Board Matter

March 3, 2015

Request that increased funding of the National Army Museum be added as Budget Consideration Item

Madame Chairman:

Construction on the National Museum of the United States Army, the official museum of the oldest and largest branch of the Armed Services, is expected to begin this fall. The museum will be located on 85 acres at Fort Belvoir, which will allow for easy access from the Fairfax County Parkway and Route 1.

The museum will serve as a major cultural, educational, and tourist destination for Fairfax County, as it is expected to draw more than 700,000 visitors each year. Not only will the museum serve as a destination for those coming to visit Northern Virginia, but it will also provide important cultural and educational experiences for Fairfax County residents. This museum will have an estimated economic impact of at least $500 million over the next five years, and will have an estimated annual impact of more than $100 million once it opens. 

County funding for the museum, coming from the Contributory Fund, was $240,000 from 2005 until 2009. As part of the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, the contribution was then reduced by $90,000, placing it at $150,000.  Finally, in Fiscal Year 2011, funding was reduced again by $50,000 to the current level of $100,000.

Continued funding for the National Museum of the United States Army provides us with an opportunity to not only enhance our tourism industry and improve our local economy, but also serves as a way to commemorate the more than 30 million Americans who have served the U.S. Army in the past 240 years.

For these reasons, Madame Chairman, I would ask that a potential increase of funding for the National Museum of the United States Army be included as a budget consideration item.