Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 8h 9m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/4119
Official Board of Supervisors page (Fairfax County): https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/boardofsupervisors/

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-27. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:06] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our board meeting of April 14, 2026. We are going to begin this meeting as we always do, which is to keep some folks in our thoughts and prayers. I'm going to ask my colleagues if they have folks they would like to have remembered this morning.

[00:00:23] The way this works is we'll mention those, and then we'll rise for a moment of silence, to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. And then after that, we'll move right into our sports presentation. And so if you could bear with us here for a few minutes this morning. And I do have at least one gentleman I'd like us to keep in our thoughts and prayers, and I'm probably looking at Supervisor Lusk is probably going to want to add something to this, but we recently learned of the passing of Leland Lee Komick, and Lee passed away last month, but he was a dedicated member of our community, having served as president of the North Franconia

[00:00:58] Civic Association for more years than I can count. Prior to that, he was a decorated Army veteran earning two bronze stars, distinguished flying crosses, and the air medal with 46 oak leaf clusters, having served two tours in the Vietnam War as a helicopter pilot. Following his extensive military service, Lee worked with the FAA and later as a consultant helping develop international safety standards. In Franconia, Lee was known for his can-do attitude and was a strong advocate for his neighbors and neighborhood and broader Franconia community. He always kept them informed

[00:01:37] and connected while working to better lives of all. My deepest condolences are with his wife of 55 years, Gray, their children and grandchildren. And if we could keep Lee Comick, the Franconia Civic Association and all of those whose lives he touched in our thoughts and prayers this morning, that would be appreciated. And then as we were walking into the board auditorium, we learned this morning about a fire fatality in the Mount Vernon district. And these are extraordinarily rare. We have an outstanding fire and rescue department with remarkable response times and

[00:02:13] remarkable prevention efforts, but it is rare that we lose somebody in a house fire. And sadly, early this morning. We lost an elderly gentleman in the Mount Vernon District, and we're learning more about that if we could keep him in our thoughts and prayers as well, as an often forgotten our first responders in the fire and rescue department who respond to these calls. The last thing they ever want to see is to arrive on a scene with a fatality, and they carry that with them for a while afterwards. So if we could keep the crew that responded this morning in our thoughts and prayers as well. That would be appreciated. I'm going to start to my left and work our way

[00:02:52] across. Let me recognize at this time any of my colleagues. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and appreciate the recognition and acknowledgement of Lee Komich. And just will add, very active in the North Franconia Civic Association, served on the Franconia District Land Use Committee, very active. But I learned something about him that I didn't an excellent helicopter pilot and during the vietnam war he rescued more individuals

[00:03:28] in the theater than many other helicopter pilots and as we heard from the recognitions of the bronze stars and the flying crosses that he received it's an amazing testament to his heroics and his commitment to ensuring that no one got left behind on the battlefield.

[00:03:52] So I'll also, Mr. Sherman, acknowledge the loss of Marion Van Landingham. I'm sorry to share that she passed as well. She's a former Virginia State delegate. She was an artist. She was the founder of the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

[00:04:08] In 1973, Marion was president of the Art League when they lost their lease and when the Torpedo Factory was mentioned as a possible new home for artists, she jumped at that opportunity. She helped refurbish the property in 1974, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center opened to the public at that time.

[00:04:30] She became its first director. She was also named Washingtonian Person of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine. And I had the pleasure of meeting Marion when I was in high school and worked on her campaign. As a member of the House of Delegates from 1982 to 2005, she fought to increase funding for human services, education, health care, and aid for the homeless.

[00:04:56] She will be truly, truly, truly missed. Second, Mr. Sherman, I wanted to acknowledge Brenda Wills-Otis, and I'm sorry to express her passing as well. She was affectionately known as Tiny.

[00:05:14] Brenda grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was active in the civil rights movement, including participating in protests led by Dr. King. She moved to Fairfax County in 1980. She enjoyed an 18-year career in television. She was an on-air public affairs moderator and Associated Press winning news producer.

[00:05:36] She was the co-creator of Black Entertainment TV News, and she was an award-winning programming executive in PBS system. Brenda, her late husband of 59 years, Amos, made history as the first alumni couple to donate a million-dollar outright gift to their alma mater, Tennessee State University.

[00:05:58] She was also one of the early contributors to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture with a significant six-figure contribution. Again, Brenda dedicated her life to education, to service, and philanthropy, and she, too, will be greatly missed.

[00:06:18] And with that, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk. Others who would like to be recognized, Supervisor Palczyk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Anna Pauline Cummins Price, known to many as Patsy Price, was born in 1926. A lifelong resident of Oakton grew up on her family's small farm where she developed an early and enduring love for animals.

[00:06:41] A proud alumna of Oakton Elementary and Fairfax High School's class of 1943, she played piano for the Oakton Methodist Church and was active in jobs' daughters. In 1946, she married Neil Price and together raised five children, remaining close friends even after their later divorce.

[00:06:58] Patsy built a respected career as a personal secretary to the Prince William County Executive before returning to Oakton in the 1980s to care for her mother and going so far as to move her family home. Known for her optimism, kindness, and ability to see the good in everyone, she filled her life with animals, gardening, and the steady companionship of countless pets. She was a participant in Providence Perspectives, the oral history project started by Linda Byrne and Supervisor Linda Smith and now organized by my office. Patsy lived to a hundred, passing peacefully

[00:07:33] in the home she cherished and has survived by a large and loving family spanning five generations. Each spring, especially this spring, her jungles and irises bloom again, gentle and lasting reminders of her presence. I know she left a big impact in the Oakden community and is much beloved and was touched by many there. Thank you very much, Supervisor Palczyk, Supervisor Stork.

[00:07:59] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for mentioning the unfortunate fire death we had this morning on Bassett Street, and it's always hard on everybody, but particularly we lose so many because we have such a fantastic FRD fire department. The ones that we do lose hurt even more.

[00:08:18] I also wanted to ask everyone to keep on your thoughts our friend Karen Corbett-Sanders, who recently lost her beloved mother, Marcella Mary Corbett, on March 12th after a short illness. Marcia was a devoted mother of six, grandmother of 13, and great-grandmother of 10, whose greatest joy was bringing her family together.

[00:08:39] She was deeply committed to community and volunteered at the Mount Vernon area for many, many years. Her service included work with the Auxilia of Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, TWIG, Catholic Charities, and Hospice of Northern Virginia. She also served on the boards of the Washington Regional Transplant Consortium at Nova Fairfax Hospital, was a realtor with McEarney and Associates, and was also a co-owner of With Ease.

[00:09:03] She was a cherished community member whose warmth, generosity, and, of course, joyful spirit touched all who knew her. Her deep commitment to family, faith, and service left a lasting impact on our community. Our thoughts are with her loved ones, including Karen and Daniel Sanders.

[00:09:25] Another one that I particularly wanted to highlight is a woman by the name of Gail Anna Hooks, who passed on March 1st. Gail was a proud and very proud U.S. military veteran who served multiple tours overseas before moving to the Spring Hill community in Lorton.

[00:09:42] She later combined her love of travel and food, earning a degree in culinary management, and founding Delectable Dining by Chef Gail. A catering business that brought comfort and joy to many. A dedicated advocate, Gail founded Sisters Veterans Service Alliance to support women veterans and unemployed women through culinary training and employment.

[00:10:04] She also gave countless hours mentoring and teaching culinary classes at the Lorton Community Action Center, work that reflected her deep commitment to giving back. And she met with me I don't know how many times when I was there on my Saturday hours and always had something else that she wanted me to be working on. And so it's one of those individuals that connects with us very much individually.

[00:10:22] And therefore, my deepest condolences to the Spring Hill community and especially to our family. And last and absolutely not least, we had another roadside incident on April 3rd.

[00:10:38] Anthony Williams, 67 of Maryland, was crossing Richmond Highway down near Tully Gate, which is the entrance to Fort Belvoir. He was transported to the hospital in life-threatening conditions and later pronounced dead. So we still have our challenges on the highway, and I know we always will, but I know we're making great strides with the investments that we're making there to try to reduce those risks.

[00:11:00] But thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. And just going back to Karen Corbett-Sanders' mother just for a moment, for those watching, there are services to celebrate her life that are scheduled for April 20th, which is Monday, 10.30 a.m. at St. Louis Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

[00:11:20] And so if you're watching and want to pay your respects, that is the information on that. And then finally, as we rise for a moment of silence, on Saturday, in this very auditorium, we had a memorial service, really a celebration of life for former Supervisor Mike Fry of the Sully District.

[00:11:37] I want to thank my colleagues who came, Supervisor Herity, for your work on that. It was really special in here and something that Mike would love and that I know was really appreciated by his family members and so many people in the community that were touched by Mike's work on this board, gone way too early.

[00:11:57] But I want to thank all the folks who helped arrange that because it really made for a special event on Saturday. So if we could continue to keep Mike Fry in our thoughts and prayers, that would be appreciated. With that, if all those who are able could rise for a moment of silence to be followed

[00:12:11] by the Pledge of Allegiance. This morning, we start our morning with one of the most exciting

[00:13:08] things we do here in the auditorium. And I promise this will be efficient because every student here in the auditorium has the right to get back to school as quickly and as efficiently as possible today. But we do want to take a special moment to honor all of those student athletes, their coaches, and the folks involved in the schools for making Fairfax County proud.

[00:13:31] And so we are going to begin recognizing our Fairfax County Public Schools VHSL Winter Athletics and Academic Activity Champions for the 2025-26 season. And before we begin those formal recognitions, we have started a tradition here in the board auditorium to get a giant group photo of all of those who are here present.

[00:13:55] And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to ask board members to go down here so that we can be in the photo. And I'm going to ask everybody in the audience who is here for the VHSL Winter Athletics and Academic Activity Champions to please rise.

[00:14:10] We'll take a photo, and then after that, we'll begin the formal presentations.

[00:15:37] To begin our program this morning, first I'd like to welcome Fernando Belli, our high school after-school program administrator, to come on down to the podium to say a few words on behalf of Fairfax County Public Schools. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Supervisors, County Executive Hill.

[00:15:56] On behalf of Dr. Reed, our superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools, Tom Horn, our executive director for student activities and athletics for FCPS and our school board, I'm honored to be here today. To all of our students that are with us today, congrats on not only what you have achieved, but what you have learned and how you have grown and how you've contributed to our community.

[00:16:18] To our family members, for our encouragement and your sacrifices and your support, I know you share our pride in the achievements that we celebrate today. To coaches, sacrifices you have made in leadership and the modeling you have given to support the growth of our young people, your impact matters.

[00:16:35] To our school administrators, our directors of student activities that provide the support and structure that leads to incredible opportunities for our students, we thank you and we thank your leadership. that leadership matters. We also celebrate not just the achievements of the state championships, but we recognize that these are the same students that once learned to run on our trails, played on our playgrounds, grew in our elementary schools and built a foundation in our community sports programs, and then found a unique opportunity in an education-based athletic program to challenge themselves in a way that only school sports and extracurricular activity programs can provide.

[00:17:10] I'm proud to work in a community that invests in these programs and invests in our young people to provide these opportunities. I'm so proud of our student-athletes for how they have grown and how they represent themselves, their school, and our community, and for their outstanding achievements.

[00:17:26] They get the well-deserved recognition today, and we thank you for that. Congratulations, students, and thank you, supervisors, for having us today. Thank you very much, Fernando, and thank you for your service to Fairfax County Public Schools as well. We appreciate you. With that, and these are in no particular order, I am going to recognize my colleagues to read the resolutions.

[00:17:49] And as I said, they're in no particular order. But if I call your organization, your team, or you as an individual to come down to the podium, please come on down to the podium right here in front of us. And we're going to begin with Supervisor Rachna Sizemore-Heiser, who will recognize the Robinson Secondary Girls Indoor Track and Field Team.

[00:18:10] And I know that Coach Luke Choate and his team are here. If you could please come on down to the podium. And while you're doing that, I will recognize Supervisor Sizemore Heiser. Thank you. Whereas the Robinson Secondary School Girls Indoor Track and Field Team captured the 2026 Virginia High School League VHSL Class 6 State Championships, earning the first Indoor Track and Field Team title in school history and marking a milestone for the school and Fairfax County.

[00:18:40] And whereas Robinson scored 23 points in this 1,600-meter run, I skipped one, sorry, whereas under the leadership, excuse me, of Coach Luke, I was so excited about your scores, I skipped a paragraph, whereas under the leadership of Coach Luke Coyote, Robinson delivered a commanding performance at the state championship meet, earning 75 team points through exceptional depth, determination, and competitive excellence. And now the exciting part, whereas Robinson scored

[00:19:13] 23 points in the 1,600-meter run, 9 points in the 3,200-meter run, 10 points in the 10,000-meter run, including a first-place finish by Petra Grundl and 8 points in the 4x800-meter relay, totaling 50 points in those distance events alone and proving especially decisive. And whereas Does Robinson also demonstrate its well-rounded strength by adding 19 points in the sprints and sprint relays and six points in the field events?

[00:19:44] And, whereas, the accomplishments of these student-athletes, coaches, families, and the school community reflect sportsmanship, dedication, and values that strengthen Fairfax County. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents, does hereby congratulate the Robinson Secondary School Girls Indoor Track and Field Team for winning this historic 2026 VHSL Classic State Championships. Congratulations.

[00:20:15] Second. It's been moved and multiply seconded. Discussion on the motion? Supervisor Rushna Sizemore-Hyser. I just wanted to say congratulations. To win the first indoor track championship is just an exceptional honor, and your names will go down in history as the first, but hopefully not the last for Robinson.

[00:20:40] And as someone who's run multiple marathons, who's run half marathons and 10-milers, I really respect how quickly you guys can run your races because I have no fast twitch muscles. it takes me three miles to warm up. So it is really just watching you run at the speeds from zero to as fast as you go is incredible. And I just shout out the hurdles because I can barely step over one of those. So now you guys run and jump is incredible. So I just wanted to say congratulations. I know this is a team effort. Congratulations to your coach as well. Keep up the running. It's a lifelong thing that you can do to stay healthy, stay strong,

[00:21:15] and congratulations. Thank you very much. There's no further discussion. Let me also congratulate you. There's a number of runners here on the dais. When we run, maybe we're not runners. There is a distinction. There is a distinction, but congratulations to all of you, and you will forever be known as the first to get a state title for your school. That can't happen again, and so that's an amazing feat, something that not only makes Robinson Secondary proud, but all of Fairfax County, so congratulations on that. With that, we're ready for a vote.

[00:21:53] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and let me ask Coach, if you'd like to share a word or two with us, you're welcome to do that. Sure, thank you so much. Good morning, everybody. I just want to say thank you to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, our Robinson Secondary School Administration, for the continued support, not only this year, but each and every year, and all the sports that we participate in i would just like to say as a kind of the first year head coach it was a little daunting task taking on um you know a little bit of everything i was the previous sprint coach but

[00:22:27] uh you know it's a testament to these girls hard work throughout the whole season uh early on you know we ran a lot of times in the snow in the sleet we chipped ice out of our track all to stay committed and put it out there you know the state meet is typically where you want to run your best and sometimes that doesn't always happen but I was truly amazed because that's exactly what each and every one of these girls did their performance from as you heard at the the field events on day one to the sprints to the distance it was literally the best overall team performance I've ever seen from one one one specific team it was personal best after school record after

[00:23:04] personal best after school record I mean you heard it you know Petra Grundahl won the 1600 and then doubled back in the 1,000 meter and probably one of the most heart racing races I've ever experienced as a coach or just a spectator, you know, to one of another tremendous athlete in our state, Caroline Elliott, who you're going to hear her name over and over, but 10 races, they might split five and five, you know, but I told the girls, I was like, I almost had three heart attacks throughout the day because they were just so close.

[00:23:35] And I think all of us were holding our breath, you know, when they posted the time. But then even our distance girls, after running that 1600, that great 1600 came back and two of them broke the school record, except one sister broke her sister's record, Karina and Alex.

[00:23:52] But another tremendous double. And then our sprints, you know, Olivia Jones, Joy Okanta, Emma Connor, and Audrey Bardoff, I mean, finished it up with the 300 and the 4x4. So as a coach, I couldn't be more proud. I'm super proud to coach these girls, and I'm super proud of them.

[00:24:09] So thank you all so much. Thank you very much, Coach. And well done on your part, too. Congratulations, ladies, again. I think we're ready for a photo. Supervisor Sizemore Heiser will join me, and if the board could do the rise, if you all could come forward and face the audience.

[00:25:03] Next, I'm going to turn to Supervisor Bierman,

[00:25:45] who's going to recognize the Langley High School Boys Swimming and Diving Team, and Coach Megan Overend and team, if you could please come on down if you are here. come on down to the podium. And while you are doing that, I am going to recognize Supervisor Bierman to read a recognition. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the Langley High School Boys Swim and Dive Team captured the Virginia High School League VHSL Class 6 state championship, demonstrating exceptional dedication, perseverance, and athletic excellence throughout the year, and whereas the Saxons delivered a dominant performance at the state meet, finishing 52.5

[00:26:24] points ahead of a strong Chantilly High School team to reclaim the championship title after a runner-up finish in the 2024-2025 season. And whereas the team demonstrated depth and determination with a key victory in the 200-yard medley relay, strong performances in freestyle relays, individual runner-up state titles, and strong performances across all events, highlighted by the efforts of Michael Zao, Paris Garvin, Max Thompson, Cameron Kuhn, Lucas Sanchez, Sandro Thornton, Alan Fu, Aaron Quang, Ethan Shin, and their teammates, and whereas head coach Megan Overan's leadership has fostered discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship,

[00:27:03] sustaining Langley's tradition of championship success. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents, does hereby congratulate the Langley High School Boys Swim and Dive Team for winning the VHSL Class 6 State Championship.

[00:27:21] I'm happy to second that motion. discussion on the motion. Supervisor Behrman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was at Langley High School's 60th anniversary this weekend. Langley has not won a state championship in swimming every year of those 60, but it has won four in the last six years. So that's pretty incredible.

[00:27:41] And it's amazing that Michael Zhao, Paris Garvin, Max Thompson, Ethan Shin in the 200-yard medley relay set a new Virginia State record, which is awesome. It's always awesome to see two Fairfax County teams also in, you know, coming in first and second. It's even better when I get bragging rights over Supervisor Herity. So, you know, just a great win, a great legacy, run it back next year.

[00:28:09] And of course, thank your parents for all those early mornings as well, because I know that's a big thing too, and thank you for your dedication. You made our community proud, so thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Beerman, and as someone who represents all of our schools in Fairfax County, I think we should just list the non-Fairfax County schools that we edged out in these resolutions, you know? The Prince William, the Loudoun County schools that we edge out, we can all celebrate, but in all seriousness, I want to congratulate this team before us and the coach. I know what dedication it takes to do high school swim and to finish as was mentioned first as many times as

[00:28:46] you have as recently as you have taken state titles not only makes Langley High School proud but all of Fairfax County so congratulations to you and to all those who helped you get to this point with that I think we're ready for a vote all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries and let me ask coach if you'd like to share a few words with us, welcome. On behalf of our boys swim and dive team, I just want to thank you all for recognizing their many accomplishments this season. And thank you also to the Langley High School Administration for all their support. Swimming is very unique because

[00:29:25] it's very much an individual sport, but high school swimming is an entirely a team effort. And our boys truly embodied that team-oriented mentality this season, and I attribute our success to that. Every one of our nine swimmers and divers who competed at the state championship scored important points to help our team reach the state title, which was really exciting. We had a lot of really great leaders on our team who set the example of always putting forth their best effort and supporting their teammates, and that really helped lift up our team as well. I can't tell you how many conversations I had with these boys in front of you and those that weren't able to make

[00:30:02] it about what events I was considering having them swim where their answer was just wherever the team needs me that's what I'll do and race after race at our state meet I was blown away by their heart and their grit really edging out tough races and putting their hand on the wall first while our future is really bright with a really talented group of underclassmen I just want to take a moment to recognize our seniors two of them in front of you and those that weren't able to make it because they've really helped our team reach a lot of success not only this year but our

[00:30:36] past four seasons. It's been an absolute pleasure to coach this team and I thank you all so much for your recognition. Thank you very much coach. Appreciate you and with that we're ready for a photo. If Supervisor Beerman could join me the board could rise and if you all could come forward and face the audience.

[00:31:29] Next, I'm going to turn to Vice Chairman Smith

[00:32:25] to recognize the Westfield High School boys' basketball team. Coach Kevin Harrison team, if you are here, please come on down to the podium. And while you are making your way down, I'm going to turn the microphone to Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:32:42] Whereas Westfield High School won the Virginia High School League VHSL Class 6 Boys Basketball State Championship defeating Lansdowne High School 48-44 and finishing an outstanding 30-1 season. And whereas this championship marks the Bulldogs' second state title and reflects years of dedication and growth as a leading program in Virginia. And whereas senior William Robinson led all scorers with 22 points, along with six rebounds and four blocks, delivering an exceptional performance.

[00:33:17] And whereas teammates Jermon Price, Isaiah Brown Jr., Colin Stemberger, Matthias Lee, and Malachi Lee contributed to a strong team effort defined by resilience, discipline, and teamwork. And whereas under the leadership of head coach Kevin Harris, the team demonstrated maturity and unity throughout the season, culminating in a hard-fought championship victory.

[00:33:41] And whereas this achievement brings great pride to Fairfax County and serves as an inspiration to student-athletes across the community, now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents, does hereby congratulate the Westfield High School's boys' basketball team for an outstanding achievement in capturing the 2026 VHSL Class VI State Championship.

[00:34:06] I so move. I'm happy to second that motion. It's been multiply seconded. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think I'm allowed to say that the only team you lost to was Paul VI, because it's not a Fairfax County school, and that I know one of my former employees used to coach at the school, Mike Coyle.

[00:34:25] So he sent me a text when you guys won, and the last time you won the state championship was 2016. So great work, great teamwork, and congratulations to all of you. Thank you, Supervisor Smith, and I too want to congratulate you. make Fairfax County proud, but I particularly want to congratulate the coaches, because I know how much work, energy, time goes into these young men, and you change lives, literally, through sports, and we appreciate that. And thank you, Supervisor Smith, for mentioning the one loss. I wasn't going to mention that, because 30-1 is just crazy remarkable. When you think about the talent

[00:35:03] that we have just in FCPS and basketball, to go 30-1 is just remarkable. So congratulations, Well done. With that, I think we're ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[00:35:19] Any abstentions? That motion carries. Coach, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you, guys. We appreciate the recognition. I want to thank the players, coaches, and staff that helped us this season. We, as a whole, want to thank the Westfield community, our teachers and staff, the student body, our activities director, Isaac Bumgarner, principals, Tony Dabari, and Scott Setter for all their support throughout the season.

[00:35:41] And we're just happy to be here. Thank you. Thank you very much. And how many of you boys are seniors? Raise your hands. Ooh, ooh, ooh. Coach, you got some work next year. Got some work. All right. Well, with that, I think we're ready for a photo.

[00:35:57] And if all of you could come forward, Supervisor Smith and I will join you and the board could rise.

[00:37:24] Next, we have Supervisor Jimenez, who will recognize the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Scholastic Bowl Team. And Coach John Laffey is not able to attend today, but I believe Leah Conte, the Director of Student Affairs, is here and will be sharing a few thoughts with us.

[00:37:42] And as you're coming on down, I am going to recognize Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to now read the resolution. Whereas Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology won the 2026 Virginia High School League Class 6 Glastic Bowl State Championship, making its second consecutive state championship and its 10th championship in the past 11 years, reflecting a remarkable legacy of sustained excellence and dominance.

[00:38:10] And whereas the team finished with a perfect 3-0 in the state finals and earned a total of 775 points to secure the championship title, demonstrating outstanding academic excellence in a rigorous competition that tests knowledge across science, mathematics, history, literature, and current events, and whereas the 2026 championship included Arushi Kaneguera, Anthony Zhao, Matthew Ryan, Heresha Boma, Yusin Sombata, Matthew Peng, and Samuel Lee, whose intellectual

[00:38:46] ability, teamwork, and dedication contributed to this outstanding achievement, and whereas As the accomplishment is a testament to the commitment of the student competitors, as well as the exceptional guidance, leadership, and dedication of their coach, Julia Fu, as well as the support of their teachers and families.

