a chance to provide feedback on the proposed budget.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote and adopt the FY 2024 budget on May 9.

WJLA

By Nick Minock

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — The 2024 budget battle in Fairfax County has begun with a big focus on taxes.

On Tuesday, Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill proposed a flat tax rate for real estate taxes.

But if that’s adopted, that means Fairfax County homeowners will still likely pay higher real estate taxes because real estate tax assessments are soaring, as some supervisors acknowledge.

“It’s a seven percent increase on our residents. It’s totally unacceptable,” said Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity.

Herrity is concerned people are leaving Fairfax County already because of high taxes.

“Many of them are already voting with their feet and leaving,” he said. “They are already facing inflationary pressures. And you throw on top of that a recession, and a huge tax increase, we shouldn’t be doing that to our residents, especially at this time.”

Herrity says taxes don’t have to go up in Fairfax County. He said taxes could go down if the Board of Supervisors wanted to reduce taxes.

“I advocated for spending restraint last year,” said Herrity. “We knew this was coming. Our commercial tax base is in the toilet. And is going to be further reduced. Pandemic spending is coming to an end. We really have to look at spending restraint. And we have to look for ways to be more efficient with our money and focus on our priorities.”

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay says the County Executive’s budget proposal is the first step in a month’s long process.

“We can’t dictate the value of homes. What we can dictate is what the tax rate is,” said McKay. “What the County Executive’s budget had in there was about a $90 million balance that is unused in his budget proposal. And so what we will likely do and what my hope is the board will do is use that $90 million to reduce the tax rate to try to accommodate for some of that assessment increase.”

McKay says that after hearing from Fairfax County residents at upcoming town halls, the Board of Supervisors will likely adopt a different budget.

Budget public hearings are scheduled for April 11 and April 13.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to make changes to the County Executive’s budget proposal on May 2 and is set to finalize the budget on May 9.

The budget proposal includes a $144 million increase for Fairfax County Public Schools.

“This budget funds the request that they [the Fairfax County School Board] made to the Board of Supervisors,” said McKay. “What we don’t know yet is what will happen at the state level with the state budget. And so clearly, if the schools end up with more revenue coming from the state, then my objective will be to make sure that revenue gets to the county and hopefully we can use that for further tax relief. But the County Executive’s proposed budget fully funds the schools, obviously we won’t know the answer to that until the Board of Supervisors adopts their budget, but his proposal includes fully funding the school spending request.”

Meanwhile, Herrity is concerned the proposed budget for Fairfax County Public Schools spends too much money in administrative costs.

“I think we need to look at our enrollment numbers and I think the enrollment projections are a little high that the schools have come forward,” said Herrity. “We need to focus our resources on our teachers and into the classroom and I’m not sure this budget does. This budget puts a lot of money into administration. And we need to get that back into the classroom, onto the teachers and students.”

7News asked McKay if the county intends to raise police officer pay as the Fairfax County Police Department continues to face an officer shortage as several categories of crime rise.

“Clearly there’s going to be a pay increase,” McKay said. “That won’t be known until the board adopts their budget. What the County Executive has proposed is a 2% market rate adjustment for every employee in the county. And then he has fully funded merit step and longevity, which are very important to the police department and those pay increases will depend on where somebody is in our county system, what their rank is, whether they’re eligible for a merit or longevity increase. And so one of the things that I asked for in there is the data. Right now, we’re looking at an average county employee salary increase in the proposed budget of over 4%. But we know no one is average. So, some people will be below that. A lot of people will be above that. And what we don’t know yet and I’ve asked for the data is how that actually affects county employees, including police officers and what ranks so that we can then go in as a board and make potentially further adjustments.”

Last year, 7News (WJLA) was the first to report that FCPD’s police chief declared a personnel emergency amid staff shortages.

Herrity says the County Executive’s proposed budget does not address the police shortage in Fairfax County.

“No, not fully,” said Herrity. “It doesn’t even really start to address it. There’s nothing outwardly that talks about our shortage in police officers, mental health professionals, or paramedics. We really need to look at that.”

Overall, McKay said the proposed budget is a “mixed budget.”

“There’s some good economic indicators in there,” said McKay. “There’s also some challenges ahead. I think anyone in the country is dealing with some of the same challenges that we’re dealing with. Obviously, commercial office space, which is a big revenue driver for the county is down, but we’re seeing some other areas of real estate that are up, I think the biggest challenge for us moving forward is residential assessments continue to go through the roof and we are very well aware of the economic impact that has on our residents. And so, what the board is going to have to do in the weeks and months ahead with the community’s help, is try to strike a balance between making sure we provide services, compensate our employees and maintain our AAA bond rating and fiscal reputation. At the same time, provide tax relief for soaring residential real estate assessments. That’s what I’m going to be focused on like a laser and it’s what we’ve already preliminarily heard from the community.”

You can see the County Executive’s proposed budget for 2024 here: Inflation, Labor and Real Estate Markets Impact County Executive’s FY 2024 Proposed Budget | News Center (fairfaxcounty.gov)

Centre View

By Del. Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

With less than two weeks remaining on its scheduled adjournment sine die on Feb. 25, the General Assembly will be working overtime to resolve differences between the House and Senate on major issues, with reconciliation of differences on budget amendments being top on the list. Top on the list of budget amendment differences is the handling of the Governor’s amendments to the existing budget. As the Commonwealth Institute summarized the issue, “the Governor’s proposed budget amendments would let 245 corporations with taxable incomes over $10 million pay a lower tax than a starting teacher who makes $42,500 a year or a health care support worker who makes $31,400 a year.” I along with other House Democrats voted against the Governor’s amendments, but the Republican-controlled House included them in the budget. The Senate did not include them. Altogether the Governor proposed more than a billion dollars in tax cuts, none of which were accepted by the Senate. These cuts would take money away from critical funding needs in education, mental health, Medicaid, and public safety among others. A balanced budget must be presented before the Assembly’s work is finished for the year.

