The FY 2023 Carryover Budget Package was presented to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) at its meeting on Tuesday, July 25, including a $203.14 million General Fund balance, with recommendations for allocating $200.9 million and a $2.24 million balance available for the board’s consideration. A public hearing and vote on the package are scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 26.
What is Carryover?
Carryover is the process by which unspent or unencumbered funds for commitments to pay for goods and services at the end of one fiscal year are reappropriated to the next fiscal year. The Carryover package may also include funding for one-time items approved by the Board of Supervisors that are not included in the Adopted budget.
The FY 2023 Carryover balance is primarily the result of higher-than-expected property tax receipts, other local taxes, and revenue from the use of money and property and the federal government. Additionally, county agency disbursements were lower than expected due to continuing close management of agency spending and prolonged vacancy levels.
Carryover Recommendations
Recommendations include allocating $69.36 million for reserves/capital. Pedestrian and bicycle access initiatives would get a major boost, with $26.48 million (20% of the balance) set aside for those efforts. The Board of Supervisors has consistently emphasized the importance of providing safe access for pedestrians and bicycles, especially near schools, parks, activity centers, transit station areas, and revitalization areas. Previous funding totaling $30.21 million has been approved for this program, bringing the total funding after this adjustment to $56.69 million.
In addition, $39.72 million is recommended to be allocated for the Infrastructure Sinking Reserve Fund, an increased allocation based on the recommendation of the Joint County/Schools Capital Improvement Program Committee. Recommend allocations include: $17.88 million for the Facilities Management Department, $9.93 million for Fairfax County Public Schools, $5.96 million for Parks, $2.78 million for walkways, $1.99 million for county-owned Roads, and $1.19 million for revitalization.
Investments in Board Priorities
The Carryover package also includes recommendations for investments in board priorities— to support the expansion of youth mental health services; investments towards the county’s environmental initiatives including funds to support building energy improvements in line with the BOS operational energy strategy, the final year of the LED streetlight conversion and solar panel installation at some county facilities; the replenishment of district capital funds ($1 million); enhancements to Library collections ($.3 million); and the continuation of the Illegal Sign Removal Program ($.23 million).
Park Authority
Several adjustments are recommended to bolster Parks capital construction and maintenance, including $5 million to support escalating costs on existing Parks capital projects such as the Mount Vernon Rec Center, and $2.50 million for FY 2024 turf field replacements, as well as funding for capital equipment and additional support for forestry operations. A portion of the Capital Sinking Fund is also recommended for Parks infrastructure. Support for the Park Authority in the Carryover package totals $15.7 million.
New Facilities and Facility Improvements
Just under $24 million in Carryover funds is recommended to support new and improved county facilities, including $7 million for the Workhouse Campus, $5 million for the construction escalation reserve, $5 million for emergency system failures that occur at aging county facilities throughout the year, $3 million for space realignment projects at the Government Center, with the objective of reducing county-leased space and $3 million to relocate clinical services during renovation of the Joseph Willard Health Center.
IT Investments
IT project funding of $14.51 million is included in the carryover package. Major projects supported with this funding include the second year of a multiyear strategy for the replacement of voting machines, the replacement of the legacy inmate management system and modernization of the GIS infrastructure.
Federal Stimulus Funds
The largest adjustment included in the carryover package is related to the carryforward of unexpended ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Of the total funding of $222.89 million received, $104.18 million was expended through FY 2023. The remaining balance of $118.71 million will be carried forward to allow the county to continue to spend against the funds. They must be encumbered by the end of next year and expended by the end of 2026.
More information is available from the Department of Management and Budget.
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