[00:39:03] Now, therefore, let it be resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all the residents, does hereby congratulate the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Scholastic Bowl team on its outstanding achievement in winning the VHSL Class 6 Scholastic Bowl State Championship.

[00:39:21] Second. It's been multiply moved and multiply seconded. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Mendes. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, I'd like to congratulate Thomas Jefferson High School's scholastic team for winning their second consecutive state championship. That's extremely impressive. I think some of us probably play trivia once in a while and know that it is no easy task. The hard work and commitment of the entire team are a strong reminder that the excellence in Fairfax County extends beyond athletics and into academics as well. I also want to thank the coaches whose leadership and guidance no doubt was influential in this year's

[00:39:59] win. It's always exciting to see our students earn national recognition for their hard work and dedication. We're incredibly proud of them and look forward to what they will accomplish next. Thank you, Supervisor Jimenez. Supervisor Palchuk. I just want to add the chairman and I were here sidebarring as the first TJ grad to serve on this board. Very excited to see that you just voted.

[00:40:21] I hope all the high schoolers who are eligible consider voting today, and we hope to see more of you look for leadership at the county level or beyond. So thank you for all you do, and happy 40th anniversary to TJ. Thank you very much, Supervisor Palchuk, and I also want to congratulate all the students who participated in this and the folks at the school who made this happen.

[00:40:44] You know, we always talk here about how proud we are of how well-rounded our students are. They excel in sports. They excel in academic endeavors. They excel in the arts. So many different areas. And I think a reflection point for us always is this time of year when our kids, our seniors, are getting ready to graduate.

[00:41:03] And we're looking at the cumulative success that they've had in all of their years in FCPS. And you all have had an amazing experience at TJ. And the second consecutive state title is huge. But what really jumped out at me is the 10th championship in the past 11 years.

[00:41:20] I just wish everyone else good luck because y'all are tough. So congratulations. Well done. Thanks for making Fairfax County proud. With that, I think we are ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[00:41:36] Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And as I mentioned, we have our Director of Student Affairs, Leah Conte, with us. You're welcome to share a few words with us. Sure. Good morning. I wish I could take credit for coaching this group of students. They're amazing. Coach Fu could not join us this morning, so she sent a few words along.

[00:41:56] Our team finished the day undefeated. Their success was a reflection of the time, preparation, and dedication they invested throughout the year. On the day of the competition, they demonstrated incredible teamwork, integrity, and focus. Most importantly, they had fun and represented themselves, TJ, and Fairfax County with excellence.

[00:42:15] We are so proud. I'm proud to stand up here with Arushi, Anthony, and Matthew, who are all seniors. And again, they had an extremely successful day. We're proud of them, and thank you for honoring us today. Thank you very much, and congratulations again to all of you.

[00:42:32] With that, I think we're ready for a photo. If Supervisor Jimenez would join me, the board would rise, and if you all could come forward and face the audience.

[00:43:49] Okay, next up, we're going to recognize our biggest category, which are the individual state championships, and in this order, we're going to do gymnastics, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, and wrestling, and we know that not all of our individual student athletes are able to attend today, but we're still going to read them and recognize each person so that they can get the recognition, and for each sport, the athletes and their

[00:44:23] coaches can come on down to the floor with any of their family or school administrators and supporters who are here. They're welcome to join them as well. And we'll recognize each of these athletes and their accomplishments, and then we will take a group photo. And so there aren't any speakers for this category, just a group photo at the end. But if you are here with a student athlete, please come on down and join them as well. And I'm going to read these again. Not all of these are here, but we're going to read them. If you hear your name, your sport, your school, please come on down. And we're going to start with gymnastics. And I know this student athlete is

[00:45:02] not here, but Addison Rowland, floor exercise champion from Robinson Secondary School. We also have indoor track and field, Annandale High School, Jeremiah Nelson High Jump. If you are here, If I call you, please come on down.

[00:45:51] Sarah Gantawala, Quinn Jackson, and Aya Ryan. From West Springfield High School, Nicholas Bailey. In the category of swimming and diving from Chantilly High School, we have Yaren Lee, Ivor Brown, Kyle Lee, Adam Alley, Jason Zen, Ben Matias, Yaren Lee.

[00:46:18] And in the Freestyle Relay, Ben Montias, Blake Madsen, Noah Sherby, Yaren Lee. And from Fairfax High School, Sadie Buckley. From Langley High School, Paris Garvin, Ethan Shin, Max Thompson, Michael Zhu.

[00:46:43] And from Madison High School, Marlee Da Silva. And McLean High School, we have Bruno Haggard. From Robinson Secondary School, Lila Wilbur. And in the category of wrestling, we have from Chantilly High School, Carter Shin.

[00:47:05] Fairfax High School, Cross Cassidy. Marshall High School, Adrian Canales. Oakton High School, Allison Hegg. West Springfield, Michael Santos. And Elena Primozik. And those are the list of champions that I have here before me.

[00:47:24] And hopefully, as many of you, if I called your name, you have come on down. We are going to let Mr. Castrilli in a moment organize us for a group photo. And we do not need to take a vote on these, but wanted to make sure we took an opportunity to recognize all of these exceptional athletes in their individual capacities.

[00:47:46] Some of them were down here already for teamwork, but also in their individual capacities. and wanted to make sure we read everyone's name and congratulate everyone. Also want to congratulate the coaches, parents, school staff, all the folks that make this possible for all of our young people to be able to compete and not just compete but win state titles, not just for your school, but for Fairfax County public schools as well.

[00:48:11] You make all of us exceptionally proud. And with that, I am going to ask our Office of Public Affairs to help us arrange a photo and if the board could all rise. I'm going to come on down with our champions, and if the board could rise.

[00:51:43] Before we move on to board matters, that clearly marks the end of our ceremony. I appreciate everyone and how quietly they left, but I do want to thank the team at OPA because this comes along and looks seamless, but it is a lot of work to coordinate that many people to come in and be recognized.

[00:52:05] It's not lost on me how hard that is, so thank you for your whole team, Tony, and their work on making sure we could recognize these student-athletes for their achievements. With that, we're going to move on to board matters, and as we always do, we've compiled these digitally.

[00:52:23] We'll go alphabetically by district, following myself and Vice Chairman Smith. I am going to hand the gavel to Supervisor Smith so that I can read my board matters. First, I move to approve without objection the proclamation requests listed in this document to be presented inside or outside of the boardroom as appropriate.

[00:52:43] And you will see this is a very long list, but I really appreciate my colleagues who send these, especially the county-wide ones, in to my office to be able to coordinate. It makes life simpler for all of us, for our staff, and certainly saves us time going through and acknowledging these recognitions.

[00:53:03] and so i move those without objection without objection is so ordered thank you supervisor smith uh next i do have a board matter proclaiming may 19th 2026 um as a as fairfax county's day to end hate uh fairfax county is a community made up of individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds from residents whose families have called our home called our county home for generations to new residents from abroad fairfax county is a proud welcoming and safe place for for all members of our community to work hard and reach their potential.

[00:53:38] With diversity, as we know, comes strength, with every individual's lived experience and being an asset to our collective benefit and resilience. A diverse county where roughly 39% of our residents speak a language other than English at home and who worship in a multitude of ways, we lean into and do not shy away from what makes us an exceptional county.

[00:54:00] I recognize that we're living through trying times internationally and locally where division is propagated, pinning neighbor against neighbor instead of finding ways to unite in our shared humanity. In recent years, our nation has seen an increase in hate crimes, and we categorically denounce all actions of bias towards any individual or group.

[00:54:21] Regardless of how you pray or don't, the color of your skin, your ethnic background, the language you speak, who you love, how you identify, or your disability status, you belong and you matter in Fairfax County. Therefore, I move to request the faith communities in action in conjunction with One Fairfax and the Office of Public Affairs provide a proclamation to be presented in the boardroom proclaiming May 19, 2026 as a day to end hate in Fairfax County.

[00:54:50] I'll second that motion, along with a bunch of supervisors. Any discussion on the motion? Yeah, thank you, Vice Chair Smith. I'll be very brief. This comes about because obviously all of us are seeing a lot of international tension. We're seeing things happen in our communities that don't represent always the best of Fairfax County that we know is the best of Fairfax County.

[00:55:13] And several different religious organizations and individuals asked us to recognize discrimination against them. And I think in concert with One Fairfax, it's important for us to recognize that discrimination, sadly, happens against all of our faiths, all of our people in some way or another, and affects all of our residents in different ways.

[00:55:36] and that we simply in Fairfax County vow to always do everything we can to condemn discrimination of any type and to end hate in Fairfax County. And we know that this is the safest jurisdiction of our size in the country.

[00:55:52] We know what the statistics show, and yet we hear rhetoric out there suggesting somehow that because of our diversity, Because of immigration status, because of who we worship, because of where we come from, somehow that makes us inherently less safe.

[00:56:09] And that is just statistically 100% incorrect. And I think it's time for us together to come together as a community and just remind our residents that regardless of all the conditions that I mentioned in my board matter, that people come wherever they come from or whoever they love, however they worship or don't worship, that we value every single human being in this county.

[00:56:32] And I think it's important for our board periodically to remind our residents of this, especially during the times we're facing now. Supervisor Pelczyk. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. And I want to just add one thing. I want to thank the chairman for bringing this. It's incredibly important, and I appreciate the 15X approach.

[00:56:50] I do also want to iterate and ensure us, the community, and our public service and human services is that we also ensure data and targeted universalism, and we want to ensure that all communities are safe.

[00:57:07] But we do know that certain vulnerable communities, at a time when there's specific hate happening in communities, do have the support and resources they need to continue to feel safe, especially at a time when international issues are coming into our community.

[00:57:26] So as someone who grew up in several minorities, I just want to ensure that, yes, we are one Fairfax. And as we see cases rise, whether it's for someone's background or religion, that we and the county and our public safety officers continue to provide the needed support for those communities.

[00:57:50] Thank you. Supervisor Hernandez. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing this board matter. It's important board matter, it's timely board matter. Today, as we always mentioned in Mason District, our diversity makes us stronger, not weaker. We lean into our differences because that's what makes us a wonderful, vibrant community in all of Fairfax County.

[00:58:11] So thank you for bringing this board matter. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Two things I just want to comment on very briefly. First, we just saw our young people here in front of us, and I think it's important for us to be that voice of reassurance.

[00:58:28] In our young people, what we just saw is people from all walks of life that proudly represent Fairfax County, their community. And they're looking at us in times like this to stand up and proclaim the things that we're proclaiming. And then secondly, I want to, and Supervisor Pouchik mentioned this, I want to acknowledge and thank particularly Chief Davis and our police department.

[00:58:50] You know, when there are acts of religious intolerance that happen, religious terrorism, that happen outside of Fairfax County, many people from those faith communities reach out to me. And what I have found is as soon as that happens and I reach out to the chief, our police department is already on it.

[00:59:09] They see the same news we do, watch the same things, and proactively reach out to communities within Fairfax County that might be vulnerable to some of the malicious acts that are occurring outside of Fairfax County. And that's just first-rate police department that is always trying to make everyone in this community feel safe and doing it in a proactive way and paying attention always to what's happening within the boundaries of Fairfax County for sure, but outside of the boundaries, including internationally, knowing that that's the community that we proudly represent.

[00:59:43] So I do want to thank them for that proactive approach as well. And I appreciate my colleagues' support for this. Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstention? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I do have a number of announcements.

[00:59:59] These don't require action, but I have three of them that I would like to – four of them, actually, I would like to mention. And I want to start by we know that it's veto or not veto time for the governor, and the governor's office has been exhausted in looking at all the bills before them and taking action on them.

[01:00:18] I just want to personally thank Governor Spanberger for her action on behalf of Fairfax County and talk to her about a number of bills, everything from our loud muffler bill to collective bargaining to the one that we spent the most amount of time talking with her about and the time that she spent understanding and learning about Senate Bill 756, which of course is the infamous casino bill, and I want to publicly thank her as I have with the media and others who have asked about this for her veto of an ill-conceived bill

[01:00:53] that was never asked for by Fairfax County, that in fact the very conversation of the potential of a casino has thwarted economic development activity in and around Tyson's,

[01:01:05] Clearly, one thing that came out of this whole process is the number of people who have come up to me and thanked our board for taking action, being involved in the conversation, thanked the governor for taking action, and recognizing that regardless of how one feels or doesn't feel about a casino, the most egregious thing in this bill was that this would have been the first casino in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia that was enabled by Richmond without the request of the local government.

[01:01:35] And ultimately, that was at the crux of the decision she made to veto it, is that we did not ask for it. And frankly, if we do not ask for something that ultimately is a localized economic development decision and a localized land use decision, that the state should not be imposing that opportunity on a local government.

[01:01:55] And she got that, and I really appreciate her getting that. And then lastly, on this issue, it doesn't matter if I'm in Tyson's or anywhere else in this county. No matter what I'm event at, no matter which of the magisterial districts I am in, there inevitably will be someone who comes up to me and thanks us for taking a stand and protecting the interest of Fairfax County in this issue.

[01:02:20] And everywhere from Mount Vernon to Sully to, you know, Springfield and down to Braddock and every district in this county. I can't go to an event without somebody coming up to me afterwards and saying thank you. And so our residents know what they have in Fairfax County.

[01:02:39] They know that they have well-written, comprehensive plans. They know that due to the actions of this board when it comes to economic development and job growth that we lead the Commonwealth of Virginia by a mile. And they trust us to make those decisions because, after all, our community, working with us as a board, has built the economic powerhouse of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[01:02:59] And we need to be unapologetic about that. And so, obviously, that was a part of the conversation on the casino bill. But I just wanted to take this moment to publicly thank the governor, not just for responding to our concerns, but, frankly, for listening to the voices of Fairfax County and standing up for the people who live in Fairfax County.

[01:03:17] And for that, we will forever be grateful, not only for the governor's action, but for the enormous amount of time she spent with me wanting to understand the complexities of this bill, which was a breath of fresh air. And so I just wanted to make that announcement. Supervisor Beerman, and you have the...

[01:03:36] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Absolutely thrilled that the governor vetoed this bill. Absolutely thrilled that she saw this bill for what it was, which was generally a distraction. That it was not something that we here in Fairfax County wanted, that it was not something that our board wanted, it was not something that we asked for, that the whole process was backwards, that she listened to the people of Fairfax County.

[01:04:02] I do want to thank the governor. I also want to thank my constituents. I want to thank all of our constituents because I don't represent as many as the chairman, but I can say that there were constituents in Herndon who were 10 miles away from this thing telling me, you got to keep fighting this.

[01:04:19] Uh, last time I thanked all of the senators and the delegates who stood up against this. Um, I'm going to read their names once more, once more, uh, Senator Salim, Senator Boisco, Senator Ben Parker, Senator Eben, when he was in the Senate, Delegate Siebel, Delegate Sullivan, Delegate Keyes-Gamara, Delegate Chin, Delegate Simon, Delegate Delaney, Delegate Krizak, Delegate Bulova, Gretchen Bulova, Delegate Watts, Delegate, uh, Herring, Delegate Tran, Delegate Helmer, Helmer, David Bulova, when he was a delegate, Mark Sickles, when he was a delegate. I think the breadth of opposition to this was clear. It was huge.

[01:04:55] And I think that was very decisive for a governor who decided to listen to the people of Fairfax County. I think she exercised excellent judgment on this. Look, the casino proponents went all in. They should have folded. It was terrible from the start. Frankly, it was positively Trumpian to tout a plan bought and paid for by a wealthy developer to establish a casino that by design extracts wealth out of hardworking families to the benefit of that developer and then call it a plan for the working class. It's worse than trickle-down economics. It was corrupt. It was

[01:05:30] nonsense. I'm glad the governor saw through it. I hope it doesn't come back next year. If it does, I'll keep fighting it. Thank you. Supervisor Pelcher. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. And I'm glad That's where Supervisor Herman ended, because to me, it's thinking about, yes, it's vetoed this year.

[01:05:51] It's gone for this year. But those of us who are working really hard to figure out the future of Tyson's and economic development at a time when office has changed forever are honestly frustrated that-- I call it the big C word. And Fairfax keeps coming up wherever we go.

[01:06:08] And so my hope, and I appreciate that the chairman was able to have that constructive conversation with the governor is that rather than having all this attention over one issue that no one wants, we have to face the real issues of our economic development, of partnerships with the state.

[01:06:24] I hope that the governor and all of our representatives in Richmond will be looking to help figure out how we shift and continue to build Tysons at a time when we know there is investment. Capital One has expanded its ownership, and all of the companies there are looking to continue, but it's just a different way the office is operating these days.

[01:06:45] And so the things, whether they be tourism, conference centers, the things that we know that are needed in Tyson's that are going to require a little bit more creativity and economic development, support, incentives, are where the conversation, I hope, will be in the next session, not in something that is dead on arrival, but something that can really move the county and the economic engine of both the county and the state and a thriving community that continues to grow neighborhood by neighborhood into what we envision and was envisioned by the plan. So it still needs a way to continue to get built and continue to be invested

[01:07:24] in at a time when there was so much competition and cost for creating those spaces. So again, thank all those who have stopped it this year, but let's hope, and more than hope, I ask that that help us move on and move forward and move to a better place next year.

[01:07:42] Supervisor Sizemore Heiser and then Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. I'll be brief. I just wanted to say one of the things being new to this position I take very seriously is my job of representing the people who elected me to be here. And while the casino was not planned or proposed to be in my district, I will say it was in the top three items I heard when I knocked 28,000 doors last year was the casino.

[01:08:06] The other two were Braddock Road and Lake Akatink, which are very Braddock-related issues. This was the number one non-Braddock impactful from a district perspective issue that I heard. And so, you know, we listen to the people. That is our job. And I do think that moving forward, I know I've heard many of my colleagues want to really work collaboratively with our state so we can work together for the benefit of our commonwealth economically, bringing good-paying jobs to Fairfax and to the rest of the Commonwealth.

[01:08:38] And I'm hoping once this is done, it's been vetoed, we can move on from this rather than continuing to have this battle every year because it doesn't do any good for our joint relationship and how we can best jointly serve our constituents. So I'm glad to see this, and I thank the governor for her veto.

[01:08:53] Thank you. Supervisor Alcoy. Thank you, and I do want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue. The chairman made a difference. This really, you're engaging personally in your discussions with the governor in very visible and articulate opposition to what was being proposed really moved the needle.

[01:09:16] So thank you. Thank you for that. And I also just want to build on what Supervisor Palchuk was saying. I couldn't agree more. I think it's really important now for us to turn attention to the future of Tyson's and our other business centers around the county.

[01:09:33] do what we do I mean let's let's talk with the different stakeholders the landowners the folks that are looking to make things happen in these areas and see where we can help them where you know we might need to do things a little differently and frankly move forward this is this is has been a distraction and so I'm very optimistic that actually this this could be an inflection point and to see us really move forward in a positive way and I got to tell you you know I think we're going to continue to see as we see new development proposals

[01:10:10] come forward in places like Tyson's that do not include a casino believe me this is this is we have an opportunity here as you know as our residents have been you know traumatized in large respects by this proposal to move past that and to move forward with things that actually do help the overall community. So thank you. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much and appreciate my colleagues support as well because it mattered. You know at the end of the day I still hang my hat on if you need a majority of people outside of

[01:10:47] Fairfax County to vote for something when a majority of your own people are voting against it you might have a bad bill and that is very clearly what happened here, and the idea that somehow this was a good bill because it was bipartisan.

[01:11:02] I've met Democrats and Republicans all over Virginia that are more than happy to take revenue from Northern Virginia, so of course it was bipartisan. I mean, it's just, you know, that's obvious. And I think the key, though, and the governor did mention this, is the majority of people who represent the affected area were against it.

[01:11:20] And a majority of people who supported this bill not only don't have any connection to Fairfax County but we're more than happy to vote to support additional revenue and that shouldn't be what the decision here is about and so we landed in the right place but we will remain steadfast in future years should this come back.

[01:11:40] Next, Madam Vice Chair, we did recently learn that Assistant Chief Robert Bob Blakely retired from the Fairfax County Police Department after more than two decades of distinguished service and accepted a role as Prince William County's Deputy County Executive for Safe and Secure Communities. And while we're sad to see Assistant Chief Blakely depart, I know we're excited for him in this new role and the role that he'll play really in the region. Having served so many roles since he joined our department in 2002, Assistant Chief Blakely helped usher in a new era of public safety in our county.

[01:12:17] A great professional, he excelled at community engagement and development of major initiatives within the department, and I'd like to publicly thank him for his dedication to Fairfax County and his dedication to continuing to serve residents of our region. I know we all wish him well.

[01:12:33] We all work closely with him and hope to continue to stay in contact with him. But Assistant Chief Blakely, congratulations on your new position, and we're going to be watching you very closely and celebrating your successes. Next, Madam Chairman, I did want to announce that the Chairman's Spring Social will be held next month on Tuesday, May 12th, from 5.30 to 7 p.m. here at the Maine Government Center Forum.

[01:12:59] As we've done previously, we'll have a donation drive for the Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter to support their mission. I look forward to connecting with our residents and welcome all of you to come join us on the evening of May 12th to celebrate spring and to celebrate the fact that we've moved this from the dead of winter to spring so that we never have to cancel it for snow.

[01:13:22] So hopefully you all will be able to join us on May 12th. And then finally, I did recently hear through the grapevine that a member of our board is getting ready to or is this year celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, and that is Supervisor Stork.

[01:13:43] And I want to congratulate Supervisor Stork and his wonderful wife, Deb, on this momentous occasion and acknowledge the fact that Dan must have gotten married when he was 10. But, you know, Dan, that is remarkable.

[01:14:00] 50th wedding anniversary is huge. And just simply congratulations to you and Deb. May we all be so lucky, right?

[01:14:16] But well done, Dan. And so with that, I am going to move on next to Vice Chair Smith. I have no board matters, but I have to talk about Sully's 35th birthday party that we're going to have May 2nd at the Sully governmental office from 11 to 2.

[01:14:34] My staff has been working diligently. We are going to have a lot of community county services there, adoptable pets, Identikid, the Wonder Wagon. The library is going to be there, our youth sports, free blood pressure checks and screening, just a lot of stuff that day.

[01:14:52] And if any of my colleagues want to come out to that western part of the county, you are welcome. But I hope the community comes and joins us for that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Looking forward to it. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And next up is Supervisor Sizemore Heiser. Thank you, Chairman.

[01:15:10] I have a board matter around land use. This is a comprehensive plan amendment work program revision for reauthorization of Fairfax Center Suburban Center Subunit J1 and J2 and Evergreen Investment Company LLC SSPA 2023-2-2F.

[01:15:27] A little background here. The comprehensive plan amendment work program adopted by the Board on April 1, 2023 included authorization of a plan amendment for the Fairfax Center Suburban Subunit J1 and J2 and Evergreen Investment Company LLC as a Tier 2 item.

[01:15:43] The area, located south of the intersection of Route 50 and Waples Mill Road and adjacent to Fairfax City on the east, is planned and developed for office and retail uses. The intent of the authorization was to study the planned land use mix for the area. Since the adoption of the work program, staff have coordinated with the property owners in the area of potential land use changes, and there are at least three separate proposals for changes in the subunit.

[01:16:08] One of these property owners at 4035 Ridgetop Road is at a more advanced stage of planning for land use changes than the other property owners. The Ridgetop Road owner has worked with planning and development staff on a concept for stacked and traditional townhouses that would replace the existing office building on the site.

[01:16:27] Since they are prepared to move forward soon, county staff have developed a phased strategy for the study. This phased approach will facilitate a timely review of the 4035 Ridgetop Road proposal and a subunit-wide guidance for active transportation in public facilities, as well as establish the groundwork for a future phase as the other proposals come to fruition.

