Fairfax County is facing another economically tough year, and the County Executive’s draft budget reflects the challenges via streamlining and cutting costs.
For the past several years, in conjunction with our partners in the Fairfax Parks Coalition, we have engaged in budget advocacy to ensure the County is making wise investments in the Fairfax County Parks Authority (FCPA). This year we are excited to report that the draft budget for FCPA contained a good balance of smart cuts and smart investments. We believe your past advocacy in support of FCPA played a role in this year’s budget decisions – THANK YOU!
Also for the past several years, we have submitted budget comments in conjunction with our partners in the Fairfax Healthy Communities (FHC) network. Our joint comment letter covers the wide range of topics that combine to create a healthier Fairfax County.
Email your supervisor today – some ideas are below!
Please email your supervisor today and add your voice to the budget feedback!
Pull your favorite topics from our FHC joint letter (summarized below), and/or include your own asks!
Public hearings will be held April 14–16, final edits to the budget done on April 28, with a final budget vote on May 5. Get your comments in as soon as possible – before Friday April 24 is best!
Housing for all
As we like to say: Housing policy is climate policy. When people live closer to where they work, they drive less (fewer emissions!).
- Thank you for the proposed FY27 budget including the addition of three full time staff to support affordable housing activities.
- Please allocate 2 cents of the real estate tax rate to affordable housing.
- FY2027 was the Board’s deadline to commit to this promise, but this budget still allocates only 1.25 cents.
Sustainable Transportation
- Please reverse the proposed funding cut for the Fairfax Connector.
- Please maintain current service levels. Affordable public transit options are critical, especially with the increase in gas prices.
- Identify new funding for active transportation projects.
- The Board’s prior commitment of $100 million for active transportation projects over a six-year period runs out in FY27, and we hope additional funds can be identified to continue to build out connectivity.
- Fund the Safe Streets for All program.
- Endorsed by the Board in 2022, this program remains unfunded.
- Provide needed funding for maintenance of active transportation facilities.
- We must maintain investments already made in our transportation network. Deteriorating sidewalk and trail conditions create unsafe environments and put people at risk.
Climate Mitigation, Resilience, and Green Spaces
- Invest sufficient funds to reduce carbon emissions
- We urge the Board to view all decisions with a climate lens and to identify funding and implementation strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of the county across the board, including considering their own land use decisions.
- Invest sufficient funds to address the effects of climate change
- Please increase funding for the Resilient Fairfax program as well as for natural resource management in the framing of resilience, such as budget guidance to increase the stormwater tax to address our warmer, wetter, and weirder weather.
- Retain proposed Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) funding
- We appreciate funding to implement the sliding fee scale to ensure equitable access to park offerings.
- We appreciate funding for the final phase of the Zero Waste Trash and Recycling initiatives.
- Increase support for the Invasive Management Area (IMA) Program
- IMA staff are increasingly relying on trained volunteers to fill gaps in staffing. We ask the Board to consider that providing oversight, invasive management strategies, training and quality control to an army of FCPA volunteers and outreach to county residents requires a commensurate increase in staff time.