Board of Supervisors - Chairman

It's budget season in Fairfax County. Over my many years with the Board, I sometimes reflect back on how the County has grown and how those changes have affected the budget and the services we offer for our residents.

The budget is drafted as a reflection of County priorities, which are set by your vote in local elections and your comments throughout the year. If there are services and amenities that you use or that are important to you (schools, parks, emergency services, at-home nursing programs), you'll want to make sure to stay engaged and aware of the process. Please stay tuned to our communication channels (including future editions of this newsletter) to stay informed about the process and the important details of this budget.

Key Takeaways:
 

1. We invited students from James Madison High School, former Planning Commissioner James Hart, and Fairfax and area emergency response teams to come before the Board for recognition.
2. The County Executive proposed his budget and strategic plan to the Board.
3. 150 senior affordable housing units have been financed.
4. The Board approved a strategy to protect and expand the County's tree canopy.
5. I announced a working group between the Board and the School Board to discuss capital improvements.

County Executive Bryan Hill presented his proposed FY2021 budget and strategic plan to the Board of Supervisors today.

The proposed strategic plan will serve as a guideline to direct the more than 1,200 County-wide initiatives that serve to empower all residents to live safely, healthily, and with equal opportunity. The budget, which allocates funding for services across the County, is based on the priorities and vision set by the Board of Supervisors. The final vote on the budget will be May 5.

This year’s Real Estate Tax rate is proposed to increase by $0.03. $0.02 for the County’s General Fund and $0.01 specifically dedicated to affordable housing. The additional penny will serve as a local funding source with the flexibility to preserve and promote affordable housing throughout the County.

The total increase in the General Fund’s budget is estimated at $159.14 million. Some of this includes the funding of police body-worn cameras, the Diversion First program, increasing hours at the public libraries, and reducing the County’s carbon footprint. There is also a Market Rate Adjustment and adherence to our pay plan for the County’s employees who provide exceptional services to Fairfax.

The County Executive’s proposal fund Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) with $85.72 million, which is approximately 52.6 percent of the General Fund. This significant contribution is the tenth straight year the budget has increased funding to FCPS and highlights education as a top priority for the Board of Supervisors.

“This year’s proposed strategic plan and budget is a positive sign that the County and Board are on the same page as the community. The budget is a success for FCPS and for expanding affordable housing to every corner of Fairfax,” Chairman McKay said. “As Chairman, I am responsible for all of our residents’ needs including schools, parks, libraries, public safety, and human services. I also am constantly working to balance these long-term needs with our residents’ ability to pay. I am concerned that the largest increase in real estate assessment values are in our most market rate affordable communities. This exacerbates our affordable housing challenge and we must be mindful of that. I look forward to working with the community as our Board works to fine tune this proposal and pass a balanced budget on May 5.”

Also included in the County Executive's proposal is a 4 percent Admissions Tax on events, one of only two taxing authorities Fairfax County has outside of property-related taxes. The revenue will serve to increase the funding of crucial Fairfax arts and cultural programs including ARTSFAIRFAX, the Fairfax Symphony, Wolf Trap, and Visit Fairfax.

Residents will be able to comment in district meetings in February and March and in public hearings from April 14-16.

Every February, the United States and our Board recognizes an important part of America's history: African American History Month.

African American History Month reminds us to think actively about the vital contributions black people have made to every aspect of American life. We also must always learn from our history, the injustice and the progress, and do better. Finally, it's an opportunity to celebrate Fairfax County's biggest strength: diversity. We should use this time to honor what makes us different and how those differences create the rich community we call home. You can celebrate with us at one of the several Neighborhood and Community Services events this month .

Key Takeaways from Feb. 11 Board Meeting:

1. At my request, the Board designated February as African American History Month and Teen Violence Dating Awareness Month, and recognized a CEO of a Fairfax nonprofit for her years of service.

2. We approved the positions of the Board on various bills in front of the Virginia General Assembly.

3. The design for the widening of Route 28 was approved.

4. There will be a public hearing on a draft Action Plan that will determine how federal housing funds will be used.

5. We plan to recognize the work of the firefighters and police who helped control the fire on Route One last weekend.

On May 7, 2019, the Board of Supervisors directed the Independent Police Auditor to search for a research partner to conduct a study on the racial disparities in use of force incidents within the County. They were also asked to report findings and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.  The Office of the Independent Police Auditor published a Request for Proposals in July 2019 and led a review committee to evaluate the five competitive proposals received.  

On January 27, 2020, the County awarded the contract to a research team from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in partnership with researchers from the University of Cincinnati.  The study will build upon previous Independent Police Auditor’s reviews of Fairfax County Police Department’s (FCPD) use of force incidents. It is intended to identify patterns and trends in uses of force by the FCPD with emphasis on racial, ethnic, gender, or similar disparities across subpopulations.  The study will address the following questions specific to incidents that occurred between 2016-2018:

1.    What factors or combination of factors contribute to the use of force by FCPD officers? Specifically, what role does civilian race, ethnicity, gender, or similar personal characteristics play in the decision to use force?
2.    Does the rate of force experienced by persons of different races and/or ethnicities align with those groups’ representation among persons at risk for having force used against them by the police? Do disparities exist in rates of force experienced by different racial and/or ethnic groups relative to risk?
3.    Is civilian race, ethnicity, or gender related to the level of force used by the police while accounting for resistance and other relevant individual, situational, and environmental factors?
4.    How can the FCPD improve its use of force data collection processes to help facilitate future analyses?
5.    What steps can the FCPD take to help reduce bias in use of force incidents?