[01:16:46] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board amend the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program to reflect this new phased approach by reauthorizing the Fairfax Center Suburban Subunit J-1 and J-2 and Evergreen Investment Company LLC, SSPA 2023-2-2F, as described here.

[01:17:04] Consideration of a plan amendment for Fairfax Center Suburban Center Subunit J-1 and J-2. Phase 1, allow for land use and density intensity changes for 4035 Ridgetop Road, tax map parcel 56-2, parenthesis 1-36, with specific considerations to include the relationship of residential use to the surrounding office uses, transportation network, public facilities, and adequate open spaces.

[01:17:29] And Phase 2, evaluate the mix of uses and allowable densities and intensities for the balance of the Fairfax Center Suburban Center subunit J-1 and J-2 with specific consideration for future land use uses, open spaces, transportation network, and supporting infrastructure.

[01:17:46] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation of the plan amendment by the Board and does not prejudice any substantive view of the amendment. And the Chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion? Supervisor, any discussion on the motion? Just briefly, I just wanted to say that there's, you know, one of our goals is to increase housing.

[01:18:04] There's an office, you know, unit with parking lots available where a developer is ready to create some housing on that unit and ready to move forward in a way that the other three are not. So this allows for us to move forward on that housing. Excellent. Thank you very much. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[01:18:22] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries Supervisor Smith being out of the room at the moment. Supervisor Sizemore-Heiser. Is that all? That's all. Thank you. Thank you very much. That's all I have. Thank you very much.

[01:18:38] Next up is Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For my first board matter, I have a board matter on the McLean Community Center election candidates. On March 30, 2026, my office received notice that 18 Drainsville Small District 1A tax residents, 12 adults, and 6 youth have successfully petitioned to become candidates and have their names placed on the ballots for the McLean Community Center.

[01:19:05] governing board elections. Four adult and two youth board positions are open. Attached to this board matter is a copy of the MCC's certification of the candidates dated March 30, 2026, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the governing board of the MCC dated February 8, 1984, as was advised. The notice of all certified candidates is to be presented to the Drainsville District Supervisor and through him or her to the Board of Supervisors at their next regular meeting. Absentee voting began on April 1, 2026 and continues through May 8, 2026. In-person voting will be offered at the McLean Day event

[01:19:43] held on May 15 and May 16, 2026 that everyone should come to because McLean Day is great. Pursuant to the requirements of the MOU, the results of the election will be reported to the Board of Supervisors at its first meeting following the election. If the Board of Supervisors determines that it is in the public interest to do so, the board will appoint all four adult candidates, one youth candidate from McLean High School Boundary Area and one youth candidate from the Langley High School Boundary Area who received the highest numbers of votes to the McLean MCC Governing Board. The adult candidates who received the three highest vote counts will serve a three-year term. The adult candidate who receives the fourth highest vote count will serve a two-year unexpired

[01:20:21] term. Youth members will serve a one-year term. Therefore, I ask without objection that the record reflect the receipt by the Board of Supervisors of the attached list of candidates for the MCC governing board election. And without objection, it is so ordered. And before we go to your next item, I do want for the clerk to Supervisor Smith would like to be recorded voting in the affirmative in the last item from Braddock District. And with that, I will turn to Supervisor Bierman. Supervisor Smith always likes to support her colleagues. I have two board matters, which are appointments because the next board meeting when boards, authorities, and commissions are on the agenda

[01:21:00] is not until May 19th. The first one is the appointment of Catherine Gannon to the Library Board of Trustees. Again, because the next board matter where boards, authorities, and commissions are on the agenda is not until May 19th, and the Drainsville representatives should be represented on the library board at their next meeting on May 13th.

[01:21:19] I am submitting this board matter to fill the Drainsville vacancy. I shared the resume of the Drainsville resident, Catherine Gannon, with the board members. I've asked Ms. Gannon to serve as the Drainsville representative on the library board, and she's agreed to do so. Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve the appointment of Catherine Gannon to serve as the Drainsville representative on the library board of trustees, effective immediately.

[01:21:42] Chairman, we'll second that, along with Supervisor Palchik. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Beerman. Similarly, the next meeting of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board is on May 6th, but again, we don't have these appointments on the agenda until May 19th. Therefore, I'm submitting this board matter to fill the Drainsville vacancy.

[01:22:16] I shared the resume of Drainsville resident Tyler Hagan with board members. I've asked Mr. Hagan to serve as the Drainsville representative on the CJAB, and he has agreed to do so. Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve the appointment of Tyler Hagan to serve as the Drainsville representative on the Criminal Justice Advisory Board, effective immediately.

[01:22:35] The Chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palczyk. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[01:22:45] That motion carries.

[01:23:16] Between these land units are adjacent to the capital boatway. Additional information was needed from the I-495 Southside Express Lane Study that potential right-of-way impacts associated with the project. Given the potential significance of these impacts, the land use study was indefinitely deferred.

[01:23:35] The design concepts for the Express Lane Study's preferred alternative were released late last year, identifying the proposed limits of disturbance, LOD, and the properties that could be impacted in the Van Dorn TSA. The largest property owner on Oakwood Road has submitted a new development concept for stacked townhomes that is well outside of this limits of disturbance and also preserves the RPA, Resource Protection Area, and Environmental Quality Corridor on the site.

[01:24:04] Given this additional information and property owner interest, we believe that it is appropriate to recommence this portion of the land you study. The community has been heavily involved in prior planning efforts in the area, and a robust outreach plan will be part of this project.

[01:24:21] I've spoken with planning staff who have indicated that resources are available to resume the study. I therefore move that the board commence and amend the Conference of Plan Amendment Work Plan to reprioritize SSPA 2021-4-1RH in the name of Oakwood Road as a Tier 1 item with the following authorization language.

[01:24:47] Consider a plan amendment for Land Unit D and the Northern undeveloped portion of Land Unit E of the Van Doren TSA. The evaluation should consider, but not be limited to, the recommended use of mix of uses, phasing conditions, multimodal transportation improvements, including the planned bridge to Vine Street, coordination with the City of Alexandria, community engagement, and other relevant considerations. As appropriate, site-specific considerations for tax map parcel 8-12, double circle 3, parcel 12A, may be addressed in an initial phase of the study.

[01:25:26] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation of the plan amendment by the board and does not prejudice the substantive review of the amendment. So moved. For the motion, the chair seconds that along with Supervisor Palczyk. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to recognize an extraordinary public servant and dedicated leader in our judicial community, Chief Judge Penny S. Escarate,

[01:26:01] who will be retiring this July after more than 18 years of distinguished service on the bench here in Fairfax County. Judge Ascarate's career is defined by her commitment to justice, innovation, and service to others. Her extensive legal career began with work as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and civil litigator in Fairfax County before she was appointed to the Fairfax County General District Court in 2008, where she became the first woman ever to serve as chief judge.

[01:26:31] She was later elevated to the Fairfax County Circuit Court in 2015 and again made history when she was elected the first female chief judge of the Fairfax County Circuit Court, a role in which she has provided exceptional leadership and guidance.

[01:26:47] Throughout her judicial tenure, Judge Escarate has been a champion for expanding access to justice and improving outcomes for vulnerable populations. As she prepares for retirement this July, she leaves behind a legacy defined by integrity, fairness, innovation, and compassion.

[01:27:07] Her leadership, particularly her commitment to supporting veterans and improving access to justice, will continue to shape our county long after her departure. Therefore, Sharon McKay and I jointly move that the board direct the county executive to assign the appropriate staff to prepare a resolution honoring the outstanding career in service of Chief Judge Penny S. Escarate to be presented either inside or outside the boardroom. So moved.

[01:27:33] And I'm happy to second that with a lot of members of the board who recognize the great work she's done and the high profile cases she's had, especially recently. And the fact that she swore all of us in on this board, some of us multiple times. Yes.

[01:27:49] So great, great recognition. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Okay, Mr. Chairman, I'll try to move a little quickly here. I've got a few announcements. I'll start first with the event that we held on Saturday, April 11th.

[01:28:09] You were a part of it. hundreds of Fairfax County and Franconia District residents and county staff convened to celebrate the grand opening of the Franconia District Governmental Center. The facility, which is located at 7130 Silver Lakes Boulevard in the heart of the Franconia District, will serve as a one-stop shop for essential services. Community members will now be able to access my office, the police department, library services, child care, active adult resources, and the Franconia Museum, all without ever leaving the building.

[01:28:41] By bringing these services together, the facility will provide a centralized hub that encourages intergenerational connections. This will truly be a vibrant place that reflects our community and offers something for everyone in all walks of life. Thank you to the following speakers who presented in the ribbon cutting, and that is you, Mr. Chairman, first.

[01:29:04] I also want to thank Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis, Eric Carzone, the Director of the Fairfax County Public Library, Lloyd Tucker, Director of Neighborhood and Community Services, Chris Harrington, Director of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Don Hackinson, Vice President for the History of the Frank County Museum, and then additionally, I'd like to thank our County Executive, Brian Hill, and Mount Vernon District Supervisor, Dan Stork, for joining us in this celebration.

[01:29:34] The Springfield Art Guild displayed local art for those who were able to attend. They also held a prize drawing for winners to take home a small piece of their choosing. And I also want to thank the staff at OPA specifically for being there and helping us memorialize the event.

[01:29:55] and the Department of Public Works, in particular, and Environmental Services, who worked extremely hard to oversee the design, the construction, and the opening of the facility, as well as the Facilities Management Division, who helped us, I think, put in the extra time for the final touches to the building.

[01:30:13] So with that, I welcome my colleagues to visit the new facility and see what we've all been able to accomplish together. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk, and I've been to a lot of these. I don't think I've ever been to one where I couldn't get up to the front where the presentations were because the crowd was so big.

[01:30:32] It was a massive, massive turnout, and I also want to thank the Hayfield Secondary School musicians who were upstairs. It was a nice part of this to include our school students and had a chance to talk to them and how appreciative they were to be able to participate in these.

[01:30:51] And I think, frankly, anytime we open a facility, we should be including our young people. So that was good to see. And then also, I was glad to see Dana Kaufman there. As I mentioned at the event that day, it was way back in the 1990s when this site was acquired for this use.

[01:31:09] And so it took a quarter of a century for it to come fully to fruition, nearly 30 years. But at the time, being able to land bank, this was critical. And the reason there was a library in this area before the regional library was built is because there was a proffer to provide a library rent-free in the Lansdowne Shopping Center for decades.

[01:31:30] And so it wasn't the best site in the world, but we are eternally grateful to Lansdowne Shopping Center ownership for hosting the Kingstown Library for all these years until the regional library ultimately could be built at this site. And then lastly, I want to add my thanks with yours to DPW and to all of our staff, really, who worked on this.

[01:31:51] Because this is how things should be done. It was harder. It took a lot more work. It took a lot more coordination. But long term for our residents to be able to come to one location, a multi-generational location. I mean, here you had our youngest residents coming to see the library.

[01:32:10] Some of our more seasoned residents participating in the adult active center, right when you walked in the door. But to be able to go to the police station, community rooms, regional library, supervisor's office, Franconia history, I mean, all those things in one building, not only efficient for the county long term, but really efficient for the residents who access those services and will build community.

[01:32:37] And so this was huge in many different ways, and I think the turnout that day spoke for itself. So thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Okay, and then if I could, Mr. Chairman, I apologize. We've got a couple more announcements here. The one is I've included a flyer for our Fairfax Circuit Court satellite services.

[01:32:58] So you'll note that beginning today, April 14th, and on the following second Tuesdays of each month, The Fairfax County Circuit Court will extend satellite services to the Jerry Highland Governmental Center at 8350 Richmond Highway.

[01:33:14] Services will include civil filings for existing cases, free notary services, marriage licenses. So, Dan, you could have gotten your marriage license at this facility had you been around then and much, much more.

[01:33:31] So I've attached flyers here that you can see both in English and Spanish for distribution to residents. And I just want to say how appreciative I am to the clerk of the courts, Chris Falcon, for making these services available and accessible to the residents in this part of Fairfax County.

[01:33:48] And then, Mr. Chairman, very quickly, I'll just also mention we had the opportunity to participate in the topping off of the hospital that's located at the Franconia-Springfield location.

[01:34:05] Really amazing event there, too, being able to see the development of that 750,000-square-foot facility and acknowledging that it's going to really help make our community so much safer in providing those critical services in proximity to our residents.

[01:34:26] And just wanted to thank you and then also the county executive for being a part of that event as well. And then last, Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to acknowledge that the Springville and surrounding neighborhoods, they asked me to show this little flyer here.

[01:34:43] So the Garfield area is hosting a neighborhood cleanup day that will be held on April 18th from 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. It will be held at the Springville Park. So they'll be working on cleanup neighborhood roads and streams.

[01:34:59] And just wanted to make sure that folks were aware of that effort as well. And with that, I will conclude my announcements and board matters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk. Supervisor Alcorn. Very much, Mr. Chairman.

[01:35:15] I have three board matters, so I'll go quickly. First relates to the 2026 Tour to Hunter Mill, and I am inviting all of you to attend the sixth annual Tour to Hunter Mill bike event on Sunday, May 3rd.

[01:35:31] There will be two routes for the community bike ride, a short ride and a long ride, although the short one, I must caution you, is not really that short. I think it's 13 miles, but anyway, it's shorter than the long one. But there is a route, the idea is for this event to be for people of all abilities.

[01:35:50] And each year we feature new routes to give riders a fresh view and highlight bike-friendly areas across the district. This year we're going to start at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, and we're going to explore, go through Vienna. The focus this year is on Vienna.

[01:36:07] And we're also going to check out the new, relatively new, I-66 trail along the southern edge of Vienna and also be along the Route 7 trail for a while. And we'll be going by the Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center.

[01:36:26] So it is true that this year we will be going into the Drainsville District just a hair on this tour to Hunter Mill. So more information is available on the Hunter Mill District webpage. Registration is now open, and as usual, and again, thank you to the Tour de Mount Vernon folks and Supervisor Stork for a tour to whatever it was, yeah, to Lee back in the day.

[01:36:51] So we also will be providing socks this year. They will be tie-dye socks, so we've changed the color every year, so we're stepping into a new realm here. So and I do want to thank the many individuals and organizations whose assistance makes this possible, including Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, the Reston Community Center, Nova Parks, Town of Vienna, and the police departments of both Vienna and Fairfax County.

[01:37:17] So therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs provide promotional support to the 2026 Tour to Hunter Mill, including in the county's weekly newsletters, in the county's homepage, and on social media as appropriate. And without objection, that is so ordered, and Supervisor Alcorn has promised a little bit better weather this year.

[01:37:37] Yeah, I know. We are in a drought, so I figured we'd schedule it then and, you know, maybe get some rain. But, you know, hopefully it won't rain at least that day. But thank you, Mr. Chairman. The next item is a board matter jointly with you, Chairman McKay, recognizing the Tefra ICA Arts Festival's 35th anniversary.

[01:38:02] Recognized as one of the nation's top outdoor cultural events, the Tefra ICA Arts Festival returns to Reston Town Center from May 16th to 17th this year, and this year marks the festival's 35th anniversary. This annual arts festival is a competitive, juried event that presents original paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and mixed media works in a dynamic, open-air setting.

[01:38:25] It attracts casual arts lovers to serious collectors from across the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region. And this free event continues to increase in popularity. Last year, the festival saw a 40% increase in visitors, drawing a record 40,000-plus attendees.

[01:38:41] The 2026 festival will feature 200 artists from around the country, along with live glass-blowing demonstrations, a festival, art park, dance performances, and a free public concert, bringing art to life for visitors of all ages. To mark its 35th anniversary, the festival will introduce a new People's Choice Award in honor of festival founder Judith Forst, and it will also recognize American craft traditions as part of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

[01:39:07] For those who aren't familiar with the Tefra Institute of Contemporary Art, it's been a gathering space for contemporary art artists and the community for over 50 years. Local artists and residents founded this nonprofit with a commitment to the vision of Reston's founder, Robert E. Simon, Jr., that Reston should be a place welcoming to all people, and it should prioritize the arts as essential to a well-rounded life.

[01:39:30] In that spirit, Tefra ICA has grown into one of the region's most vital cultural institutions. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs prepare a resolution to recognize the TEFRA ICA Arts Festival's 35th anniversary to be presented out of the boardroom on May 16th.

[01:39:49] And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. And finally, I have a motion to amend the Reston TSA study area. And this, by the way, before I read it, this has been underway, and I guess as part of the plans with staff, for more than a year now.

[01:40:09] So this formalizes plans that have been really vetted with the community and staff for some time. On April 11, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized a plan amendment for rest in TSA study areas. That's SSPA 2023-3-6UP, which was subsequently moved to a Tier 1 priority as nine plan amendments on the 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program.

[01:40:36] On June 10, 2025, the Board added five additional plan amendments as part of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program. Five of those plan amendments encompass 11 parcels within the Reston East sub-district south of the Dulles Airport Access Road, non-TOD of the Reston Comprehensive Plan.

[01:40:59] This sub-district is characterized by office buildings and surface parking. A logical planning area that adds 24 additional parcels would expand consideration to adjacent and similarly situated parcels within the sub-district. This study area is planned for office, zoned for light industrial use, and raises similar planning considerations for future residential potential.

[01:41:21] Therefore, the bounds of the study area should be expanded formally to include all parcels within the subdistrict, inclusive of parcels not within previously authorized nominations. A map of the study area is included as Attachment 1, and as the map shows, these are very similarly situated parcels outside of transit-oriented development areas as designated in the Conference of Plans.

[01:41:45] So therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to amend the study area for the site-specific plan amendment 2023-3-6-UP to include all parcels within the Reston East sub-district south of the DAAR non-TOD.

[01:42:02] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and this motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation on these applications by the Board and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards. This action in no way prejudices the substantive review of the applications, yet I would so move.

[01:42:24] Second. Oh, thank you. I'll second that along with Supervisor Palczyk. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman? Thank you. Thank you, Vice Chairman Smith, Supervisor Alcorn.

[01:42:40] That's all I have. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn, Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one board matter and one announcement. Mr. Chairman, SJS&W Washington Property, LLC, is the owner of approximately 20 acres located on the southwest side of the Industrial Road, approximately midway between its intersections of Backlick Road and Industrial Drive. The property is identified amongst the Fairfax County tax assessment records as 80-230. The subject property is zoned to the I-6 district and is

[01:43:17] improved with the St. James Sports and Wellness Complex. The applicant is proposing to expand its existing St. James Academy program up to the subject property into a private school serving up to 660 student-athletes and to add gross floor area to the subject property for use by the St.

[01:43:35] James Academy program. The applicant has addressed staff concerns and the proposal has been well received by the community. The special exception application is currently scheduled for a public hearing before the Planning Commission on May 13, 2026 to help ensure the project meets its school year enrollment deadlines i move that the board direct staff to schedule the board's public hearing of on the special exception for a date certain of june 9th 2026 this motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the board on the proposed application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances regulations or adopted

[01:44:13] standards and the chair will second that i just i just want to be clear in case folks didn't hear it uh okay it was 80-2 double circle one lot 30 that is the subject property and with that i'm happy to second it uh discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries supervisor menes thank you mr chairman i have one quick announcement mr chairman i'd like to announce that the mason district arts council a volunteer organization of local artists is inviting all fairfax county adults and high school students to participate in a poetry contest. This contest is part of a series of

[01:44:53] community art events this spring and summer reflecting on America's 250th anniversary. These efforts invite residents to reimagine the ideas of the American Revolution engaged with our shared history through the arts. The winner of the poetry contest will have the opportunity to read their work at a Mason District event later this June. All residents are encouraged to submit their work to the Mason District Arts Council website before May 9th deadline. We look forward to celebrating this meaningful milestone through the arts this summer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[01:45:25] Thank you, Supervisor Jimenez. And next up is Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I do thank you for recognizing my wife and I's 50th wedding anniversary. And as she would say, and I think for all of us around the diocese here know, She has a book that she's been writing, and one of the key chapters is Waiting for Dan.

[01:45:47] And those of us who are public officials know that we're constantly being talked with and held up. And so anyways, it's— I love it. Yes, it's a long—it's been a long journey. That's the key to 50 years is her opportunity to vent.

[01:46:04] Yes, yes, absolutely. And the book is her—I'm teasing, but that is her thread, if you will. And I'm— I love it. It's been an honor to be part of our life, so thank you. First, I have a written one, and I have several verbal ones.

[01:46:20] This is marking the 70th anniversary of the Mount Vernon Yacht Club, a long-standing community institution founded in 1956 along the Potomac River. For seven decades, the club has brought together residents of the Mount Vernon community and beyond through social, recreational, maritime activities, fostering a strong sense of community and connection.

[01:46:40] A volunteer-led non-profit in the Yacht Haven community, it functions as a gateway to the Potomac and a year-round gathering place for families, boaters, and neighbors alike. The Mount Vernon Yacht Club is also a dedicated steward of the Potomac River, promoting safe boating practices and deep appreciation for the natural beauty of our waterfront and, frankly, the river itself.

[01:47:00] Through its ongoing programming and events, the club continues to contribute to the character and vibrancy of the Mount Vernon District. A highlight of the club's tradition is, one of which I'm going to soon, is the annual commissioning day and blessings of the fleet, a time-honored event passed down through generations that marks the beginning of boating season and offers a blessing for safe travels in the water.

[01:47:20] And our rescue department are always there with the boat as well as our police, and so it's always been an acknowledgment of all the work that goes into safe boating. In recognition of the milestone anniversary of the club's longstanding contributions to the community, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Mount Vernon Yacht Club.

[01:47:38] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask that the Board direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation, recognizing the 70th anniversary of the Mount Vernon Yacht Club to be presented at a future date outside the Board Auditorium. And I'm happy to second that motion, discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

[01:47:56] Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Does that motion carry? Supervisor Stork. And kind of on another note, those of you may be aware, the Fairfax Yacht Club, which is along the Ococon River, had a horrible fire.

[01:48:11] There were 35 units that responded to it. This is just on March 30th. The units arrived to find a fully involved boathouse with fire throughout and extension to nearby brush. The crews immediately established a water supply and began fire suppression efforts.

[01:48:29] No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. I do appreciate very much the tremendous work of our firefighters as well as the deployment of our new fireboat. The new fireboat played an essential role in connecting the marina and our water sources nearby to improve and enhance our fire protection efforts.

[01:48:49] So, again, kind of good news about it. This is a gorgeous boathouse. I mean, just incredibly, you know, you can imagine being that old, how much it would have been engulfed, frankly, because the wood was that old. So, again, a very sad note.

[01:49:08] I have a virtual pets and community meeting. Join our office and the Fairfax County Animal Services on Wednesday, April 29th from 6 to 7.30 for a virtual pets and community meeting. This interactive session will provide residents with helpful guidance on common animal-related concerns, including barking dogs, stray pets, how to safely navigate encounters with wildlife or potentially dangerous animals, followed by time for questions.

[01:49:34] We hope you'll join us online for this important conversation. And I would say, in general, I did one a few weeks ago for invasive species. We had over 200 people join us virtually. And this was across the county. It isn't limited to Mount Vernon District. and one that I would encourage you to send out, and I'm happy to support similar efforts on your part.

[01:49:53] But we get a lot of calls and contacts, particularly in Lorton, because we have a lot of kind of wildlife areas, if you will, and this is a good way to help people understand how best to manage those efforts. I have the eighth annual Senior Summit that will be held in May as we kick off Older Americans Month.

[01:50:14] I invite you to come out and join us for the Senior Summit on Friday, May 1st at the Lorton Community Center from 10 a.m. to 1.30. The morning will include an exhibit hall with local and county resources with information for older adults, followed by a free box lunch provided by Retirement Unlimited Incorporated and presentations about important senior services and safety information.

[01:50:35] Thank you, Chairman McKay, for joining us for that. It's usually attended by over 200 individual seniors and others. Jason Crudeville, who is chair of the Consumer Committee for the board, will talk about PAWS, Question, and Protect, a scam prevention program.

[01:50:55] And he recently was part of one that was hosted by the Secret Service in D.C. along with COG. So it's a chance to reaffirm that as well as the libraries itself. Two more notes.