In a major step forward for health care reform, a House bill is likely to pass this session that would carry a $62 million dollar budget investment to ensure nursing homes are properly staffed with nurses and aides. The Senate defeated all abortion bans and restrictions. The House did not even put these bills on an agenda in order to protect their members who face close general elections from having a recorded vote on bills that would fail in the Senate regardless. The Senate passed a constitutional amendment that would put the right to reproductive freedom into the State Constitution, but it failed. In the House, efforts to remove outdated language from the State Constitution failed. Along with other House Democrats, I voted against two bills targeting transgender youth that passed the House on a narrow vote. They are likely to be defeated in the Senate.

This session of the General Assembly may be among the least productive in recent history. With the Republican House majority taking their lead from a presidentially aspiring governor it is picking up on popular conservative positions. Their efforts will be in vain as the Democratic majority in the Senate will stop their attempts to roll back progressive measures passed by the Democrats over the last two years.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized the efforts of cross country teams from West Springfield and Woodson high schools.

Patch

By Michael O’Connell

FAIRFAX, VA — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed resolutions honoring the West Springfield Girls and W.T. Woodson Boys Championship Cross Country teams at its meeting on Tuesday. The resolutions were requested by Chairman Jeff McKay and Supervisors James Walkinshaw, Penny Gross, Dalia Palchik, Pat Herrity and Rodney Lusk.

Under Coach Christopher Pellegrini, the girls cross country team at West Springfield High School capped off a highly successful fall 2022 season by winning the Virginia High School League Classic Championship on Nov. 12, at the Oatlands plantation in Leesburg, according to the resolution.

On the way to winning their second state championship, the Spartans racked up wins at the Patriot District and Occoquan Regional Championships. In addition, four runners placed among the top 15 finishers in the championship race.

The team was led by seniors Lexi Stein and Kenza Elakari, juniors Aidan MacGrath, Grace Wevley, Chloe Miller and Katherine Len, and sophomore Adeline Barker.

Speaking on behalf of her teammates, Stein thanked the supervisors for the recognition and their coaches for giving them something they never thought would happen.

“We’ve been wanting it for like a long time,” she said. “We’re just really happy that it finally happened, because now I can carry that with me for the rest of my life. Especially when I come back to West Springfield in 20 years, I’ll get to see my teammates as we’re inducted in West Springfield Hall of Fame.”

Under Coach Garrett Kroner, the W.T. Woodson boys cross country team celebrated a successful fall 2022 season by winning the Virginia High School League Class 6 State Championships on Nov. 12 2022, at the Oatlands plantation. The Cavaliers also clocked wins in the Patriot District and Occoquan Regional Championships. This was the first time in the school’s history that the team has won all three championships. On top of all that, the team won multiple weekend invitationals and finished in fifth places at the Manhattan Invitational.

Led by senior captains Samik Bhinge, Daniel Cassata, Caleb Hymans and Luke Schools, and including junior Stephen Wolf and sophomores Jibran Hutchins and Zain Elcock, the Cavaliers count all district, all region, and all state runners among their ranks.

Speaking for the Cavaliers, Bhinge thanked the supervisors for their presentation.

“I’d like to thank our coaches, especially Coach Kroner and Coach [George] Winslow and Coach [Kelley] Devlin, who aren’t here today,” he said. “For all the work for the past, I don’t know, five years or longer. For all the work he’s put in, all the hours, all the late nights, losing hours of sleep, for this and everything he’s done for us, we’re here today to recognize the work he’s done.”

InsideNoVa.com

By Acacia James

Following a crash that killed two teenagers and left a third in critical condition, lawmakers in Fairfax County are asking transportation officials to look into safety improvements on Lee Chapel Road in Fairfax Station.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Pat Herrity’s board matter, which orders the county’s transportation department to “research and provide a preliminary cost estimate” for removing the hills on Lee Chapel Road between Ox Road and Fairfax County parkway.

“These interchanges should be designed with the ultimate goal of the four-lane widening currently envisioned in the comprehensive plan,” Herrity said.

Herrity said he met with two fourteen-year-olds who started a petition calling for safety improvements to Lee Chapel Road.

“There’s a lot of community support for doing something, and unfortunately, it takes a tragedy.”

Herrity said he recommended the project following a fatal crash in 2015 but said funding was insufficient at the time. His board matter also directed staff to look at the feasibility and cost of installing street lights in the vicinity of the hills.

While Chairman Jeffrey McKay supported the motion and agreed that the road needed safety improvements, he also proposed further educating and preparing young drivers.

“Here we had a tragedy involving 16-year-olds who are new drivers, and you know, I think we need to be having a conversation also with our school partners about what type of education and what type of collaboration is happening at the school level,” McKay said.

The victims of the most recent fatal crash on Lee Chapel Road were all South County High School students. In a release, Fairfax County police say the car was traveling in excess of 100 mph before the wreck and that it was airborne for approximately 130 feet.

“Clearly, this is an unsafe stretch of roadway, and we need to be looking at every element of this roadway for improvements,” McKay said.

Supervisor John Foust acknowledged that the board removed specific transportation priorities in 2019 due to the state giving the county less money but urged the board to “take a comprehensive look” at where it stands in its six-year plan.

Herrity said similar roads in the county might also warrant a change.

“I think we’ve got more work to do than just this one hill, but for now, I think we need to focus here,” he said.