“Our Independent Police Auditor and his team have been working hard to launch this important study on use of force incidents and racial disparity,” said Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “I’m pleased it’s getting started and I’m pleased to have found such strong academic partners to review the data. I look forward to working with them, the Auditor, the Police, and the community on this important topic.”

The anticipated completion date of the study is January 31, 2021.  The UTSA team will issue a public report detailing the study’s methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations and present it to the Board of Supervisors.  

Please direct any questions to the Office of the Independent Police Auditor at 703-324-3459 or IPAPoliceAuditor@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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Great financial news for Fairfax County, as we retain our Triple-A rating, the highest bond rating from all three national ratings agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service.

“This is a terrific accomplishment for Fairfax County and speaks to our fiscal responsibility and prudent management,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay. “The AAA rating is the highest that a locality can receive and will save millions for county taxpayers. I was glad to meet with each of the three ratings agencies this year for the first time as chairman.”

Tuesday was the first meeting of the new Board of Supervisors. We are all excited about the future and are ready to write the next chapter of Fairfax County's history.

It was an exciting day. Not only was it the first meeting I presided over as Chairman of the Board, it was the first meeting for my newly elected colleagues: Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw , Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn , Lee Supervisor Rodney Lusk and Providence Supervisor Dalia Palchik . I would also like to welcome back Dranesville Supervisor John Foust , Mason Supervisor Penny Gross , Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck , Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity and Sully Supervisor Kathy Smith.

Key Takeaways:

1. Proclamations to designate Community Risk Reduction Week, Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Teen Cancer Awareness Week.
2. Members of the Board were assigned to their committees
3. Information on the 2020 Census was shared
4. The Board agreed to transfer property to the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority
5. The strike at Metro's Cinder Bed Garage has come to a tentative ending
6. The approval of a resolution asking for Equal Taxing Authority for counties and cities and other Board Matters

Everyone is invited to attend Chairman Jeff McKay's New Year Reception set for Thursday, Jan. 30, from 5-7 p.m. in the Government Center Forum, 12000 Government Center Parkway. 

Please bring canned food to donate to Stuff the Bus or pet food for the animal shelter. Hope to see you there!

Happy New Year!

I’m excited to be sharing this message with you on my first day as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

As someone who’s spent his whole life in the County, born along the historic Route One Corridor and now a resident of the Hayfield community, I’m proud to begin this new chapter as the first Chairman from South County in recent memory.

Today also marks the first day of a new Board of Supervisors, School Board, Soil and Water Conservation District Board and Commonwealth’s Attorney. My colleagues and I are excited to hit the accelerator on our shared priorities, while also living up to our proud reputation as a well-managed, reliable, and forward-thinking Board.

You know that Fairfax is the best managed County in Virginia with the best school system and some of the best services and programs in the world. As I govern from the Chairman’s office, I will continue to live by my high school motto, “Advance Always”. This means that even though we are one of the best, we need to ensure this County is the best for everyone who lives here . Everyone in every corner of this County deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. That’s One Fairfax.

With that, I wanted to take a moment to introduce to you to some of my priorities for the next term and my new staff.

One Fairfax : Ensure all decisions are led by equal access regardless of who you are, where you live, and where you come from. As Chairman, I will continue to foster inclusion, fairness and diversity in Fairfax.

Housing: Increase funding to grow the number of affordable housing units and senior housing units, exceeding past goals.

Combat climate change: Lead by example by removing barriers to solar power, ramping up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increasing Fairfax’s tree canopy. In Fairfax County, we trust the research of scientists and acknowledge the crisis climate change presents.

Transportation: Promote multimodal transportation, improve experiences for walkers, bikers and transit-riders and replicate our free student bus pass program to expand access for our students. We can't pave our way out of gridlock.

Education: Continue to collaborate with the School Board and ensure our school system remains the best in the country. As a parent of two FCPS students, I know firsthand the importance of good public schools. Education has always been and will always be our Board’s number one priority.

Lindsey Martin, Staff Aide: Lindsey has served on Chairman Bulova’s staff for the last 3 years. She’ll be responsible for land use, parks, and code compliance.

Amir Abu-El-Hawa, Scheduler: Amir is a lifelong Fairfax County resident who has spent the last 2 years working at the Reston-based nonprofit Cornerstones, a human services provider for our most vulnerable. He’ll be our scheduler and office manager.

Marcus Wadsworth, Staff Aide: Marcus has worked in the Lee District Supervisor’s Office for the last 12 years. He’ll be handling transportation and public works in the Chairman’s Office.

Natalie Nguyen-Woodruff, Director of Partnership and Community Engagement: Natalie worked in the County’s Departments of Neighborhood and Community Services and Family Services before joining the Lee District team last September. She’ll primarily be responsible for our office’s outreach, as well as health, housing and human services.

Taylor Holland, Chief of Staff: Taylor comes to the Chairman’s Office after serving as my Chief of Staff in Lee District for the past 6-plus years. Prior that, he worked as a journalist in Virginia and Alabama.

Hannah Menchhoff, Communications Specialist: Hannah grew up in Fairfax County and has done communications for campaigns and small businesses for the last three years. She’ll be primarily responsible for our office’s communications, such as our e-newsletter and social media accounts.

I’m honored to serve as your Chairman and thank you for putting your trust in me and my colleagues. I hope you join me at the annual Chairman’s New Year Reception on January 30 from 5-7 p.m. in the forum of the Fairfax County Government Center.

Let’s go forward into this new year knowing the good we have accomplished, but also that our best days are ahead of us. Thank you again for your friendship, guidance, and support.