[01:51:11] Fairfax Founders Fund. Those of you, I think, are familiar with Fairfax Founded Funding County program that offers, this is our third cohort of entrepreneurs that we've honored and provided support through. This included five companies receiving access to critical early-stage capital, particularly at the pre-seed level, helping support the next generation of Fairfax businesses with a strong focus on women and minority founders who often face greater barriers to funding.

[01:51:38] Programs like this, along with initiatives such as Fairfax CORE, or CORE, and the Accelerate Breakfast Series, which my colleague, Supervisor Lusk, was instrumental in getting reestablished, reflect our commitment to building an ecosystem where innovation can thrive and founders are supported at every stage.

[01:51:56] Thank you again to Rebecca Madre and her team, Bunnyman Brewey, for hosting, and the EDA for their continued leadership and commitment to this important program. So, again, it's how we build community. It's how we build the success that we've really enjoyed. And then kind of a reminder of that success.

[01:52:13] I know that's not necessarily perceived broadly by at least individuals, but we have been incredibly successful in our economic development. Fairfield's local economy remains resilient. December 25, unemployment rate was 3.3%, well below the national rate of 4.3%.

[01:52:30] And job postings are up 42% year over year. I know we were very concerned a year ago, and there's still some real impacts that are coming our way. But our job postings are back up, and I think those are positive signs for us. Workforce reductions, again, continue to suggest emerging headwinds that we're going to have to be very sensitive to and aware of.

[01:52:50] And I know that in particular we've seen a 500, almost 500 percent, a little over 500 percent increase in civilian unemployment claims between 2024 and 2026 of March. A few recent Warren W-A-R-N notices about future potential layoffs.

[01:53:08] So those are all key things we need to be sensitive to. But our consumer-facing indicators are still very, very strong. Our sales tax receipts are up 8.6% year over year. Lodging occupancy rates are slightly above state and national averages.

[01:53:24] And our regional inflation rate is in line with the broader tens. Although, like all of us, we're rising in with, frankly, the decisions that have been made at the federal level. will likely continue rising until those decisions change. So, again, I just wanted to share those overall economic updates with my colleagues.

[01:53:42] Thank you very much. Excellent. Thank you very much, Supervisor Stork. And next up is Supervisor Palchik. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have only one board matter today, and this is for our annual Earth Day, different from the county one. This is one of our communities in Providence close to Mason District.

[01:54:03] As we all know, April is Earth Month, and this is a time for us to recognize and celebrate everything that the Earth offers us. In many ways, we should protect and preserve our homes. I'm delighted to be hosting an Earth Day celebration. I believe it might be the fifth year. This coming Saturday, April 18th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Graham Road Community Building, located at 3036 Graham Road Falls Church.

[01:54:26] The event will feature family-friendly activities, food from SevaTruck, a mobility garden, landmowers, and more. We're partnering with the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and will be joined by many other Fairfax County agencies and local nonprofits.

[01:54:43] I'm extremely grateful to Nada, who is the on-site NCS coordinator here at Kingsley. I invite my colleagues and community members to celebrate Earth Day with us and to learn how to continue caring for our home. More information is on our website, fairfaxcounty.gov slash providence.

[01:55:01] And I believe we've already requested support from OPA, so I think that's already gone out. So it really is just to bring it back out. We do have a multilingual flyer. This is the English version. It really is a fun event for all ages, and the glams are a big draw.

[01:55:16] They're very cute. So I hope to see you all there, and hope the weather is as beautiful as it is today. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Palchuk. Supervisor Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I've got four written items plus two unwritten items.

[01:55:34] The first one is talking about reinstating driver's license ceremonies. Studies show that the risk of vehicle accidents is exponentially higher for drivers age 16 to 18. Prior to the pandemic, Virginia law required driver's licenses for drivers younger than 18 to be sent to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, better known as JDR. The JDR court would then conduct driver license ceremonies where a judge, a police officer, and an attorney from the Office of Commonwealth's attorney would talk to the students and their attending parent guardian about driving responsibly. These ceremonies were

[01:56:10] conducted for 90 minutes, three days a week for 50 weeks of the year, serving approximately 150 students at each ceremony. This was an impactful experience for students and parents to absorb the weight of the responsibility each driver takes on when they get behind the wheel. It also reminded juveniles that driving in Virginia is a privilege and that until they turn 18, it's a privilege granted and controlled by their parent or guardian. The judge then handed the license to the parent or guardian. In 2022, due to the pandemic, the General Assembly amended the code requirements allowing the chief judge to waive the ceremonial requirements or mandate that the ceremonies be

[01:56:48] conducted in an alternative way. Given the strain on court resources and the need to bring JDR court cases to finality within six months, the judge decided to suspend driver's license ceremonies, and they are now meeting their six-month target, which is a good thing. Over 50 jurisdictions in Virginia, including Arlington and Alexandria, have returned the driver's license ceremony.

[01:57:12] Since 2022, we've tragically witnessed several car accidents involving student drivers. In light of these accidents and the prevalence of dangerous driving in our region, I recently met with the JDR chief judge to discuss reinstating these driver's license ceremonies.

[01:57:29] Chief Judd agreed that we need to do something to address the student driver's safety, including addressing distracted driving. He supports the efforts to reinstate the driver's license ceremony in a fashion that accommodates more students at a time to cut down on needed court resources.

[01:57:44] Rather than smaller ceremonies at courthouses in discussion with the chief judge, we're considering fewer larger early evening ceremonies at school auditoriums throughout the county to reduce the administrative effort and make it easier for residents to attend.

[01:58:02] These ceremonies serve as a touchpoint with our young drivers and a chance to instill the importance of driving safety. Surrounding jurisdictions are recognizing the same thing and have restated their ceremonies as well. I am continuing to work with the courts, Chief Davis, several of you, as well as FCPS, and will be bringing it to the county executive and deputy county executive for public safety into the conversation to look at bringing these ceremonies back.

[01:58:31] And it may require a small consideration item to fund a support position for the courts. I welcome your feedback. You may have and look forward to bringing this back before the board for full consideration. The second is a board matter on drug take-back day, and I'm going to summarize this a little bit since we do these with some regularity.

[01:58:57] Despite continued efforts, the opioid crisis is still a growing problem, as we do every year working with the Fairfax County Opioid and Substance Use Task Force, Fairfax County CSB and other partners we we do the drug take-back day residents can deposit unused medicine and drug disposal boxes found at our over 12 pharmacies at over 12 pharmacies as well as eight Fairfax County police

[01:59:29] stations on April 25th from 10:00 to 2:00 Fairfax County Police Department in in conjunction with the DEA, the CSB, and FCPS, will give residents another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, or unwanted prescriptions.

[01:59:54] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask that we direct the Office of Public Affairs to continue to work with the FCPT to advertise the upcoming National Drug Take-Back Day and all the locations and times, And I ask we declare April 25th as Drug Take Back Day in Fairfax County and encourage all of our citizens to clear out their medicine cabinets without objection.

[02:00:16] Without objection, it is so ordered, and this is one if it had been sent in, I'd have been happy to include on my list. Would have saved us a lot of time. All right, I will look at that next time. Supervisor Herity. Yes, the next is a joint board matter with Supervisor Jimenez, Supervisor Alcorn, and Supervisor Smith, recognizing Glory Day's grill's 30th anniversary.

[02:00:37] In 1996, Richard Denker, Robert Gardner, and Jeff Newman opened the first Glory Days Grill in Burke, Virginia. In 2023, the Florida franchise owned and run by Outback State House co-founder Bob Bashman purchased the 22 Mid-Atlantic restaurants, bringing together all Glory Days grills under one company with his brother and original co-founder Richard Denker.

[02:00:59] Since their opening, they have been awarded seven awards from food fans in Northern Virginia, including Best Restaurant, Best Chef, Best Takeout, Curbside, Best Delivery, Best Wing, Best Burgers, and Best Places to Celebrate a Special Occasion. They have six locations in Fairfax, including the original Burke location.

[02:01:18] It's a household favorite known for family-friendly and sports-centric atmosphere. The big thing that they do when we see this all over is they give back to the community. Countless youth sports team, nonprofit organization, and community events.

[02:01:37] They host my summer concert series. They have actively participated in the Fairfax County Sports Tourism Task Force. Therefore, I ask without objection, we direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a resolution recognizing Glory Days Grill, 30th anniversary, and highlighting its vibrant history of community investment in Fairfax County.

[02:01:59] And I ask that this resolution be presented outside the boardroom at the Glory Days 30th anniversary celebration. And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Herity. And that will be, for those that are on the proclamation, that will be on Thursday, about 45 minutes after we adjourn our budget public comment, for those that want to attend.

[02:02:24] I'll shoot it in the mail. Yeah, if you could send that around, that would be helpful. I just figured I would announce it. Sports tourism updates, a couple of quick updates on upcoming sports tourism happenings in and around Fairfax County. After years of working to get the region's professional rugby team, Old Glory, to Fairfax, I'm happy to announce that they will be playing this season's home games at George Mason University Stadium.

[02:02:47] They train and have hosted preseason games at the St. James in Springfield and previously hosted one well-attended game at GMU. Hosting Oak Glory is providing many opportunities for local businesses, including Bunnyman Brewing, Glory Days Grill, and a local hotel for visiting teams and fans.

[02:03:06] Fairfax City has gone all in with street pole banners that proudly proclaim rugby lives here and is hosting watch parties in the city. I joined Mayor Reed at the last game to watch a local player, John LaFerve, score the game-winning try against the New England Free Jacks.

[02:03:23] John played his youth and high school rugby at Springfield Youth Clubs West End. They'll play their first home match on Sunday, April 26th at 7 p.m. against South California's CA Legion. Another professional team, the region's women's professional football team, will be playing their home games at John R. Lewis High School.

[02:03:49] The team practices at the St. James. The Divas have worked partnerships with both Lewis High School and local businesses at the Springfield Town Center. They've been working with Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber. They'll play their first of three home games against Baltimore Saturday, May 6 at 6 p.m.

[02:04:09] As the board is aware, Patriot Park North and the St. James have a full schedule of tournaments and events that will bring sports tourism dollars to the county this spring, summer, and fall. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask we direct the Office of Public Affairs to publicize the many sporting events incurring in the county this year, including Old Glory and D.C. Divas opening games.

[02:04:33] Without objection, it is so ordered. And thank you, Mr. Chairman, earlier for mentioning Michael Fry's celebration of the life. I just want to add to that, you know, my thanks to Channel 16, FMD, the Fairfax County Ceremonial Honor Guard, and the Animal Shelter, who, as Mike would have wished, had pets here ready for adoption, and all those that helped bring that celebration together.

[02:05:02] Just a note of thanks to them. This one I thought we would be doing this morning, but West Springfield High School won the 2026 Rifle Team Championship by securing first place in the competition. The achievement was highlighted by team member Ivana Hartford, who won the individual first place at the region finals for Rifle.

[02:05:26] While not a VHSL sport, the school board did honor them at their school celebration of champions. Not only did West Springfield get their name on the Bob Hardy Trophy, they set a team record of 2,439.6 points.

[02:05:45] They bested seven Fairfax high school teams and 12 teams overall. West Springfield's got a proud history with West Springfield alum Jenny Thrasher, winning the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, marking her as the first U.S. gold medalist in that event, and it's still an Olympic thing.

[02:06:08] So I would ask without objection a resolution be prepared for presentation outside the boardroom to the West Springfield High School rifle team. Without objection, it is so ordered. And that's all I have, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Herity.

[02:06:24] And with that, we are going to move on to our administrative items. And let me ask, Supervisor Smith, do you have a motion to approve admin items 1 through 5? I move approval of Admin Items 1 through 5. And the chairman will second that. Let me ask if any board members have discussion or would request a separate vote on any of them.

[02:06:42] Supervisor Herity. I would like discussion. I think I'll just discussion on Admin, I'm sorry, Admin 4. 4. Okay. Any others? All right. Let's go ahead and move approval of Admin Items 1 through 3 and Admin Item number 5.

[02:07:01] Supervisor Smith has, I'm assuming you're accepting that as a modification. Let's vote on, let's handle separately admin item number four. I just want to make sure you're moving one through three plus admin item number five. Okay, and the chair will second that along with Supervisor Bierman.

[02:07:18] All those in support of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And let me ask, Supervisor Herity, you had a question on admin item number five.

[02:07:35] I'm sorry, admin item number four, which is the extension for a review period of 2232 application for Centerville High School. Supervisor Herity. Yes. So, you know, historically, it's been a position of this board to make land use decisions on the merits of the immediate decision at hand, not allowing external considerations to influence the land use process in order to promote fairness.

[02:08:00] It's always been the position of the board and our county regulatory agents to seek to be good community partners in all of our land use decisions, as well as enforcing the county regulations. The county seeks compliance and cooperation rather than penalization.

[02:08:16] Our staff do a great job of working with the various entities to come into compliance as long as the entity is operating in good faith, demonstrating they're trying to comply with the code. With this 2232 extension, I have to take a moment to express my frustration and disappointed with one of our closest community partners, Fairfax County Public Schools.

[02:08:40] Since 2019, the school system's been out of compliance with the County Zoning Ordinance at the Centerville High School site. As with any resident or community partner, county staff have diligently tried to work with the school system and the school board to make the necessary changes to come into compliance, and we've put numerous ideas on the table.

[02:09:01] County staff have persistently followed up with the school system, even though through extended periods when FCPS has been non-responsive. The most recent responses have been that they're waiting on guidance from the school board. The Fairfax County Park Authority and the county have offered solutions to allow the school system and the school board to come into compliance and move forward with renovating Centerville High School in a timely fashion.

[02:09:27] Over the last couple of years, I, along with Supervisor Smith, the chairman's office, the county executive, and several agency directors have directly engaged the school system and the school board to try to come up with a solution. Instead of moving forward, FCPS is trying to play hardball with the county to use the situation as, in their very own words, a bargaining chip.

[02:09:49] This is not operating in good faith. The school board has not sought to understand the ramifications of continuing to be out of compliance with the county zoning ordinance and has demonstrated no urgency to correct the issue. As a reminder, there is no special treatment when it comes to county code.

[02:10:06] All of our county projects must go through the process as private entities. do private entities. A process this board agrees can be long and complex, and we remain committed to trying to improve. Unfortunately, the school system and school board are operating as if it would like special treatment, and our shared constituents are paying the price. Each day FCPS delays, it increases the project cost for Centerville renovation for all of our residents, and it's another day that the Centerville community, students, parents, teachers, and community

[02:10:41] organizations have to go without much-needed facility renovations. Yesterday, I received the first positive communication from the school system and the board chair that they are open to looking at a solution. I will be supporting approval of this item on principle because the renovation needs to get done. I hope that our partners on the school board will recognize the significant impacts of their delay on our residents.

[02:11:13] Supervisor Herity, did you have a question or? Nope. Okay. That was a good comment. Supervisor Smith. I am going to support the motion for admin four, but I do have some questions. And one of them being, has there been an option presented to FCPS to get the floor area ratio that they need to move forward with this project?

[02:11:37] Tracy Strunk, Department of Planning and Development. Yes, we have had conversations with the schools and have been working on a number of options for them. Thank you. The other thing I noticed, because the new CIP is out for the schools from years 2027 to 31, and in the agenda item, it does say that the project is funded through the 2021 FCPF's bond referendum.

[02:12:04] But when I look at page 42 in the Outlook section of their CIP, It is listed in the out years from 28 that they don't have the funding for this project. So if staff would look into that, we need to support the extension of the 2232 so this can move forward.

[02:12:24] But when I read that language and looked at the newest CIP, I do have some concerns about funding for the project. Thank you. Okay. Any further discussion? Would you like to make a motion, Supervisor Smith? I move approval of Admin Item 4.

[02:12:39] And the Chair will second that. Discussion on the motion? Any further discussion? Seeing none, in addition, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And that will move us to action items, of which we have three.

[02:12:56] Action item one is approval of memorandum of understanding between the ECDC Enterprise Development Group and Fairfax County, an assignment of small business revolving loan fund assets from the Community Business Partnership to ECDC Enterprise Development groove and let me turn to supervisor stork for a motion thank you mr chairman i move the board approve action item one and the author and authorize the county executive to execute a memorandum of understanding with ecdc enterprise development group for the operation of the fevers county microloan revolving loan program substantially in the form of attachment three in addition i move

[02:13:36] approval of the assignment of assets of the fevers county small business revolving loan fund from the community business partnership to ecdc enterprise development group and the chair will second that motion along with supervisor lusk uh further discussion on the motion any further discussion on the motion supervisor stork mr chairman i just wanted to just provide a brief context which is this is essentially a program that's been in operation since 2020 and and we're just in other words moving these assets from one organization to the county i contracted with to another

[02:14:10] organization. Again, it's a not-for-profit 501c3 that we'll be administering. The remainder are really the Michael Leonard program itself. I don't know if staff members have any other things that they want to make sure the public knows in general or anything else to comment on now. I just wanted to provide them with an opportunity because it's a little bit different kind of motion, and I just want to make sure that we address any questions that might be out there. Okay, if you can introduce yourself and Scott Sizer with the Department of Economic Initiatives. Supervisor Stork, I think you did a phenomenal job summarizing that, but I am happy to answer any questions that the board

[02:14:47] may have. Okay, thank you. Are there any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you very much. Action item two is approval of an agreement with the town of Clifton, Virginia, the town, for the town to become subject to the county's Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program, VESMP.

[02:15:15] I'm going to hand the gavel over to Supervisor Smith, and I move that the board approve and authorize the county executive to execute the agreement between the town of Clifton and the county. I'll second that motion along with Supervisor Herity. Discussion on the motion? Supervisor Herity?

[02:15:32] Oh, never mind. No discussion is a good thing. Thank you. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And Action 3 is approval of Fairfax Connector Summer 2026 service changes in the Braddock, Dranesville, Franconia, Hunter Mill, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully districts.

[02:15:55] And I'm going to turn the gavel over to Vice Chair Smith. And I move to defer Action Item No. 3 to our May 5, 2026 meeting to be taken up as part of the budget adoption that day. I'll second the motion along with Supervisor Beerman. Discussion on the motion?

[02:16:11] Supervisor Alcorn? Yeah, just thank you, Mr. Chairman, for doing this, because the process didn't really line up with our budget. So thank you. Absolutely. Thank you. Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman?

[02:16:27] Thank you very much, Vice Chairman Smith. And that takes us to the end of our action items. We do have a closed session today. So before I turn to Vice Chair Smith to make a motion for closed session, let me ask the county attorney how long we need. Mr. Chairman, I estimate approximately 30 minutes.

[02:16:45] 30 minutes, and we have our public hearing starting promptly at 2.30. We have a lot of them today. We're going to be here very late. And should this motion carry that Supervisor Smith is going to make, we will report to closed session at 2 p.m.

[02:17:01] Supervisor Smith. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors recess and go into closed session for discussion and consideration of matters enumerated in Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711 and listed in the attached agenda for this meeting.

[02:17:17] And in addition, one, as permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A7 and 8, briefing regarding a proposed settlement in the national opioid litigation, and two, as permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A8, legal analysis regarding Virginia Code Section 15.2-852 and affidavits filed in land use proceedings.

[02:17:42] You've heard the motion. The chairman will second the motion. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. The board will take a short recess report to closed session at 2 p.m.

[02:18:44] Okay.

[02:20:34] The board is back from closed session. At this time, I'm going to turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors certify that, to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements, Requirements by virtue of Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711, and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which closed session was convened, were heard, discussed, or considered by the Board of Supervisors during the closed session.

[02:21:05] You've heard the motion. The Chair will second that motion. Is there discussion on the motion? Seeing and hear none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and I am going to hand the gavel to Supervisor Smith because I do have one motion coming out of closed session.

[02:21:23] I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the resolution entitled, and this is literally, this is the title of it, it's long, a resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia County, approving of the county's participation in the proposed combined settlement agreement, resolving opioid-related claims against Associated Pharmacies, Inc., and American Associated Pharmacies, J.M. Smith Corporation, Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., Morris and Dixon Company, North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., and United Natural

[02:21:58] Foods, Inc., including its subsidiaries, Super Value and Advantage Logistics, collectively referred to as the Six Remnant Defendants, and directing the county attorney and or county executive to execute the documents necessary to effectuate the county's participation in the settlement.

[02:22:16] I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith, and we are going to begin our afternoon public hearings. Just to restate a couple rules. First, individuals wishing to provide testimony have a number of options.

[02:22:37] They can testify here in person, or they can provide testimony by phone or by YouTube video. At the designated point in the public hearing, I'll call for any speakers from the speakers list, and they will either come forward, or their video will be shown, or they will be connected by telephone. There would then be an opportunity for anyone else who would like to speak to the matter to come down to the podium or to call in at 703-324-1020.

[02:23:01] Speakers testifying via video must sign up and submit their video no later than 9 a.m. on the day prior to the hearing. For public testimony, you're given three minutes to speak as an individual. If you are a spokesperson for a group, you are given five minutes. With that being said, and we do have a lot of public hearings this afternoon, so we're going to try to stay on schedule here.

[02:23:22] We do have our first case, which is a public hearing on proposed plan amendment 2023-4-MV3, Pendell Fire Station Emergency and Supportive Housing, which will be heard concurrently with RZ 2025-MV-00022, Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Mount Vernon District, and could we have the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit?

[02:23:50] Good afternoon. My name is Claudia Chalroup, and I'm the applicant agent, and I reaffirmed the affidavit dated March 30th, 2026. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members? Disclosures from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a presentation.

[02:24:09] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and board members. My name is David Stenson from the Department of Planning and Development, and I'm accompanied by Tabitha Kohl, Kathy Lewis, Salem Bush, also from the Department of Planning and Development. This is the staff presentation for the plan amendment and concurrent rezoning application for the Pendell Fire Station and Emergency and Supportive Housing Facility.

[02:24:30] We'll begin with the background and board authorization for this plan amendment. The proposed facilities are included in the county's adopted capital improvement program, reflecting longstanding public facility needs. On December 5th, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized this plan amendment to evaluate the co-location of public facility uses on the subject property, which include a replacement facility for the existing Penn Doll fire station and emergency shelter with supportive housing for individuals and families.

[02:24:59] Together, these facilities will modernize critical public safety infrastructure and expand access to the emergency shelter and supportive housing in a central trans-accessible location along the Richmond Highway Corridor. The subject property is a 3.5-acre site located along the south side of Beacon Hill Road and is the former side of the Hydeville Valley Nursery.

[02:25:19] A portion of the site or the subject property is located within the Beacon Grove and CBC. Additionally, the subject property is within a walking distance of a planned VRT station along Richmond Highway. The site is surrounded by single-family residential to the east, north and south, and by retail uses to the west.

[02:25:37] The plan amendment supports an option for a co-located fire station and emergency and supportive housing facility. up to an intensity of 0.6 FAR. This would support a three-story, approximately 55,000-square-foot emergency and supportive housing facility with 50 shelter beds, 20 supportive housing units for individuals, and 10 supportive housing units for families, along with a two-story, approximately 24,000-square-foot fire station to replace the existing PennDOT fire station.

[02:26:07] The plan text also includes guidance on site design, including transition and buffering to adjacent residential neighborhoods, as well as multimodal improvements along Beacon Hill Road. This concludes the staff presentation for the plan amendment. I will now turn it over to Tabitha Cole, who will present the concurrent rezoning application.

[02:26:25] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon. I am Tabitha Cole with the Department of Planning and Development, as statedably presenting the concurrent zoning application. The site is zoned to the C8 district, which is shown in red on this slide, and R3, which would be shown in yellow.

[02:26:44] And the entirety of the site is located within the highway corridor overlay. The applicant proposes to rezone the site to the R8 District to permit the development of two public facility buildings with a 0.52 FAR. The western portion of the site would be developed with a three-story emergency and supportive housing building, and the eastern portion of the site would be developed with a two-story fire station.

[02:27:08] The fire station and housing facility would be accessed independently of each other with no shared vehicular or internal connection. The site's frontage would be improved with a five-foot-wide sidewalk, six-foot-wide bike lane, and a bus shelter. The site would have one and a quarter acre of open space, as shown on this slide.

[02:27:30] Recreational amenities for the residents of the supportive housing facility are provided at the rear of the facility. Stormwater would be stored and treated on-site through the use of an underground tension and filtering facility, which would then be released into an existing storm sewer south of the site.

[02:27:49] Required landscaping would be provided along the peripheries of the site, within the parking areas, and supplemented with shade structures topped with photovoltaic panels. Also shown are the locations for the proposed fences and retaining walls. The site would be designed with retaining walls to achieve the maximum allowable 4% slope for the fire station as required by DPWES.

[02:28:15] And lastly, shown on this slide are some perspective views from the GDP to illustrate the proposed architectural design. Thank you. This concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. For that, at this time, we'd recognize the applicant. If there's anything you would like to add.

[02:28:39] Good afternoon. My name is Claudia Shalhoub, and I am the project manager with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. With me today is my colleague from DPWAS, the design team, representatives from Fire and Rescue Department, and the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.

[02:29:01] I would like to first extend my gratitude to Tabitha Cole, David Stinson, and the staff of the Department of Planning and Development for their guidance in processing this application. The project has undergone extensive community engagement since 2020.

[02:29:34] The project team has worked with the advisory committee and the broader community. Three concepts were presented, and the current design incorporates the community and advisory committee's feedback. We have also met with the property owners that are to the south of the project site to discuss impact, provide detail on landscape buffer and stormwater management, and address questions.

[02:29:55] From the onset, the project website was created to keep the community informed about the project milestones and schedule of upcoming community meetings. We also installed an information board on the site with a QR code that provides direct access to the project website.

[02:30:12] Site benefits include sufficient area to accommodate both uses. The site proximity to Route 1 and public transportation offer employment opportunities for shelter and supportive housing clients. A temporary fire station is not required since the proposed site is located one block from the existing fire station.

[02:30:30] This project will provide an opportunity to greatly improve the quality and quantity of existing stormwater conditions. The location of the program on site was developed with input from the advisory community using agencies and consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan by placing the taller three-story emergency shelter and supportive housing to the west closer to Richmond Highway, the two-story fire station on the eastern portion of the site, creating transition from higher density along Richmond Highway to lower density residential neighborhood.

[02:31:07] In coordination with the comments received from the advisory committee and community, the architectural design of the development respects the character of the surrounding residential neighborhood, yet clearly reflects a modern civic facility, creating an exciting architectural addition to the community.

[02:31:25] Amenities have been incorporated across the site to support each programmatic use, which have been reviewed and coordinated with the using agencies. The supportive housing amenities shown on the upper view include children's playground, turf area in the center for playing, and area for social gathering.

[02:31:42] The shelter amenities shown in the lower view include entry plazas, an outdoor space with picnic table, outdoor seating, and workout equipment. As staff mentioned, a retaining wall is required on the east and south portion of the site. To mitigate the visual impact of the high wall, the slide shows the southeast highest point of the retaining wall with the buffer depicted at one year growth in the lower image and 10 years fully grown in the upper image, indicating the amount of screening provided to reduce the visual impact of the wall.

[02:32:18] In addition, the project team has incorporated stepped retaining wall along portion of the east and southern side of the retaining wall with evergreen planting to provide maximum near-round screening. Both buildings are designed to be high-performing and environmentally friendly, targeting LEED Gold certification.

[02:32:37] An efficient mechanical system for HVAC, combined with enhanced envelope design, reduced the baseline energy use. Rooftop solar panel offset the remaining energy load to achieve net zero energy in both buildings. To reduce the reliance on fossil fuel, both facilities are designed to be all-electric buildings with electric vehicle charging stations provided on site.

[02:33:02] In summary, the Penda Fire Station Emergency Shelter and Supportive Housing Project is a critical investment to the future of the community. The extensive community engagement helped shape the design of the project by co-locating the fire station with the shelter and supportive housing.

[02:33:20] We are supporting county goals by enhancing public safety and supporting the population experiencing homelessness and promoting sustainable development. Thank you for your time and consideration. We are happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant at this time?

[02:33:39] Supervisor Stewart. Well, first off, this, as you can tell, has been a long process and one that I think has really served all of us very, very well. It's never easy, particularly to not only move a fire station, but also to establish a new emergency housing and supportive housing.

[02:33:58] And while it has taken us a long time, and I regret that length of time, I don't regret the in-depth review that staff and so many others have done to make this truly an outstanding project, one that I think 10, 20, 30 years from now we can still be very proud of.

[02:34:15] I do have a few questions, and mostly they're just to reiterate, reaffirm to the public and others what steps have been taken to address what I hear most frequently in the community. First and foremost, stormwater has been a significant concern for residents who live behind and around the shelter.

[02:34:33] How have their concerns been addressed? Would you want to share the stormwater sheet? It's a backup sheet. Yeah, we have a small exhibit that I would like to share. Thank you.

[02:34:50] So the design team evaluated the existing stormwater condition and proposed new underground stormwater vault with filtering component to capture stormwater and release it at a controlled rate. So if we look at this exhibit, the outfall A, outfall B, and outfall C representing the existing condition.

[02:35:11] In contrast, the blue depicts the area of the site that is proposed to capture stormwater into new stormwater facility, the one that is outlined in blue. With the site sloping north to south and the absence of stormwater collection system on Beacon Hill Road, the existing stormwater currently sheet flows from the northern part of the site to the adjacent properties on the south.

[02:35:36] The proposed design will capture the majority of stormwater in a large underground storm tech facility, which is the one outlined in blue, and will release it at a lower and controlled rate. The stormwater will flow from proposed pipe from the new stormwater management facility to the existing county storm system.

[02:35:59] The reduced rate of flow will substantially reduce the impact to the existing system and will also reduce both the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff that is currently sheet flowing over vegetated area from the site to the neighboring homes.

[02:36:15] This new stormwater management also will include filtering system that will enhance the water quantity prior to discharge into public stormwater collection system. Along with the design team, we have met with the neighbors whose properties are adjacent to the site, the ones south of the site, and walked with them through the stormwater management design and answered their questions.

[02:36:38] we explained how the new system will improve the quality and quantity of stormwater that is currently sheet flowing into their properties. Anybody who knows the property knows it has its steep downhill slope, and at one point when it was more open, some of it was contained, but it was still never fully contained.

[02:36:55] Meeting with the neighbors, again, very recently, I think really helped a lot. I appreciate your efforts, again, further efforts to reach out to them. My second question has to do with community members, frankly, from the very beginning, have been concerned about safety, not only site security, but safety in general.

[02:37:13] It's been really a driver of a lot of our conversations. If you could just walk through the facility's security features or safety features, I would appreciate that. Of course. So I will start with some features for the fire stations. So for all facilities, we have separate entrances into the facility, which prevent commingling.

[02:37:30] Also, the vestibule and access control at the entrance of the fire station. We also have gated, secured fire station gate to their parking area. For the shelter and supportive housing, we will have cameras and provide 24/7 monitoring inside and outside the facilities.

[02:37:46] This will be monitored by the staff who regularly inspect the property. We have also access control, duress alarm, and also the shelter and supportive housing have strong relation with Fairfax County Police Department and Fire and Rescue Department.

[02:38:02] And the project design will also incorporate the crime prevention through environmental design principles. In addition to that, we took advantage of the existing site slope to create, to basically separate the amenities, the various amenities, and create them into different levels, which basically prevent the shelter clients from accessing the lower level parking area and also the supportive housing amenity area.

[02:38:29] So there's distinctive areas, not only whether it's the fire department or the supportive housing and our emergency housing, which is, I think, part of what we've tried to do. I know you all have tried to do and appreciate very much that. I know when you've kind of addressed this as part of the stormwater range, but the retaining wall design was an important part of this and was required, particularly for the FRD equipment.

[02:38:52] Can you just take a moment and explain how that mitigates the impact on the neighboring properties? Yes. So to mitigate the visual impact of the retaining wall on the adjacent properties, the buffer area currently will be planted to comply with zoning ordinance requirement.

[02:39:11] And the zoning ordinance required mixture of evergreen trees and deciduous trees and some shrubs. So the majority of the planting will be evergreen trees. Those will be planted at approximately 10 feet tall, which provide screening from day one.

[02:39:27] In addition to that, the project team has incorporated a stepped wall, as you see on the slide, along the highest portion of the east-south wall. And on this step wall that essentially become like a planter bed, we will be planting evergreen trees that provide maximum year-round screening, too.

[02:39:48] Thank you. Yeah, thank you. All right. There's no further questions at this time. This is a public hearing. And I do have some speakers signed up here to testify. First speaker is Pam Michelle.

[02:40:04] Is Pam here? She is. There, I see her. After Pam Michelle, we have video testimony from William Collins. If you are here to testify on this specific matter and have not signed up, please sign up with the clerk on my far right. And having said that, we will welcome speaker number one, Pam Michelle.

[02:40:21] Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the Board of Supervisors. My name is Pam Michel, and I am a resident of the Providence District and Supervisor Palczyk's appointee on the Continuum of Care Board. I also consider myself an honorary member or resident of Mount Vernon and Franconia because I spent 31 years as the Executive Director of New Hope Housing, where we ran the Kennedy Shelter.

[02:40:47] I urge you to vote yes today. Let's just compare the current Kennedy Shelter and what's coming. Kennedy's historic building, built in 1918, well, that comes with a whole bunch of rules, including things like how do you get storm windows in a dormitory in a 1918 building.

[02:41:08] We did it, but it was, you know, kind of a challenge. That will not happen. Kendra will be a lead facility. Kennedy is not handicapped accessible. The only way to get from floor one to floor two is to go outside and around the building. That is not appropriate and acceptable in the new building.

[02:41:28] Of course, we'll have modern accessibility standards. When Kennedy opened, there was no bus service to that part of the county. At PennDaw, you'll be able to walk to BRT station. The Kennedy shelter in the Fort Beauvoir sewer line admits a rancid smell.

[02:41:48] God-awful, especially in warm weather. There won't be any rancid smell at PennDaw. I remember touring a member of the staff of the architectural firm MFTA describing what we offered, and he looked at me and said, you do all that in this building?

[02:42:05] And I said, yes, indeed. Well, we'll be able to do all that and more in the new facility. Despite the challenges, the shelter has served thousands of individuals for 40 years. The people experiencing homelessness need more than a place to eat and lie their heads.

[02:42:24] They need what we all need, a home that offers safety, dignity, and opportunity, the one Fairfax policy. The current Kennedy shelter is not that. The Penda shelter will be. As you all know, this was a referendum, and as has been said, there will have been a lot, 27 meetings of community people to get us to where we are today with lots of good input and lots of changes that will make it a better facility.

[02:42:53] So the last hurdle is for you guys to vote yes. So I urge you to vote yes, and I look forward to the ribbon cutting. Thank you. Thank you very much, Pam. Speaker number two is William Collins, who has submitted a video testimony. If we could roll that.

[02:43:11] Good afternoon. My name is William Collins, a 35-year resident in Franconia District. I am also active with the Baha'is of Mount Vernon and Franconia, Ventures in Community, Kennedy Shelter Allies, and Franconia Housing Advocates.

[02:43:31] I live a little over a mile from the Beacon Hill site. I am speaking as an individual citizen who cares about neighbors who are unhoused in favor of the rezoning of 2801 Beacon Hill Road to accommodate emergency and supportive housing with wraparound services to replace the woefully inadequate facility of the current Kennedy shelter.

[02:43:55] The county needs this new shelter desperately. It is long overdue, and pending board approval, the new emergency housing would be completed by 2030, a full 14 years after it was funded by a 2016 bond issue.

[02:44:16] Housing first is the primary means for reducing homelessness. Permanent supportive housing has been proven by extensive research to be an effective way to end homelessness for the disabled or elderly who need strong supportive services to rejoin social and economic life in our community.

[02:44:34] Family units are also essential because they serve families better than haphazard scattering of unhoused families in motels. The building is well designed for safety, for comfort, and space. This is due to wide consultation with neighbors, homeless advocates, and experts.

[02:44:56] Most importantly, there is a spiritual and human imperative to care for one another. We are all homeless wanderers looking for shelter. In my faith, we are counseled to succor the dispossessed and never withhold favor from the destitute, to be a treasure to the poor and a haven for the distressed.

[02:45:19] We have the chance to act on these with the generosity of heart and soul because to give and be generous are attributes of God. We who are created in his image surely cannot do otherwise.

[02:45:34] I ask the board to vote in favor of RZ 2025 MV00022 to rezone 2801 Beacon Hill Road for public uses so that this urgent project can proceed with all due dispatch.

[02:45:53] Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Collins. And there is someone else who would like to speak here. Mary, if you could come introduce yourself. Mary will be speaker number three. Is there anyone else here who has not signed up who would like to testify on this specific matter?

[02:46:11] Okay. Welcome, Mary. Hey, good evening, Jeff and supervisors. I did sign up, but just recently. Okay, good. I'll have my testimony in the files. So I got involved with this issue, which was quite controversial in the neighborhood because I live about six blocks away from the shelter and has been a longtime advocate for affordable housing in South County and elsewhere.

[02:46:39] I'm speaking now as the chair of the NACP Housing Committee. So I wholeheartedly recommend for your approval this application for the PennDOT Fire Station Emergency Shelter and Supportive Housing. The new emergency shelter is long overdue.

[02:46:55] If this project is approved today, it's scheduled to be completed by May 2030, as Bill said, 14 years after it was funded by a 2016 bond issue. Meanwhile, people experiencing homelessness have been sheltered in a subpar facility plagued with sewage smells and frequently failing HVAC and other systems located four miles to the south at Fort Belvoir.

[02:47:22] The county desperately needs this new shelter with 50 emergency beds to replace those at the Old Kennedy Shelter, plus 20 new permanent supportive units for individuals and 10 family units. So these 30 units are exactly what it's needed to move people out of homeless shelters.

[02:47:42] Some residents will be elderly or disabled or just need a dignified, stable apartment. Others may move on to better housing after a period of supportive services. And as you're all aware, as I've said it many times and have the references, black residents in particular and people of color in general are disproportionately represented in the population of unhoused people following decades of discrimination in housing, health care, and employment.

[02:48:11] So the design of this building has been well thought through with consultations among homeless advocates, the firemen, and the neighbors. It addresses many of the concerns raised by neighbors, such as fencing and vegetation around the perimeter.

[02:48:30] As you know, the new shelter was opposed by civic associations, and it took 27 stakeholder and community meetings to gain acceptance, if maybe not full approval. I went to almost all of these meetings, which were faithfully cataloged online.

[02:48:47] I'm sending you a link. It was a lot of work. The project was strongly opposed by local civic associations and strongly supported by many residents, local faith leaders, and nonprofits who formed a group called the Kennedy Shelter Allies. Community meetings online and on-site drew over 100 residents, nearly 200 to some, sometimes with placards and slogans.

[02:49:13] A stakeholder group of firemen and pro and con shelter advocates formed by Supervisor Stork met for a couple of years to help design this project. Is that my time up? Yes, but you can sum up.

[02:49:29] So in the end, the Director of Office to Prevent Land Homelessness promised an ongoing relationship between the shelter and the neighborhood. Shelter House is a nonprofit contractor to manage the shelter, and I believe its director, Joe Meyer, will be responsive to neighbors' issues and welcome neighbors over to meet the shelter gifts.

[02:49:49] The shelter will offer gifts a place to go during the day for meals and activities. It has office space, common space, a cafeteria, and a small outdoor area. The entire Beacon Hill area is slated for significant growth as a community business center, and this project may seem like a large building now, but it will be dwarfed by future development.

[02:50:10] We hope the shelter becomes well-integrated into the community to the point that neighbors may speak of it with pride and even drop in to volunteer or bring donations at some point. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mary.

[02:50:26] Is there anyone else here present who would like to testify on this matter? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. The applicant does not need to provide any rebuttal. Any closing comments and recommendations from staff?

[02:50:43] Yes, thank you. On March 25, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended to the Board of Supervisors the adoption of staff's draft language and approval of the concurrent rezone application. Staff concurs with this recommendation. Thank you. Thank you very much. Any questions from board members?

[02:51:00] Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Stork for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I'm going to go ahead and make the motions, and then I'm going to speak to them. And I will have just a couple questions that staff, I want staff to kind of affirm, if you will.

[02:51:20] Mr. Chairman, I move to the Board of Supervisors to adopt the Planning Commission's recommendation for plan amendment 2023-IV-MV3, as shown in the memorandum to the Planning Commission dated March 19, 2026, found in the board item. You've heard the motion.

[02:51:36] It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchuk, Supervisor Lusk, I heard, Supervisor Alcorn. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Stork. If I could just speak to that, and I'll speak to this, and then the second motion. I won't really have much more to say, but I do want to acknowledge and read a few things.

[02:51:57] On December 5, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized consideration of Plan Amendment 2023 IV MV3 to evaluate the co-location, which is what we're in the process of discussing now. The new fire station will replace the existing PennDOT Fire Station No. 11, which was constructed in 1967, no longer meets the operational needs of Fairfax County's Fire and Rescue Department.

[02:52:20] This is one of the busiest stations in Fairfax County. The replacement facility will accommodate modern equipment staffing and improve our emergency response all up and down the corridor. The proposed emergency shelter and supportive housing facility will also provide updated accommodations and new services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and we've heard the numbers that go with that.

[02:52:40] The family support of housing in particular was very important to the community and is specifically the result of conversations with the advisory committee. So much of what you see here and so much of what we're looking at and moving forward with are the result of the iterative process that the advisory committee has brought to this whole process.

[02:53:02] Supportive services are going to include case management, job training, opportunities in meals and laundry facilities, and again, housing to help transition residents along the continuum of care. The advisory committee in particular, I convened its first meeting on November 16, 2020.

[02:53:20] That's almost six years ago, where the initial discussions focused on the proposed Beacon Hill site. Following this, though, county staff conducted a comprehensive review of 12 potential locations along Richmond Highway Corridor, 12, including one, actually including a couple in the Franconia District.

[02:53:38] Each site was evaluated based on key criteria, such as parcel size, proximity to public transit, feasibility of acquisition, direct outreach to property owners included, as well as assessing the willingness to sell. Through this extensive analysis, the Beacon Hill site emerged as the location that best met these criteria.

[02:53:57] And particularly, we heard earlier about the BRT, or the one station that's very nearby. Additionally, we had two community-wide mailings that were done, as well as we had on-site signs with QR codes. And again, extensive community engagement.

[02:54:12] You've heard about the 19 advisory committee meetings, the eight community-wide meetings, as well as others between 2020 and 2026, which have really helped give us the example of what we have today. I do have two questions I wanted staff to respond to, and then I want to conclude with a paragraph.

[02:54:30] But will a community advisory group be established prior to the facility opening to engage with community members, similar to what I really have done today as part of the Mount Vernon district efforts? Yes, Supervisor Storik, this is Tom Barnett, Deputy Director responsible for the Office to Prevent End Homelessness, part of Fairfax County's Department of Housing and Community Development.

[02:54:55] It is essential to have these community advisory councils, and we will continue that tradition to make sure that we maintain safe and secure community and our good neighbors. All right. Thank you, Tom. And the second question is, when do you expect a provider for the housing component to be selected?

[02:55:16] Yes, sir. We generally like to have a provider set up at least six months prior to the opening of the doors so that staff can be hired, trained, supplies are purchased and put in place. So this would be from FY29 to FY30 as currently scheduled.

[02:55:34] Thank you. As I do with all major Mount Vernon initiatives, the advisory committee really, truly helped to guide and inform this project. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who contributed to this complex and very complex process. The strong outcome we have today is a direct result of, and really, the well-integrated, what I believe will be a future well-integrated facilities to the surrounding development, which will be occurring.

[02:55:56] Particularly, I want to thank TJ Stecker with Springbank Community, Kevin Knapp-Miller with Springbank Community, Carrie Kincannon with Ventures in Community, Brenda Faison with Vic and MV Resident, Ray Nowitzki and Liz Yap, who are appointees of the Mount Vernon Council of Civic Associations, MVCCA, Holly Doherty with Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber, Mary Payden was one, as well as David Levine, the former executive director or CEO of Good Shepherd Housing.

[02:56:24] So that is my comments I want to make at this time. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Further discussion? Let me just – I do have one question and then just a quick comment. And I appreciate the Community Advisory Council being set up because I do – The one piece of this that I still struggle with and have struggled with from the beginning is the mid-block pedestrian crossing conflict that we might be creating here along with its interface with emergency vehicles.

[02:56:55] This section of Beacon Hill Road, there's quite a bit of mid-block crossing already, and there's no residence of this density. And so I am concerned about the safety of people crossing mid-block and not using the crosswalk countdown signal head that we have at the intersection of Richmond Highway.

[02:57:14] And so I know this issue came up in the course of the community meetings, and perhaps you can give us a reaction to why we feel like that might not be a problem. And if it is, certainly it's with Jermaine to be discussed by the Community Advisory Council should it become a challenge.

[02:57:33] So I just would like a reaction to that. Thank you, Chairman McKay. I appreciate you raising the concern for the safety of everyone involved. This will be something that staff will be monitoring and coaching and guiding our guests and residents to make sure that they're crossing safely and working with our neighbors when issues are not being addressed.

[02:57:58] I bring that up because we up here on the dais are familiar with this, but I know may not be something many of our residents think about. But, of course, this is a VDOT road, and so anything we would do in the roadway would have to be coordinated with VDOT, and it's not normal to do anything in the roadway that would prevent mid-block crossings.

[02:58:18] I just hope that we do everything we can to communicate to the residents the danger in doing that, especially when interfacing with emergency vehicles that will now have a new travel pattern, much easier travel pattern than they have right now with Richmond Highway needing their own signal.

[02:58:35] But in this case, a much easier travel pattern, but one that will potentially have conflict with pedestrians. And so I do think that's something that's going to be really important for us to continue to stress to the residents and to monitor as we move forward. With that being said, I do want to thank the whole team that's worked on this, most especially Supervisor Stork.

[02:58:55] 27 meetings is a lot. And I know where this started, and I remember the early conversations about this. And I do think that staff has done an outstanding job in association with your office in addressing a lot of the community concerns that came up with this.

[02:59:12] We recognize that there are some communities' concerns that are not prompted by a land use case and cannot be consolved by a land use case. But at least in terms of the land use components, appreciate that we've done everything in this case we can to address those legitimate land use issues that came up.

[02:59:30] And so quite a journey to get here, but frankly, we're going to end up with a much better facility, not only for the residents, but also for our Fire and Rescue Department. And so I'm grateful to all of you who spent so much time on this over a lot of years. With that, I think we're ready for a vote.

[02:59:48] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you very much. We have the rezoning. Yes, we do have the rezoning piece still to go.

[03:00:07] So the plan amendment, of course, was just approved. And we now have the rezoning application that has been presented. You've already presented that. I know you presented that with the plan amendment for staff and the applicant. So I'm going to turn to Supervisor Stork for a motion on that piece of it.

[03:00:25] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve RZ-2025-MV-00022, subject to the executed proffers dated April 9, 2026. I also move that the Board of Supervisors approve the waiver for minimum district size.

[03:00:43] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Lusk. Discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Supervisor Stork.

[03:00:58] And Mr. Chairman, I know we have a long day, but I truly need to thank, as you have, more specifically the folks who have been really instrumental in getting this done. I'll start with Fire and Rescue, Danny Cox, Christopher Johnson, Brian Gallimore, Captain Eli Bread-Binner, Captain John Messinyak, Captain Javier Santagudea, Laurie Stone, Fire Chief John Butler.

[03:01:26] On the police side, we had Eric Rhodes. Additionally, county staff and departments. There were so many, but the key ones I wanted to make sure we highlighted were Tia Rahu, Varsali Oak, Claudia Shaub, Martha Sansaver, Danilo Nunez.

[03:01:46] I also want to thank Tom Fleetwood and Tom Barnett. Thank you all. And our planning and development, Kathy Lewis, Tabitha Cole, Salem Bush, David Stinson. Huge, huge, ultimately thousands of hours of efforts. And then in particular, I want to thank you and your office have been very involved with it.

[03:02:04] Barbara, I know in particular, has been very involved with this and greatly appreciate the work. Supervisor Lough's office as well, hugely involved with this. And my office, of course, and in particular, I have to identify. I want her to stand up. Christina, please.

[03:02:23] Christine, as most people here know, she really brought these things together. She conducted, she chaired the meetings, and I was involved with some of them, but she really did it all. And it really takes a huge effort, but she was the backbone of our efforts, and I think the results speak for themselves.

[03:02:42] So thank you all very much for your time, energy, and effort, and moving forward, something that is deeply needed and I know will be greatly valued for decades to come. Thank you. Thank you very much, Supervisor Stork. And with that, we're going to move to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing on PCA CDPA 2019 SU-003, RZPA 2025-SU-00067, BPR Ellipse LLC in the Sully District.

[03:03:17] and I'm going to give staff a moment here to get organized. And as soon as that happens, we would have the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit. Good afternoon.

[03:03:33] My name is Lori Greenleaf with McGuire Woods, and I reaffirm the affidavit dated January 16, 2026. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures? Any disclosures from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize staff for a staff presentation.

[03:03:50] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. I'm Carl Schumate with the Department of Planning and Development. The subject property, Zone PDC, is located within the Ellipse at Westfield's Development, just south of Dulles Airport, bounded by industrial three and five districts and situated between the New Life Christian Church and the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy.

[03:04:14] The extent of this PCA is highlighted in red, two blocks within the Ellipse at Westfield's Development, approved by the board on March 9, 2021. The applicant wants to add an option to develop 16 single-family attached units, shown on the right, instead of 10 condominium units with first-floor retail on the left.

[03:04:34] As leasing, the retail component has not been successful since the original rezoning was approved. This would increase the total residential units of the development from 374 to 380. Of those six new units, three are WDUs and one is an ADU.

[03:04:52] The open space area shown to the north of the subject property will slightly change, but the required open space of 15% would continue to be exceeded with the approved provision of 46% open space. Overall, staff finds the proposal to be in conformance with the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinance.

[03:05:10] This concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. I'm Lori Greenleaf with McGuire Woods here representing BPR Ellipse LLC as the applicant in this partial PCA.

[03:05:27] I really don't have too much to add to the information that staff has given you other than to highlight that the thought of converting to a more residential focus for this .81 acres within the total 37 acres was envisioned at the time of the rezoning because we were a little concerned about the viability of the retail in this location.

[03:05:51] We do have an adoptive proffer that allows the conversion of the retail to residential. And our request now is to change that residential from the condo building to single-family attached, like the buildings that surround it. This is a modest amendment that reflects sound planning, definitely market reality, and is fully consistent with the comprehensive plan.

[03:06:15] The net increase of six residential units does fall within the recommended range in the comprehensive plan. And it will actually have a positive impact on traffic in that the retail plus the residential was a slightly higher trip generation than we're proposing now. As staff has mentioned, four of the additional six units will be affordable and workforce.

[03:06:37] That's helping to meet the very critical need for for sale affordable housing. We have a unanimous recommendation of approval from the Planning Commission, a vote of no objection from the Silley District Land Use and Transportation Committee, a very positive, clean staff report, and with that, we respectfully request your approval.

[03:06:56] Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Supervisor Smith. I just want to reiterate something, and you already said this, Lori, but we did hear from a constituent with a concern, and they talked about 16 units. It's really six more, but if you could just talk again about the traffic impact of those six more units.

[03:07:18] I know you just said it, but I'd like you to just say it again. Sure. Yeah, the traffic impact is less when you factor in the retail plus the 10 condo units that were part of the building. There was a concern about parking also for this, I'll not even call it a land bay, for this 0.81 acres.

[03:07:39] we actually far exceed the parking the site in and of itself far exceeds the the minimum parking requirements also thank you I'm gonna ask my other question of staff sure okay staff with this one one of the other questions that came up from the community was about the amount of open space and what can be done there and so if you could tell me how much open spaces on this site compared to what what is required please sure let me bring this back up the The required is 15%, and they far exceeded the requirements at 46% open space.

[03:08:16] And just to reiterate, there are no increases to the impervious services with this application. And the unit type is changing, but not really the building footprint. So there was going to be a building here regardless. So it's not really a subtraction of that open space. Thank you very much for those clarifications.

[03:08:33] Thank you, Supervisor Smith. If there are no other questions, this is a public hearing, and I have nobody signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers.

[03:08:51] There are no callers. No callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On March 25, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the PCA and the concurrent CDPA.

[03:09:07] Subject to the proffers dated February 17, 2026, the PC also approved the FDPA, subject to the approval of the PCA and CDPA, and staff concurs with those recommendations. You've heard that. Is there any questions of staff?

[03:09:25] Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve PCA-2019-SU-003 and the concurrent Conceptual Development Plan amendment subject to the proffer as dated February 17, 2026. I also move that the Board of Supervisors approve the waivers and modifications listed in the staff report dated March 12, 2026. Second. You've heard the motion. The Chairman seconds that along with Supervisor Palczyk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none.

[03:10:00] all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries with Supervisor Alcorn being out at the moment. Thank you. Our next, we have a series of cases running concurrently. I'm going to call them. I know they're going to be deferred. Supervisor Harry, do you have one motion to defer them all? I have one motion. Okay, good. Good. So next we have a public hearing on RZ 2024-SP-00011 TPC Freedom 1 LC and TPC Freedom 2 LC, which will be

[03:10:36] heard concurrently with SEA 83-P-071-03, TPC Freedom 2 LC, and PCA 77-C-111-05, TPC Freedom 2 LC and PCA 79-C-054, TPC Freedom 1 LC in the Springfield District.

[03:10:59] And at this time, I will turn to Supervisor Herity for a motion. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I move to defer the public hearing for RZ-2024-SP-00011, PCA-77-C-111-05, SCA-79-C-054 and SCA-83-P-071-03 to a date certain of May 5 at 3.30 p.m.

[03:11:36] And the chairman will second that motion. Is there discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Next, we have a public hearing on SE-2025-PR-00034 Insight Memory Care Center in the Providence District, and could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit?

[03:12:10] Good afternoon. My name is Sasha Brower. I'm at Odin Feldman Pittleman, and I reaffirm the affidavit. I represent InSight Memory Care for the special exception. I reaffirmed the affidavit dated March 30, 2026. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members?

[03:12:27] Any disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm Savannah Murray with the Department of Planning and Development. This afternoon, I'll be presenting a special exception request by InSight Memory Care Center at 8550 Arlington Boulevard.

[03:12:47] The application property is located on Arlington Boulevard and Executive Park Avenue. The site is zoned C3 or office and consists of one parcel that is 87,901 square feet. The comp plan recommendation for the site is office.

[03:13:03] The applicant is requesting a special exception to permit an adult daycare center in an existing office building. The adult daycare center would provide services for up to 65 participants on the ground floor of the existing office building. Modifications are proposed to the existing surface parking lot on the south side of the building to create an outdoor recreation area for the daycare participants.

[03:13:28] The applicant proposes the adult daycare will operate from 7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday through Friday with special events held occasionally on the weekend. No medical facility or beds would be provided on site. Participants would arrive and depart the site via private vehicle, fast train, and or metro access.

[03:13:48] Thank you. That concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Good afternoon. I'll just briefly state my name is Sasha Brower. I'm an attorney at Odin Feldman-Pittleman. I have the honor of representing Insight Memory Care Center for the special exception.

[03:14:07] I'm here today with Angela Bailey, Insight's CEO. Insight is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides a full continuum of specialized care support and education for individuals living with memory and cognitive impairments. Founded in 1984 and now serving the region for over 40 years, it is the only dementia-specific day center in the D.C. metro area, and it is the only adult day center in northern Virginia with programs for people in the later stages of memory impairment.

[03:14:35] Insight also has a financial assistant fund, which is a dedicated resource supporting low-income families, demonstrating Insight's commitment to making those services available for all families, regardless of financial circumstance. This special exception will allow INSIGHT to relocate from the Pender Drive location to 8550 Arlington Boulevard, which will accommodate a new and improved facility.

[03:14:56] The new location will provide a more purpose-built environment for therapeutic programs across all stages of memory impairment and will include security features tailored for dementia care, as well as improved and safer drop-off and pickup circulation. We received a unanimous recommendation of approval from the Health Care Advisory Board in December, and in March, we received a unanimous recommendation of approval from the Planning Commission.

[03:15:19] And with that, we would appreciate your support today. Thank you, and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have nobody signed up in advance to testify in this matter.

[03:15:35] Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. No callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. closing comments and a recommendation from staff. On March 18, 2026, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of SE 2025 PR 00034 subject to development conditions now dated April 10, 2026. Staff concurs with that recommendation. Thank you very much. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and

[03:16:14] recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much to the staff who've worked on this, and to the applicants. Being that we have a long evening ahead of us, I will try to be brief. I want to welcome Ms. Bailey, I believe the new CEO of Insight Memory Care.

[03:16:30] Congratulations, and you're moving to the best district. So we're excited to have you. As you may know, this is a very strong, a really important nonprofit serving our community. And I think this movement that will both have low impact, moving to what is known as the Red Cross building on Route 50 prosperity. I've passed it my entire life. It's a very central location, and I appreciate any time we can repurpose empty office space, especially close to activity centers, close to transportation, close to Inova Fairfax, and close to so many things right here in the heart of Providence,

[03:17:10] the greater Merrifield area. I appreciate that it avoids new construction. It keeps intensity within the plan limits and introduces only minimal site changes, resulting in negligible impacts on traffic, neighboring properties, or the environment, and also is a slightly more walkable area than when they were previously held.

[03:17:33] We all know their great services, very much welcome them to the heart of the county, especially as we know we have an increasing aging population. Many of us caring for our parents know what a struggle, challenge it is, and appreciate that there are new and more affordable options for caring for our community members with memory needs.

[03:17:58] I think it's very thoughtful, well-managed reuse of this facility, and I hope to have my colleague's support on this. To that, I first request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the latest development conditions dated April 10, 2026.

[03:18:18] Yes, the applicant agrees to the April 10, 2026 conditions. Thank you. Wonderful. Thank you. And just to let my colleagues know, the latest conditions add a survey of the trees, continuing surveys of the trees, though limited they may be in that area, through this application.

[03:18:37] And I therefore move that the Board of Supervisors approve SE-2025-PR-00034 subject to the development conditions dated April 10, 2026. And the Chair will second that motion. Is there a discussion on the motion?

[03:18:54] Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you very much. Next, we have a public hearing on adoption of amendments to the Public Facilities Manual PFM regarding sanitary sewer and editorial changes, and at this time, I would recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[03:19:18] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Jan Leavitt, and I'm with the Department of Land Development Services. I'm here today with John Friedman, Julie Moyet, and Dan Rizzo, also with LDS, and Sherrod Regmi with DPWES.

[03:19:35] For your consideration, our miscellaneous amendments to the public facilities manual. The amendments are broken into two parts, the sanitary sewer amendment and minor and editorial updates. The sanitary sewer amendment updates the design flows and peaking factors that developers use to design sanitary sewers and updates the associated plates and tables in the PFM.

[03:20:01] The amendment was a joint effort between DPWES and DPD and with industry outreach, resulting in a recommendation that the PFM's sanitary design flows are too high and should be adjusted downward to be consistent with industry practice and development trends.

[03:20:20] Minor and editorial updates are also proposed. These changes are necessary to bring the PFM in alignment with current ordinances, state standards, and current practices. They include edits to terminology and standards to align with the county's erosion and stormwater management ordinance and the Virginia Stormwater Handbook.

[03:20:43] Edits to bring the PFM in alignment with the zoning ordinance's new and updated definitions for townhouses. Plate 20-7, related to driveway entrances, is being updated to clarify VDOT standards for accepting new private driveways along their existing roadways.

[03:21:06] And lastly, the sump pump language being proposed for inclusion into the PFM brings the PFM current with LDS's longstanding practice where designers consider the location of the sump pump discharge point early in the design process so that it does not become an issue in the field.

[03:21:25] This concludes my presentation. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak?

[03:21:42] This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to speak on this matter? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff? On March 11, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of the proposed amendments.

[03:22:04] Staff concurs with those recommendations. Thank you very much. Last check. Any questions from the Board? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Vice Chair Smith for a motion. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the amendments to the Public Facilities Manual as advertised and set forth in the staff report dated February 17, 2026, and that the amendments become effective at 12.01 a.m. on April 15, 2026.

[03:22:31] And I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Palchuk. Discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Now, we next have a public hearing on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment regarding zoning application fees and planned district recreational facilities minimum expenditure.

[03:22:57] And at this time, I would recognize staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Adam Novacek with the Department of Planning and Development. I'm joined by my colleague Bill Mayland and Tracy Strunk and Leslie Johnson, also from the Department of Planning and Development.

[03:23:14] We are here to discuss the proposed increase in fees for zoning applications, and the last fee amendments were adopted in April 2024 and went into effect in two phases, with the first phase effective July 1st, 2024, and the second phase effective July 1st, 2025.

[03:23:37] Zoning fees were increased 35% total over that period, and the consumer price index as well between January 2024 and December 2025 was roughly a 5% increase. As a note, personnel salaries have increased approximately 8% over the past two fiscal years as well, and ultimately staff is proposing a 5% increase for all zoning application fees with a few exceptions.

[03:24:04] The exceptions for zoning application fees are limited riding or boarding stable, and signed permit applications, which are being aligned with similar application types, family health care structures, and certain wireless reviews, which are capped by state law.

[03:24:23] Appeals are unchanged to ensure the fee itself isn't a prohibitive factor if an appellant felt a decision was made in error or incorrectly. An option for the board to consider a reduced special permit fee for a reduction in minimum distance requirements for manufactured homes.

[03:24:38] The option allows the board to consider a fee of $615 instead of the currently proposed fee of $1,290. A new reduced fee for a non-profit applicant seeking a minor modification or variation to an approved zoning application is also proposed at half the prevailing fee.

[03:24:57] There are also two options for developments providing a significant portion of affordable dwelling units or equivalent units beyond what is required by the zoning ordinance. The proposed options are based on a tiered system detailed in the tables, and the Planning Commission recommended the option, the Table 2, their proposed Table 2 option with the two tiers.

[03:25:23] Lastly, for zoning, staff is proposing a 5% increase to the planned district recreational minimum expenditure. This increase would also be based on CPI, Consumer Price Index, which would be a change from the previous amendment where a construction cost index was used for the percentage increase.

[03:25:44] And thank you. That concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have nobody signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject?

[03:26:01] This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to speak on this matter? Seeing and hearing no one. Let me see if we have callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. April 8th, Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposed fees as stated in the staff report, but amended the fee for affordable housing and manufactured home as detailed in the board item.

[03:26:26] Staff concurs. Thank you for that. Last call. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing, and I'm going to hand the gavel to Vice Chairman Smith so that I can make the following motion. I move that the Board close this public hearing and defer action until April 28, 2026, as part of the budget markup process, followed by a decision on adoption of the ordinance amendment on May 5, 2026 at 9.30 a.m. in connection with adoption of the FY 2027 budget plan.

[03:26:59] I'll second that along with Supervisors Laskin-Pelczyk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith. And next, we have a public hearing on proposed amendments to Appendix Q, Land Development Services Fee Schedule of the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia, County Code, regarding adjustment of the fees charged by land development services for plan review, permits, and inspection services.

[03:27:32] And when they are ready, we would welcome a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Bill Hicks. I'm the director of land development services. I will present on proposed fees from our department. Super, as Adam pointed out a few moments ago, we were before this body two years ago for land development services administrative fees, we proposed and you adopted a 25% increase on the building fees and a 10% increase on the site fees. There were some exceptions in that, but

[03:28:11] generally it was 25% across the board for building and 10% across the board for site fees. There was a commitment made at that time to be back regularly to revisit this, and that is where we are today. As Adam mentioned, there has been a 5 percent inflationary pressure over the last two years, and similarly, staff have received raises of about 8 percent on average across the board over that same time period. Just for reference, LDS's budget is about 84 percent salary. Our proposal

[03:28:48] is a nominal 5% across all fees, building, and site. There are some exceptions, and I will discuss those in a moment. The proposal addresses staff compensation adjustments, continuing technology maintenance fees, as well as enhancements. It aligns with the policy for 100% cost recovery from our fees to pay for our expenditures. The technology fee is at 10%. That is where it was, That's in our proposal and where it was two years ago.

[03:29:21] That's levied across all LDS transactions as well as the Office of the Fire Marshal transactions associated with land development processes. And we remain committed to continuous improvement. These are the exceptions to that 5%.

[03:29:39] The elevator fees for inspections and certifications remains the same. Our cost structure allows for that. The technology surcharge, which I just mentioned, remains at 10%. There's a state-mandated Code Academy levy at 2%.

[03:29:56] That remains at 2%. There are some that rise above that percentage mark, but they are in total absolute value less than a dollar, and we evened it out at a dollar. And then there are fees associated with public hearings and major water quality impact assessments associated with our Chesapeake Bay enforcement that rise by 50%.

[03:30:20] Those are commensurate with the amount of effort that goes in for staff to review those and prepare reports associated with that. The next slide, while it's very complicated, reiterates that 50% on those pieces that are articulated in Appendix Q.

[03:30:41] The most recent benchmarking studies we have for our fees date back several years. One is from 2021. There was a building fees study that included five jurisdictions, Arlington, Prince William, Stafford, Loudoun, and Fairfax.

[03:30:58] The way fee schedules work between jurisdictions, it's very hard to compare apples to apples. So what we had to do was take projects and have them costed out in each jurisdiction. So there's a lot of participation and goodwill among the jurisdictions to make that happen.

[03:31:15] For our building fees, we were consistently below the median. We ranged 4% to 66% below the mean, with one exception where we were 8% above the mean. And then we did a similar study previously in 2018 for site-related fees.

[03:31:34] It did not include Arlington County at that time. We sampled nine different types of sites. We had the same methodology. Fairfax County was at the top of those four jurisdictions at that time, and our fees were 17% to 34% above the mean.

[03:31:50] I'll just remind you that when we raised fees two years ago, we did it with the larger increase on building fees. We only raised site fees by 10%. We recognize it's time to work together with our colleagues, our neighboring jurisdictions to do a similar study moving forward.

[03:32:10] I just want to highlight a couple of quick continuous improvement items that hopefully you're very aware of, plus our computer transaction platform for all of our permitting and inspection services.

[03:32:25] We'll move to a cloud service software as a service this fall. Our call center, which we stood up through COVID, now has a single phone number to reach anybody in the agency. We have a one-minute wait time on that number.

[03:32:43] I'll just repeat it in case anybody needs it, 703-222-0801. We have a seven-minute wait time in our lobby. We're at room 324 in the Herity Building. Every business day, you come in, seven minutes, you're talking to a person.

[03:33:00] Last week, we launched the tenant support services pilot. That is for small businesses to try and work through a change of occupancy or minor changes to their space. We've gotten, even today, I got a glowing letter of appreciation because it was a two-day turnaround for something that was anticipated to take some time.

[03:33:24] We have a program that has been stood up for the better part of a year at this point where we review a sampling of all comments that our staff makes, and then we review those to see if they hit our policies, and if they don't, we work on positive feedback with our staff.

[03:33:44] We've moved from a 40% failure rate of that evaluation to a 9% failure rate of that evaluation, so we think we're making strong progress in that. We post our metrics every single week. You can see the colorful display is those right off of our website.

[03:34:00] Those are posted on Monday mornings, and they are reflective of our timelines that have been seen over the previous week. We've established a tiered building review queue so that if you are a large tenant improvement or a pad site at a shopping center or a high-rise building, that is in a different queue.

[03:34:21] We don't yet have that on our metrics, but you can move through the process a lot faster because of that. We've really tightened up our site review timelines from July 1st, as it was required by state law, House Bill 2660, when it went into effect.

[03:34:39] We're working very closely with our county partners to assure that they're meeting their deadlines as well. The project management group that was stood up maybe 10 years ago at this point now routinely sees site plan approvals within nine months, and we expect for small tenant fit-outs for commercial side and residential, our timelines are going to drastically improve over the coming three to five months.

[03:35:09] We have worked this Appendix Q fee adjustment through several industry bodies, NAOP and NVBIA. We've been to Land Use Policy Committee.

[03:35:26] We've met with the Engineers Surveyors Institute, and we really received no complaints as we walked through that. Most recently, we were before the Planning Commission, where they recommended approval moving forward at the end of my presentation.

[03:35:42] Thank you very much for that presentation. Are there any questions of staff? Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Bill. Actually, this recently came up in a conversation unrelated I was having. And so I'm wondering in the timeline, in the outreach, in addition to the regular groups you had there, I don't know if we can bring that back up, conversation with some of the maybe way to have conversations with the smaller contractors that are maybe helping homeowners do accessory living units, right, or expansions, like those people really on the ground, I want to make sure we partner with you

[03:36:19] or you have a way to get more feedback from them as well. Thank you. That's a great question. We work closely with a group called Pro Mid-Atlantic. They do that sort of work. They're a trades group for that sort of work. We have let them, we don't have a routine meeting. They have ended their routine meetings with us, so you don't see that on here, but we did outreach directly to them.

[03:36:40] we have not heard back anything from that group. Okay. I mean, I'll try, I don't know if we have ways to, if you have materials we can send out. Um, cause I do, those are the ones that are so busy, right. Um, and that really will make a difference, right. To be able to lower costs for homeowners who are trying to adapt their homes, et cetera. And so that's the area where I wonder if we have quite gotten that feedback, um, that might be a little bit more minutia than, than you've gotten from some of the larger groups.

[03:37:13] So happy to circle back and figure out maybe things from a way to get some more feedback from those groups, those individuals really. Glad to. Thank you. Thank you very much. Any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing no additional ones. This is a public hearing and I have no speakers signed up to advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present in the auditorium that wishes to speak on this specific subject? Anyone who wishes to testify on this matter?

[03:37:41] Seeing and hearing none, let me check for callers. No callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. On April 8th, the Planning Commission heard, held a public hearing about Appendix Q changes. They recommended approval.

[03:37:58] Staff concurs. Thank you very much. Last check, questions from the board. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and hand the gavel to Vice Chair Smith so that I can make the following motion. I move that the Board close this public hearing and defer action until April 28, 2026 as part of the budget markup process, followed by a decision on adoption of the ordinance amendment on May 5, 2026 at 9.30 a.m. in connection with the adoption of the FY 2027 budget plan.

[03:38:30] I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And thank you to staff. We next have a public hearing on proposed amendments to Chapter 62, Fire Protection of the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia.

[03:38:51] And as soon as staff is ready, we would welcome a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Chairman, members of the board.

[03:39:15] My name is William Vinoy, Deputy Chief with the Fire and Rescue Department, and I oversee the Office of the Fire Marshal. I want to thank you for the opportunity to go ahead and present our proposed amendments to Chapter 62 of the County Code and Appendix Q related to application fees.

[03:39:31] Much of my background information is going to be similar to what you heard from Bill Hicks and Bill Malin and Adam Novacek from DPD. So I'll try to be as brief as I can, but I'll give you some background of the proposal. What our recommended adjustments are the impact on customers and projects and then the steps we're taking to make sure we can continue to improve our efficiency and value.

[03:39:53] As mentioned previously, we're having the same stresses that DPD and LDS are having as far as increased personnel costs and operational costs.

[03:40:16] Generally, the proposed fee is going to be 5% for fire marshal fees with some exceptions, and I'll go over those later. As mentioned before, the technology fee will stay the same, and we will continue to work with our partners as far as improving service to both the public and the community.

[03:40:36] For the exceptions, we're recommending roughly a 5% increase. Most of the increases will be slightly less than 5% just due to the rounding, with most of those being in the 4.5%. There was one fee that was going to go over to 5.7%, and then our plan review fee was going to be at 3.7% increase.

[03:41:06] Sorry, one technical issue. That's okay. If we can't get the slides for some reason, we can continue on. Okay. So we're recommending roughly a 5% increase.

[03:41:26] Most of the fire prevention permit fees would go from $195 to $204. Floor finishing and hot work permits would go from $104 to $109. And then with pyrotechnics and firework permits, it would go from $936 to $982.

[03:41:42] The state regulated care facility inspections, which was the one fee that would go above 5%, would go from 33 to 35 dollars for those inspections plan review fees would go from 208 to 216 dollars making sure that because we charged by the quarter hour it'd be divisible by four so the proposed fee is best used as a calibration not a dramatic increase as is intended to be modest and targeted in

[03:42:18] trying to improve our operational capabilities even with the adjustment the we will stay within the median of our jurisdictional partners so we'll have several jurisdictioners that their fees are more expensive than ours with other jurisdictions being less expensive than ours. Additionally, as opposed to some of our jurisdictional neighbors that use a combination flat fee and an hourly inspection rate, moving from our $195 to $204, it continues to support a current and consistent fee structure which makes it predictable and

[03:42:50] understandable by our industry partners. The next slide would be showing what the impact of projects would be when we do our plan review going from 208 dollars to 216 dollars per hour this reflects natural cost of providing the technical review services and helps ensure that applicants continue to receive timely professional consistent plan review support these reviews are essential to life safety and code compliance they also have better project outcomes when

[03:43:24] we work proactively with our customers some of our tenant fit outs which if it was a small internal fit-out would see an increase of just $8 for their plan review whereas a larger residential similar what we would see with Reston Row would see an increase of about $5,000 in the grand scheme of a total project cost of $142,000 for the total plan reviews one of the items we will make sure as we're asking for this decrease is make sure that we're

[03:44:00] continuing to work to improve our efficiency and reduce costs associated with the work some of the efforts we've already done of the development of a call center with the scheduling desk for the scheduling and interaction with customers for inspections. We've been continuing to coordinate with our land use partners on customer-facing performance metrics and develop more project-based metrics so that industry partners can understand what the status and time expectations would be. We're also continuing to right-size our staffing across plan review, inspections, and investigation staff while building succession planning with this

[03:44:35] right sizing so we can sustain service and continuity over time taken all together these efforts are intended to deliver better service cleaner clearer expectations and stronger accountability within the office of the fire marshal as far as timeline so we had the same timeline so we've gone through the same part scheduling with our land use partners DPD and LDS so within April 8th put our last meeting was an April 8th meeting with the Planning Commission where we received a recommendation for approval. That concludes my

[03:45:14] presentation. I'll accept questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions from the board? Seeing and hearing none. This is a public hearing and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this specific subject? Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one. Let me see if we have any callers? There are no callers. There are no callers. Thank you very much. Closing comments or recommendation from county staff? Like our land use partners, we met with the Planning Commission on April 8th and they recommended

[03:45:51] approval. Thank you very much. Questions from the board? Final call. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and hand the gavel to Vice Chairman Smith. Make the following motion. I move that the board close this public hearing and defer action until April 28th, 2026 as part of the budget markup process followed by decision on adoption of the ordinance amendment on May 5th, 2026 at 9 30 a.m. in connection with adoption of the FY 2027 budget plan. I'll second that motion. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any

[03:46:28] abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much and thank you for that. Next, We have a public hearing on proposed amendments to Appendix Q, Section 1, Subsection H, and Section 2, Subsection D of the Code of County of Fairfax, Virginia.

[03:46:44] And at this time, as soon as they are ready, I would welcome a staff presentation. Again, my name is Bill Vannoy, Deputy Chief with the Fire and Rescue Department, overseeing the Office of the Fire Marshal.

[03:47:03] So similarly, the same information from the previous presentation, our Appendix Q deals more with the plan review fees, so same information. Thank you very much for that.

[03:47:21] We're going to keep moving here. Do board members have any questions? Okay. This is a public hearing. I don't have anyone signed up to speak for this public hearing. I'm going to ask the clerk, do we have any callers? There are no callers.

[03:47:36] Okay, I will ask if anyone here wants to speak on this topic for this public hearing. Okay, seeing none, and we have no questions of staff, I will now close the public hearing, and I am going to ask Supervisor Bierman, who's right here, to make this motion for me.

[03:47:58] I move that the Board close this public hearing and defer action until April 28th as a part of the budget markup process, followed by a decision on adoption of the Ordinance Amendment on May 5, 2026 at 9.30 a.m. in connection with adoption of Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Plan.

[03:48:16] Thank you. That motion has been seconded by Supervisor Lusk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you very much. It was an excellent question.

[03:48:34] Okay, we went faster than the chairman expected us to go. All right, so next on the agenda is, you see I'm going slow here, proposed amendments to Section 67.1-10-2 of the Fairfax County Code related to sewer charges, and is staff ready for a presentation?

[03:49:01] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Bill Barrett, and I'm the Director of Wastewater and Planning and Monitoring Division. The proposed sewer charge increases for fiscal year 2027 are primarily driven by the reinvestment needs of aging infrastructure within the counties and our treatment-by-contract partner systems.

[03:49:20] The proposed increases are as follows. An availability charge increase of 2% or $180 for single-family dwelling units, $144 for multifamily dwelling units, and accordingly for other types of connections. A sewer service charge increase of 5.89%, or $0.55 per 1,000 gallons.

[03:49:42] A base charge increase of 6%, or $1.05 per month for residential units and accordingly varying increases based upon meter sizes of different types of units. The total impact of proposed increases on an average sewer bill is 5.9%, or $3.99 per month.

[03:50:02] And lastly, no increases are proposed for connection, lateral spur, and haul wastewater charges. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, just a quick question. Thank you.

[03:50:17] I really appreciated the staff report, the comparison of average service charges, and there's some other good tables in there, too. Looks like, in terms of the region, we're in the middle of the pack, roughly. Do you have any information, maybe anecdotally, as we're looking at the increased needs over the coming years, will we still be in the middle of the pack five years from now, roughly?

[03:50:42] I mean, are there other systems that are also looking at making those increases, or do you have any info on that? A lot of times where we are in there, it has a lot to do with the age of the infrastructure associated with it.

[03:50:58] If you look at the utilities that are on the more expensive, they're typically, in general, older. And the ones that are on the one side are younger, such as our friends in Loudoun County at Loudoun Water. With the increases that are expected over the next five years, I would anticipate we would stay kind of in that middle range as we all kind of age together as a group.

[03:51:20] All right, thank you. And I very much appreciate the focus on reinvesting and making sure, because we've certainly seen in other places where that's been a problem. Thank you. Indeed we have. If there are no further questions of board members, this is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this specific matter.

[03:51:42] Is there anyone here who would like to? Okay. If you can come down, introduce yourself. If there's anyone else who would like to speak on this matter, sewer charges, please see the clerk to my right and sign in. Welcome. Thanks for the opportunity. I did not realize that there was going to be the sewer hearing before the effective tax rate hearing, which I signed up for.

[03:52:03] So I'll keep this short. I certainly support investing in our sewer system. We certainly don't want any more waste in our water. I must say that over the last couple of weeks, the water in my neighborhood in Centerville has been absolutely horrendous. And I know that's not directly the sewer, but we were paying, and it got better in the last day or so, so I guess they stopped flushing.

[03:52:24] But it was a lot worse than previous flushings. But I would just say, with all of the money that we raised from all of the various taxes here, it would seem that maybe we could put some of that money toward the sewer system and toward that infrastructure instead of raising the fees, because with the increase in water fees, electrical fees, sewer fees, and all of that, it is becoming very difficult.

[03:52:45] So, I do support investing in the infrastructure, but we do collect an awful lot of money. So, please consider that. Thank you. Thank you. This is a public hearing. I have no other speakers signed up. If there's nobody else present who would like to testify on this matter, let me ask if the clerk has any callers.

[03:53:03] There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Staff recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the amended ordinances as set forth in attachment one to this item in the board package. Thank you. Last check. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I'm going to close the public hearing and hand the gavel to Vice Chairman Smith so that I can make the following motion.

[03:53:26] I move that the board defer action on the FY 2027 charges until after April 28, 2026 as part of the budget markup process, followed by a decision on adoption of the sewer ordinance amendment on May 5, 2026 at 930 a.m. in connection with adoption of the FY 2027 budget plan.

[03:53:46] I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Vice Chairman Smith. And we now are going to move on to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing on the FY 2027 effective tax rate increase. And we have a change here of staff. And as soon as they are ready, we would welcome a county staff presentation.

[03:54:15] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Phil Hagan. I'm the director Department of Management and Budget. This is a public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 effective tax rate increase. The Board of Supervisors authorized advertisement of a real estate tax rate of $1.12 and a quarter per $100 of assessed value, which is the current real estate tax rate and is the rate upon which the FY 2027 advertised budget plan was balanced. The total increase in assessed value of existing properties is expected to be 3.32%, including an increase of 3.99%

[03:54:51] for residential real property and an increase of 0.92% for non-residential real property. Based on the advertised tax rate and increases in the assessed values of existing properties, the effective tax rate would increase by more than 1%. As a result, Virginia Code requires this separate public hearing on the effective tax rate.

[03:55:11] I would note that while this public hearing is specific to the effective tax rate increase, individuals may also provide comments on the tax rate during the public hearing on the budget, which will begin later this afternoon and continue over the next two days. Thank you. Thank you very much for that presentation.

[03:55:26] Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do have three speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter, and they are James Parmalee, Arthur Purvis, and Robert Whitfield. If you are here to testify on this specific matter only, we're going to get to the budget public hearing here in a moment, but if you're here to testify on this specific matter only, please come down and sign in with the clerk to the right, And we are going to go to speaker number one, James Parmalee.

[03:55:54] Welcome. Thanks for having me. And don't worry, I am also signed up for the budget hearing, speaker number four. So I'll be right back. We are having a rally out front on the tax rate. Rob, is 108 is what we're looking for?

[03:56:10] What we're looking for, 108? 108 is what we're looking for. The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance and a number of other groups, the local Republican Party, a lot of taxpayer groups, Republican Denider for Tax Relief, Northern Virginia Republican Pact. We're having a rally out front in favor of lower taxes.

[03:56:27] Affordability, everyone's been talking about it. Our new governor was talking about it during the campaign. Something seems to have been lost in translation, though. But you can help her out by lowering tax rates here to make her record look better. We've got the sewer rates, sewer taxes going up.

[03:56:46] Water prices have gone up. Electricity has gone up. All of these things have gone up. And we don't need the taxes to go up, too. Inflation has come down a little bit prior to the recent oil spikes, and I think they will come back down again. But I think you guys need to look at the budget and try to squeeze it a little harder because, heck, we're bigger than a lot of states.

[03:57:08] And we just need to look at these budgets and reduce them because the money is coming out of our pockets. And also, one thing I've heard about the tax rate is they say, oh, you know, it doesn't hit poorer folks. It doesn't hit renters. It doesn't hit this, doesn't hit that.

[03:57:24] It does hit renters because your rent includes these taxes. The folks that own these rental units do not eat the tax. They pass it on to the renter. So you are hitting everybody in Fairfax County who pays anything for housing.

[03:57:40] And I think I would ask that you keep that in mind. keep affordability in mind. I'm sure a lot of you guys have been running on that. This is the time to actually do it. So thank you very much. Thank you. Speaker number two is Arthur Purvis. Speaker number three is Robert Whitfield. My good friends, thank you for the opportunity to testify. I'm Arthur Purvis, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. The purpose of this hearing

[03:58:20] is to solicit public input on the supervisor's proposed four cent increase in the real estate tax rate. The rate that prevents a tax increase due to the four percent average increase in residential assessments is $1.08. The supervisors have advertised keeping next year's rate at the same as this year at $1.12. That represents a four cent increase. We urge you to set the rate at $1.08 and to set the meals tax rate at zero percent. For 25 years, real estate taxes have

[03:58:58] been increasing three times faster than household income. The average real estate tax is now $9,600. If real estate taxes had increased at the same rate as household income for the last 25 years, the average tax would be $4,400 or $5,000 less. Homeowners need that $5,000 to pay for food, housing, and transportation. Next year, the supervisors are imposing upon homeowners tax increases totaling $639. $350 for the real estate tax hike, $10 for the stormwater

[03:59:34] tax, $47 increase in the car tax, and $111 for the meals tax. That's a $526 increase, And then if you add to that the $113 increase we experienced this year from the meals tax, the total increase is $639.

[03:59:54] By the way, the county added 21 positions to administer the meals tax. So despite a $639 tax hike, only three people have signed up for this hearing. Why is that?

[04:00:11] This hearing and its purpose are not publicized. The staff introduction to the hearing did not mention the purpose to consider a 4 cent increase in the real estate tax rate. It only mentioned keeping the tax rate constant, covering up that keeping the rate constant represents a $367 tax hike.

[04:00:32] This hearing is not mentioned on the annual notice of real assessment change. This hearing is not mentioned on the county website's public meetings calendar.

[04:00:48] The chairman did mention this hearing in his recent newsletter, but did not explain the purpose of the hearing, that it was to consider a 4 cent increase in the tax rate. It's only publicized in a single notice in the legal section of the Washington Times. Please do the following to increase taxpayer input to budget planning, and we've made similar requests for the last two years.

[04:01:11] On the assessment notice, under the supervisor's district, add the supervisor's name, the supervisor's phone number, and the supervisor's email. For the FY27 tax rate increase, instead of TBD, show the rate recommended by the county executive in the advertised budget.

[04:01:36] Explain on the notice that the supervisors will announce an advertised rate that is the maximum rate that can be adopted. Provide the date the advertised rate will be announced and a QR code where homeowners can find the advertised rate. One supervisor objected to me that the advertised rate would confuse taxpayers.

[04:01:56] This is perhaps the best educated county in the nation. Your taxpayers will understand the advertised rate. This year's notice does not even provide the date of the advertised rate, which last year's notice did, although the date on last year's notice was incorrect.

[04:02:17] Provide the date and time of the tax rate hearing on the notice. Provide the date of budget markup when the supervisors announce the rate they plan to adopt, which is a week from Friday. Put all of this on the front of the notice.

[04:02:34] If you must put this information on the back of the notice, then print on the bottom of the front, see other side for important information. The current notice does have the date, time, and place of the 4 p.m. budget hearing, but it's on the back of the notice, and the front does not say, see other side.

[04:02:55] Taxpayers provide you nearly $6 billion a year. Please respect them by being transparent. Thank you. Thank you, Arthur. Speaker number three is Robert Whitfield.

[04:03:28] Chairman and supervisors, thank you for the opportunity to address you. I'm the one who discovered yesterday that this meeting, the 3 p.m. tax rate hearing, was not published in the public notice meeting calendar. And I've noticed several times in the last year that the meeting calendar has been deficient.

[04:03:48] And I would ask that somebody in the clerk's office do something to improve that communication. I have attended these meetings off and on for over a decade. And one of the things I also note is that the personal property tax rate is even not addressed at all.

[04:04:08] And so let me start with the personal property tax rate, which has remained at $4.57 per hundred for as long as anybody can remember. A couple of years ago, I came to assist a person who made a property tax appeal, and I asked why the personal property tax was $4.57.

[04:04:27] And I was told by a member of the tax assessment staff, it's always been that way. Well, guess what? In other jurisdictions, the personal property tax rate for automobiles has been reduced substantially. Loudoun County, for instance, it's now the latest fiscal year was $3.09.

[04:04:51] And for the fiscal year 2027, it's proposed at $2.94 for personal vehicles. The business property tax rate remains at $4.15 in Loudoun County. As to real property tax rates, I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with the fact that Loudoun County in the last 15 years has been able to reduce its tax rate from $1.30 per 100 assessed value to, I think it's 80.5 in the most recent year.

[04:05:22] I had a graph showing this, but I managed to leave it outside somewhere. So what I can say is that whereas Loudoun County has seemingly had a climate of fiscal responsibility, such accountability has been absent in the spending habits of Fairfax County.

[04:05:42] I've been to these hearings at least a decade or more, and I realized that the saying that when Mr. Hill got here in 2018, and I remember asking him, why are we only getting back 20 cents on the dollar from Richmond? And Mr. Hill politely handed the mic to Joe Mondoro, who was the budget director.

[04:06:04] So I don't think we ever got an answer to that question. And I don't know what the problems are, why we have not made any progress in Richmond. Is it because we have ineffective legislators or is it ineffective staff? I don't know the answer.

[04:06:21] And so I have this all detailed in something that I left outside. And so I would just simply say we need to do a better job. Data center, for instance, revenue from data centers. I asked Mr. Hill last year to give us an explanation why we're not getting as much revenue back from the personal property in data centers, which is, according to the county executive in Loudoun, the personal property tax in data centers is getting at least four times as much revenue as the real property.

[04:06:55] So, yes, we need an investigation, and I suggest that you establish a tax review board to provide oversight and make improvements for next year. Thank you. Our next speaker is Bonnie Kendrick. You can come on down, and Bonnie will be our last speaker on this matter.

[04:07:17] Thank you all for being here and listening to me. I'm Bonnie Kendrick. I live in Annandale. My father bought the house I live in in Annandale back in 1993 for about $3,000, $345,000.

[04:07:50] Now, same house is supposedly worth $669,000 and $120,000. And it's the same house. My income really has not gone up at all.

[04:08:08] Now I'm 72. I have a lot fewer yoga classes than I used to teach, which is not a very high-salary job. It's not a salary job. And I just don't think it's fair for the taxes, the real estate taxes, to keep going up.

[04:08:27] And it seems to me that there ought to be a better way of assessing real estate taxes. For instance, what a person bought the house for and then a certain percentage of their annual income.

[04:08:45] And that would be fair so that people who have a lot of money and could buy a more expensive house, and mine is three bedrooms and a small brick house, split level. So you have what you bought the house for and then a certain percentage of your annual income so people could stay in their neighborhoods.

[04:09:11] That's what I want to say. And I like the yellow T-shirts here, stop raising taxes. I mean, everybody does. I think we need sewer and roads and all of the other important things we do.

[04:09:29] But somehow it has to stop. And there shouldn't be extra, extra, extra, extra going on. Anyway, thanks for hearing me. Thank you very much, Ms. Kendrick. And that is the end of our speakers who have signed up for this.

[04:09:48] Let me ask the clerk if we have any callers. There are no callers. There were no additional callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Staff recommends that the record remain open for testimony until budget markup on April 28th.

[04:10:05] Thank you. Thank you very much. Any questions from the board? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing. I'm going to turn the gavel over to Vice Chairman Smith so that I can make the following motion. I move that the board close the public hearing while leaving the record open for testimony until April 28, 2026, as part of the budget markup process.

[04:10:26] This will permit persons who wish to testify on this matter to do so during the public hearing on the FY 2027 Advertised Budget Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, or CIP, and FY2026 third quarter review by testifying as described on the Department of the Clerk Services page on the Fairfax County website or by providing written testimony after the close of public hearings.

[04:10:50] Supervisor Palczyk seconded that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much for that. And this brings us to the actual public hearing on the advertised budget plan.

[04:11:08] And I'm going to just read a couple reminders for folks now that we have come to our final. Yes, we're going to get to that. Now that we've gotten to our final item on the agenda and are ready to move forward with it, I do want to remind folks that if you are here to testify for this matter and you have signed up in advance, that is good.

[04:11:31] If you have not signed up in advance, we will be hearing additional public testimony at the end of the day, end of the public hearings on Thursday. This is a three-day public hearing. If you arrive late for your slot, I'm going to be asking you to sign up to testify, as the clerk has, on Thursday on the final day of public hearings.

[04:11:51] So we are going to go straight by the speaker's list, and I just want to notify people of that in advance who are here for that item. And with that, let me first begin by asking our staff if they would like to give us a presentation.

[04:12:08] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Phil Hagen, Director of the Department of Management and Budget. This afternoon opens our public hearings where the Board of Supervisors will hear testimony on the FY2027 Advertised Budget Plan, the FY2027-2031 Capital Improvement Program, and the FY2026 Third Quarter Review.

[04:12:26] Following the earlier public hearing, residents are also able to provide testimony on the FY2027 effective tax rate, as well as the other tax rates as part of these public hearings. Thank you. Thank you very much, and let me ask if there are any questions of staff at this moment.

[04:12:42] Okay. Again, just to reiterate, we've now come to our final item on the agenda, ready to open the first of three nights of public hearings on the FY2027 advertised budget plan, the FY 2027 to FY 31 advertised capital improvement program with future fiscal years to 2036 and to amend the current appropriation level of the FY 2026 revised budget plan as proposed in the FY 2026 third quarter review. During this public hearing, we will also accept testimony on the FY 2027 effective tax rate. We do have a lengthy speakers list today, so I will reiterate

[04:13:20] and note that anyone who is not already registered to speak has the opportunity to walk in or call in and those speakers will be heard on Thursday following all speakers on the formal speakers list. If you're listed on the speakers list today or tomorrow but miss your designated speaker time, you will also be heard on Thursday following all speakers on the speakers list.

[04:13:40] And before I introduce our first speaker, I do want to remind folks that if I call your name on the speakers list, Come down close, close down here and be ready to testify. We waste a lot of time watching people walk all the way down the staircase, and it's an increased risk someone's going to fall.

[04:13:58] So please, when I call your name, come down close and be ready to testify and respect everyone's time here today. As we traditionally do, we start our hearing by hearing from the Fairfax County School Board, and I will welcome at this time to the podium the school board chair, Sandy Anderson, representing the Fairfax County School Board. Thank you, Chair Anderson, for joining us and welcome. Chairman McKay, members of the Board of Supervisors and County Executive Hill, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this afternoon. My name is Sandy Anderson and I am the current chair of the Fairfax County School Board and the representative from the

[04:14:33] Springfield District. I am here to advocate for the 177,000 students that we serve along with educators and staff who make Fairfax County Public Schools one of the premier school divisions in the country. FCPS knows that our data shows excellence is not only being sustained, it's being expanded. In the last year, we have seen a 27.5% increase in 8th graders enrolled in Algebra 1 or higher. Our chronic absentee rates continue to decline, and almost all of our students report that they have a plan after graduation. These small examples are made possible by the daily

[04:15:10] work of our students and staff and the community that supports them, and most importantly, because you have made public education the long-term priority in this county. But maintaining progress requires us to invest in what matters most, our people. I want to be very clear. I am not here lightly. Everyone on the school board understands the pressures on the county budget. We know the competing priorities, and we know that for years, in a multitude of ways, the Commonwealth has not fully funded public education. And the impact of that reality continues to show up at the

[04:15:48] local level every day. For FY 2027, our advertised budget totals $4.1 billion, including a 5.1% increase in the rate in the transfer request. That a significant portion of that $178.4 million is tied directly to our collective bargaining agreements and employee benefits. These are not optional costs. They reflect our commitment to fairly compensate and retain the people who make our system work. Last year, we stood in a very similar place, and together we found a path forward. I know that both the county and the schools made difficult decisions to get there,

[04:16:28] and nearly $90 million in cuts remain in our base budget today from what we did last year. Those reductions continue to have real impacts across our system. We are at a tipping point in Fairfax County. To remain competitive in this region, to stay second in starting teacher salaries, to maintain retention rates above 90 percent, we must close this gap. We can no longer rely on one-term solutions to fund ongoing essential positions like special education department chairs and advanced academic resource teachers. These roles are not extras. They are the core of

[04:17:04] how we serve students every day, and they must be included in our baseline. We are hopeful that the state will come through. I think we are all hopeful that the state will come through with more money for education, but this isn't a guarantee. We are asking you to use available recurring funding set aside for board consideration to help close the $43.8 million gap between what we have and what we need to do this work. It's about our kids from those graduating this year to those excited about starting kindergarten in the fall. So I thank you for your continued partnership and your commitment to the students of Fairfax County. Thank you very much, Chair Anderson. And

[04:17:44] I also want to acknowledge and thank two of your colleagues who are here with us from the school Board, Mr. Moon, Mr. McDaniel. I appreciate you being here as well. And with that, we are going to move on to our formal speakers list. And I'm going to call several names again. When I call your name, please come down here and take advantage of the chairs down here close. And speaker number one is James Quigley on behalf of the EDA, followed by Palabi Sabu, Casey Anderson, James Parmalee, and Keith Merlin. Those are our first five speakers. If you all can come on down and be ready when it's your slot. That would be appreciated. And we're going to begin with

[04:18:21] James Quigley, the chair of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Welcome. Welcome. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay and members of the board. I am James Quigley, chair of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Commission. I want to begin by thanking you for your leadership and recognizing County Executive Brian Hill and his team for their passion for the work of economic development in our region. The direction set by the board, combined with strong execution across county agencies is what drives the results.

[04:18:53] This is a partnership, and our collaboration is now more critical than ever. Today we are operating in a very different environment than even a year ago. The federal landscape is shifting, commercial real estate continues to evolve, and businesses are making decisions in real time. These are structural changes, not temporary ones, and they are reshaping how regions are competing.

[04:19:13] At the same time, Fairfax County is performing. In fiscal year 2025, we supported projects that created more than 9,900 jobs and drove investment across more than 2.2 million square feet of space. We saw the first decline in office vacancies since 2020, and hiring activity across northern Virginia has rebounded significantly.

[04:19:35] Those are strong indicators, but more importantly, they reflect something deeper. This region continues to win in a highly competitive environment, and that competition is intensifying. Other regions are deploying more aggressive tools and making targeted investments to attract companies, talent and capital, often moving faster and operating with greater flexibility than we see today.

[04:20:00] That raises the bar for us. To stay competitive, we need to be clear about what differentiates us and continue to build upon it. We are seeing strong momentum in sectors that will define the future economy, artificial intelligence, aerospace, quantum and national security.

[04:20:17] And we are seeing that momentum translate into real decisions by companies. From systems planning analysis, making one of the largest investments in Northern Virginia, to Gravity, establishing their global headquarters here, to companies like Umbra Space and IDS choosing Fairfax County over other regions, these are highly competitive wins.

[04:20:36] We are also building global visibility and industry leadership through initiatives like the Quantum World Congress and the Space Next Conference, which are attracting international attention and positioning Fairfax County as a center of gravity for these emerging sectors.

[04:20:53] At the same time, we are strengthening the foundation that makes this growth possible, our workforce. Through the Talent Initiative, nearly 1 million job seekers have been connected to opportunity, and more than 17,000 employers have been supported. This is not just a program. It is a competitive advantage of Fairfax.

[04:21:11] All of these outcomes reflect a coordinated effort across the county, supported by the board's investment and shared focus on our execution. But they also reflect something else that is critical, and that is the operating model behind this work.

[04:21:27] The Economic Development Authority is designed to operate differently, engaging differently directly with the private sector, working at the speed of business and focusing on companies that can scale in ways that materially grow the county's commercial tax base. That means bringing market intelligence, relationships, and execution together in a way that allows us to compete effectively with other regions for high-growth companies, talent, investment.

[04:21:54] The ability to engage directly with companies to move quickly and to adapt in real time as conditions change is not incidental. It is central to the mission. Those capabilities are essential in today's environment, and they are key reasons why Fairfax County continues to compete effectively.

[04:22:11] In this environment, how we operate is just as important as what we do. Looking ahead, the environment will not get easier. Federal spending will continue to shift. commercial markets will continue to evolve and competition for companies and talent is only increasing. That means our focus now must be on maintaining what is working while continuing to strengthen coordination, alignment, and clarity across the broader economic development ecosystem.

[04:22:39] Fairfax County is in a strong position, but staying there will require continued discipline, alignment, and the ability to execute with speed and precision. We are grateful for your leadership, your partnership, and your continued investment in this important work. We look forward to continuing to build on this momentum together.

[04:22:57] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number two will be Palabi Sabu, followed by Casey Anderson, James Parley, and Keith Merlin. Welcome. Good afternoon, members of the Board of Supervisors. I'm Palabi Sabu, Assistant Secretary of the Fairfax County EDA.

[04:23:13] Like the chair, I also want to start by thanking you and recognizing the county executive and his team. The coordination across agencies, combined with the board's support, is what allows our work to happen in a focused and effective way.

[04:23:29] Fairfax County is home to more than 160,000 businesses, and more than 90% of them are small, with fewer than 50 employees. Supporting the entire business community is essential, and that work is executed through a coordinated community framework, including the Fairfax County EDA, the DEI, and many community partners.

[04:23:54] Within that coordinated framework, the role of the EDA is uniquely specialized and distinct. While the county focuses on vital community-wide services, the FCEDA is built to operate at the speed of business.

[04:24:10] Our focus is on companies with the potential to scale in ways that materially expand the county's commercial tax base. These are high-growth, high-potential companies, often in targeted sectors that can grow from early-stage ventures into major employers and long-term economic drivers.

[04:24:32] Through targeted support, market intelligence, and connections to talent, capital, and customers, we help these companies move from early traction into sustained growth and expansion. In just the last five years, we have engaged with over 13,000 businesses across Fairfax County.

[04:24:55] Some of these companies started with less than four employees and have scaled to global heights, employing thousands of employees such as ID.me, Appian, 22nd Century, GoCanvas, and Alarm.com. Workforce remains a critical part of the effort.

[04:25:13] In fiscal year 2025, more than 155,000 job seekers were directly connected to employers to meet the company's talent need. However, competition for these companies is increasing. High growth firms are being actively recruited by other regions.

[04:25:32] Many of these regions are moving towards a more independent and nimble EDA model to compete. FCEDA's specialized focus and professional autonomy has kept ensuring that Fairfax County remains competitive and results-oriented in how we support this vital segment of the market and retain these companies.

[04:25:55] Today, we are considered among the most successful EDAs from New York to Atlanta. For that, we are grateful for your leadership and your continued investment for the work of the county executive, Brian Hill, and his team in making this coordination possible.

[04:26:12] Thank you. For your testimony, speaker number three is Casey Anderson. Is Casey Anderson here? Casey Anderson. Don't see Casey Anderson. James Parmelee. Don't see James Parmelee.

[04:26:28] Keith Merlin. Welcome. After Keith, we will hear from James Fishenden, Tanika Duhaney, and Clayton Medford. Welcome. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, county executive Hill, thank you very much.

[04:26:43] for the opportunity to speak today. The Washington Airports Task Force appreciates your past support and respectfully requests a continuation of Fairfax County's grant to support our work in 27. As a non-profit, non-partisan 501c3 corporation, we're focused on preserving and enhancing two of our region's major economic engines, Washington Dulles and Ronald Reagan National Airports.

[04:27:06] At Dulles, we want the road passenger activity as well as expanding non-stop domestic and international opportunities in cargo expansion. At National, we want to focus on a better, not a bigger airport with an eye on safety. Our work improves Fairfax County's competitive position through expanding international and domestic air service. Expanding market services from Dulles Airport offers direct advantages to the county's residents and business travelers who rely on air transportation for both personal visits and professional activities. And 25, 29 million passengers traveled through Dulles, another record year. 10.5 of those passengers, or over

[04:27:45] one-third, traveled internationally. And Dulles, not unexpectedly, carries 90 percent of the international passengers in the DMV. In addition, Dulles was the fastest-growing large hub airport in 25. United Airlines is committed to increasing flying by 30 percent over the next five years at The new 14-gate e-concourse, located directly over the existing train station, will open this year on September 30.

[04:28:13] And the next phase of concourse expansion is in design. Today, Dulles provides our region with 53 airlines flying to 100 domestic and 63 international destinations. The task force continues our work partnering with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, VEDP, to grow air freight for Dulles Airport.

[04:28:34] A great opportunity for our businesses and a game-changer for the biomedical industry in our region. We continue to work on access to Dulles, supporting improvements to the American Legion Bridge, and finally and very importantly, a second Potomac River crossing.

[04:28:50] Fingers crossed. National Airport had an unusual year when we saw a decrease in passengers, the lowest in three years. Still, 25 million passengers flew through National on eight carriers to 108 destinations. The task force has and continues to advocate for reducing congestion at National.

[04:29:09] Following the accident on January 29th last year, we successfully supported reduction of the initial request from Congress, which called for adding 25 round-trip flights, and we got that down to five. However, that is still too high. The NTSB final report provided an excellent detailed account for the errors and circumstances that caused the accident.

[04:29:30] They also mentioned airspace congestion and flight saturation, two points that we are challenging the FAA to take seriously and look at how many operations are taking place per hour and what is reasonable and practical. EMWA is calling this a decade of Dulles, and all signs are positive.

[04:29:48] We are not without our challenges, though. How will the significant increase in flights at Dulles impact our road network? How will the neighbors react to the increased flying? USDOT initiated a request for ideas to make Dulles better. EMWA and USDOT are reviewing these ideas.

[04:30:07] What will the result of that analysis be? The task force will be working diligently to address these questions and anticipate changes in both domestic and international traffic patterns. Here's ongoing support allows the task force to remain a strong advocate for aviation, the jobs it brings along with the economic opportunities, supporting flight options for the residents of Fairfax County and the region, connecting them to family, friends, and businesses across the country and around the world.

[04:30:35] Thank you very much. Thank you, Keith. Speaker number six is James Fishenden, followed by Tanika Duhaney, Clayton Medford, and Nicole Miller. Welcome. Thank you. My name is James Fishenden.

[04:30:50] I'm here today to speak about trails, especially natural surface trails, as perfect third places. A perfect person's first place is their home. The second is their place of work, and third places are ones other than those two where they go to gather. Communities form around third places and enrich the lives of those who have access to them.

[04:31:10] I have lived in this area my entire life. I was born in Reston Hospital, my grandparents lived in Falls Church, and I moved back to Reston out of my parents' house in Loudoun County. A huge criticism I have of the Northern Virginia area is that the vast majority of third places we have here are not accessible to everyone because they are not free.

[04:31:31] The vast majority of third places here are bars, restaurants, coffee shops, places one must pay to be in. Local parks and trails, however, are free because the money to build and maintain them is sourced from taxes paid by the hardworking people of the state or county where they are located.

[04:31:47] Because these places are accessible to everyone, they can be, and indeed are, centers for communities to form and for people's lives to be enriched. You may call me idealistic, but the purpose of a government budget is primarily to serve the people living within that government, and secondarily to work with local businesses to do the same.

[04:32:07] I can confidently say that ever since I graduated college and moved to Reston, 85% or more of the people I've met and friends I've made, I met because good trails and parks exist in Fairfax and surrounding areas for us to gather. There are many, many local clubs, organizations, and businesses who use the trails here to gather and form communities. These are open to anyone and anyone to meet and use the parks and trails made possible by county and state funding. This infrastructure allows county residents to be happier, healthier, and more socially connected. Every person walking or cycling the Washington

[04:32:45] and Old Dominion Trail is someone not sitting in their house and staring at a screen. Every group of kids on BMX bikes at a skate park or the dirt jumps at Wakefield or Lake Fairfax is one not glued to Instagram or Fortnite. Every day that I ride my bike to work, every Thursday I meet with my club to ride Lake Fairfax Park. Every day I take my bike to Wakefield or to Fountainhead is a day made immeasurably better. All along the W&OD across the county, one can find bike shops, cafes, breweries, and restaurants supported by foot and bicycle traffic. Much of this traffic would not exist without the Washington and Old Dominion. Any of the other large parks in the

[04:33:25] County, might be found hosting events organized by clubs or other organizations, such as the upcoming Wednesdays at Wakefield Race Series in Annandale, the Rails to River and Capital Cross Classic at Lake Fairfax, and the Cranky Monkey Mountain Bike Race in Fountainhead.

[04:33:41] All of these exist because Fairfax County has seen fit to build good trails and nice parks around the county. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Speaker number seven is Tanika Duhaney, to be followed by Clayton Medford, Nicole Miller, and Arthur Purvis.

[04:33:57] Is Tanika Duhaney here? Tanika Duhaney, speaker number seven. Okay. Speaker number eight will be Clayton Medford. Welcome, Clayton. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay, members of the board of supervisors.

[04:34:13] Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today. My name is Clayton Medford, and I'm the Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the NOVA Chamber, NVC. At our core, NVC and our members support a budget that is about empowerment, Empowering local businesses to grow through reasonable taxes and regulations, empowering county employees to engage directly with businesses, and ultimately empowering Fairfax County to lead the region in economic competitiveness, affordability, and quality of life.

[04:34:37] However, the business community is currently facing a challenging time collaborating with government, a once valuable partnership that brought decades of prosperity to our region. This is not a new challenge and has been growing for some time. Just last week, NVC released the results of our Q1-2026 Northern Virginia Business Leaders Survey, which paints a picture of an economy marked by uncertainty.

[04:34:57] 66% of business leaders expect the Northern Virginia economy to stagnate or decline over the next six months, and 56% expressed pessimism about the national economy, even as 67% remain optimistic about their own company's performance. That mix suggests businesses still see opportunity here, but are navigating a challenging environment shaped by cost pressures, policy concerns, and caution about broader market conditions.

[04:35:23] In that kind of climate, success depends on business and government working together. Employers need a local and state policy environment that supports growth, affordability, and talent, while government needs to stay closely connected to the business community to understand the barriers, respond with practical solutions, and strengthen the region's competitiveness.

[04:35:38] Turning to the advertised budget, first on taxes, we appreciate the challenge of this budget environment, and we recognize the difficult choices before you. We understand that local revenue options are limited and that the real estate tax carries an outsized share of the burden. In that context, we deeply appreciate the effort to keep any increase modest.

[04:35:55] At the same time, we ask the board to continue considering the cumulative effect of the full local tax structure on business growth. It is not only the real estate tax that shapes competitiveness. BPOLE, meals tax, hotel occupancy tax, and other taxes and fees also affect the cost of doing business in Fairfax County.

[04:36:12] When employers look at whether to expand, relocate, or invest, or to simply continue operating, they experience these costs simultaneously, not one at a time. We also want to commend you and the county executive for making the difficult decision to reprioritize your bonds. Deferring new construction is never easy.

[04:36:28] Maintenance needs do not disappear, and those bills will always come due in some form. But in this climate and in a moment of broader economic uncertainty, it's a prudent decision. And just as important, it creates room to advance housing-related priorities, which are central to the NOVA Roadmap and to the county's long-term competitiveness. Second, Fairfax County needs stronger economic development tools, which you heard about a little earlier.

[04:36:48] The NOVA Roadmap calls for an economy that competes by design and not by default. Historically, our region has not relied heavily on tools such as deferrals and direct incentives and flexible deal structures to attract and retain business investment. But that time has passed, and frankly, it passed long ago.

[04:37:04] We ask you to provide adequate funding and flexibility for the EDA to aggressively pursue new business opportunities and to support the expansion of existing businesses that are rooted here. That includes consideration of the kinds of tools that Chairman McKay described in his board matter just last year on economic development. This funding could come through increasing the cap on the economic opportunity reserve or through other means at your disposal.

[04:37:24] Either way, Fairfax County needs to be able to move quickly when opportunities arise. The recent sale of the police training center is a strong example of the kind of public-private deal that can produce a win-win outcome and shows what is possible when the county is agile, strategic, and willing to think differently. Third, taking a small step back from the budget, the business community believes housing and economic development must be treated as inseparable.

[04:37:46] The county's housing task force draft initiatives are just the kind of implementation plan envisioned in our NOVA Roadmap's goal on housing affordability. Repositioning aging commercial centers, piloting compact housing villages, and expanding accessory living units all increase the range of housing choices near jobs and transit.

[04:38:02] Proposed financing tools, incentives, and homebuyer assistance strategies translate broad goals into concrete products that can unlock mixed income development. And most importantly, the direction to streamline development policies, clarify road and code standards, and foster a yes-if culture responds to what both the roadmap and the development community have said clearly.

[04:38:20] Northern Virginia cannot remain economically competitive if more and more of its workforce cannot afford to live here. Finally, we encourage you to think about empowerment not only in terms of policy and budget, but also in terms of culture. How are you creating an environment where staff across agencies are encouraged to go into the community, hear new ideas, and bring those ideas back for serious consideration?

[04:38:39] With economic uncertainty and budget constraints, streamlining government is imperative, but it takes time. A culture and budget aimed at establishing both the support and the expectation that county staff should be proactive, outward-facing, and focused on solutions would be a major step forward in creating a new economy. Every agency should feel empowered to work with the private sector, to identify opportunities for economic growth, and then bring those back to you, bring those opportunities forward.

[04:39:03] So our three budget asks are straightforward. Keep the tax rate flat, fund economic incentives, and proactively engage with the business community. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Nicole Miller, to be followed by Arthur Purvis, Christopher Falcon, and Nancy Hall.

[04:39:20] Welcome. Thank you. So in 2024, I was lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that was thriving. People wanted to buy our homes for top dollar. Most people thought it was crazy, the prices people were paying. But in 2025, we're not experiencing that. And now in 2026, I'm seeing ads for people to allow people to assume their low interest rates just because they're desperate to sell their homes.

[04:39:41] Yesterday, I saw one for 2.25 to assume the mortgage. Well, that's unfair for us to be compared to those 2024 peak market data because there was a lack of sales in 2025. Inflating values and placing unfair burden on homeowners, also requiring residents to repeat their assessment appeals every year really kind of puts a burden on the homeowners to repeatedly appeal these inaccuracies.

[04:40:07] Additionally, many comparable sales that were listed in the sales are not actually comparable. Almost all the homes in my community purchased in 2025 were sold twice, one to a developer and then once again after they were flipped. Those homes look like these. They have basement apartments, fully basement apartments, ADUs, but they're not ADUs because they don't have a stove.

[04:40:27] So these homes are still more desirable than a home without because it has a $1,200 a month rental income guaranteed. So when I filed a complaint about this home and code enforcement, I was told that because it didn't have a stove, which it clearly does, when they came to investigate it, it didn't have a stove, so it's not an ADU.

[04:40:42] So that is how most of the people in our community are getting away with selling these homes for $750 plus. When our homes are, most of the homes don't even sell anymore for $700 or more. So actively making us be assessed against these higher dollar homes, you're essentially burdening us with these higher prices when we didn't make those improvements to our own homes.

[04:41:02] I also want to highlight that $1,200 a month is a big difference when you're paying $750 for an 1,100 square foot house. So also another thing I want to raise concerns about is tax-exempt veteran-owned homes in our community.

[04:41:20] One of the things that I've noticed with some of the tax-exempt veteran-owned homes is that they are assessing for higher-than-homes with identical renovations to them. This home on my street here had the exact renovations as the other two because they had the same guy do them. His home is assessed at $750. The other homes are assessed at $700.

[04:41:39] Why is it that the veteran-owned homes are being assessed for more than the other homes when they've literally had the same exact renovations done? So to me, I think there should also be, for things like 100% disabled veterans, there should be a salary cap as well on that.

[04:41:55] The person who owns this home makes $350 a year. That person gets the free taxes when the lady who lives next door makes $91.5 and she doesn't get any assessment increase. A lot of states are also now putting limits on those assessments. I also want to make a point to you guys as well, too.

[04:42:10] This community has lots of federal employees who only received a 1% raise this year. Most of you guys know me as this person you see here, but what you don't see here is the person I am at home when I'm suffering still from the long COVID issues that I have. That 1% raise never covered the medication that it cost me every year just to feel like a human.

[04:42:29] And for most of you, you know where I work. Yesterday was the first day I was paid since February 14th in that extra tax burden and then I paid the other $1,200 additional for being lump sum paid, really cost a lot, more than my 1% raise, and now we're going to get a 0% next year, which I feel is unfair for the federal employees to be expecting the residents to absorb the higher property taxes driven by your collective bargaining agreements, your pay increases and your increases with health premiums.

[04:42:56] No one helped us with ours. There was also funding in the school board for those 12 additional directors this year that weren't budgeted, and I understand you guys can't help the constant legal expenses at the schools, but there always seems to be money to cover that. So fair taxation really depends on fair valuation and responsible spending. I'm sure somewhere along the lines there could be some savings being done in the school board. But last, I came here because I wanted to make sure that I said this to you guys. There needs to be additional funding and benefit budgeting for additional, for the public impact of the police radio encryption. You guys

[04:43:32] offices are burdened by our calling you asking you for help the police station is as well but once you guys go encrypted I don't think you have any idea of how much it's going to add to the work that you guys have to do I know for a fact that I spoke to the FOIA office yesterday they do 20,000 FOIAs a month only a small portion of them are from the residents but I do know that the residents plan to do excessive amounts of FOIAs so at least you could add a little bit more money into the budget for their staffing because once the public figures out that they can no longer hear those things still want that money and if my FOIA requests and my request for information feel like a lot now don't worry it's just kind of a warm-up wait

[04:44:08] till 1.9 million residents start wanting to know those things and ask you guys as well thank you for your time thank you Nicole speaker number 10 is Arthur Purvis to be followed by Christopher Falcon Nancy Hall and Kim Ken Balbuena welcome my good friends hello again I am Arthur Purvis president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. We ask you to freeze salaries, set the rate at $1.08, set the rate at $1.08, and zero out the meals tax. For 25 years, Fairfax County real estate

[04:44:48] taxes have increased three times faster than household income. The proposed FY27 average real estate tax is $9,600. If real estate taxes had increased at the same rate as household income. Since 2000, the tax would be $4,400, $5,000 less. 4% or higher annual raises and pension and medical insurance rate hikes require about $300 million of new revenue every year. That is the reason for soaring taxes. For FY27, for example, the cost of county and school raises and benefit

[04:45:25] rate hikes is $280 million. The new revenue from your real estate tax hike and the meals tax is less, $270 million. Taxes drive away taxpayers. According to the Census Bureau, between 2020 and 2025, Fairfax County lost a net of 74,000 residents in domestic migration. According to the IRS, since 2000, Fairfax County has lost $16 billion of adjusted gross income. The county is poorer in In 2003, county public schools had 34,000 students, or 20% of the enrollment, on free and reduced-price lunch.

[04:46:04] Now, it's 64,000 students and 37% of the enrollment. For three years, the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance has hosted a Capital Area Economic Forum to sound an alarm about the local economy. This year's presentation showed a ranking of metropolitan areas for corporate investment by Areadevelopment.com.

[04:46:25] The Arlington Alexandria Reston area ranked 844 out of 949. The Northern Virginia Chamber, as you just heard, just published a survey of 210 local CEOs. The CEOs' top priority for local government, 43% of the CEOs, was lower taxes.

[04:46:46] Affordable housing was second, with 34%. More spending on schools came in eighth. And what do we taxpayers get in return for higher taxes? Affordable housing programs that don't make housing affordable. County and school health programs that leave us chronically sick.

[04:47:04] Deteriorating public safety. You know, middle and high schools are now having metal detectors installed. Being the safest county does not necessarily mean that the county is safe. We get a 35-point drop in Fairfax County Public Schools SAT scores between 2019 and 2025.

[04:47:23] And this year, there was an 82-point drop in Thomas Jefferson's SAT score. Of our 25 high schools, only five have average SAT scores that match competitive colleges. The old courthouse and Panino buildings are closed indefinitely for repairs, and school renovations are 20 years behind.

[04:47:41] Even with soaring real estate taxes, you have not been able to maintain buildings while granting annual 4% raises and paying for higher pension and medical insurance rates. Moreover, you have provided no evidence that compensation is a primary factor in recruitment and retention.

[04:48:00] Neighboring school districts and local governments are much smaller and cannot hire a lot of your employees. Furloughed federal workers did not flee to the private sector. And I don't know if I mentioned, but average county salaries are not published in the budget.

[04:48:18] Pensions are costly. While the average private employer match for a 401k is 5%, the county's match for pensions ranges from 20% to 63%. High pension costs mean lower raises. If you have $100 million for compensation increases and the pension cost is 50% of payroll, you have $66 million for raises.

[04:48:39] Instead, if you had a 5% 401k match, you would have $95 million for raises. Do your employees know this? Freeze county salaries until you are willing to publish average salaries in the budget. Freeze school salaries until the drop in SAT scores has been reversed.

[04:48:57] And achievement is high for all demographics. It is urgent that the schools provide upward economic mobility for those 64,000 students on subsidized lunches. Will you add that to the One Fairfax policy? We haven't mentioned the problems with how the county and schools manage their budgets.

[04:49:17] We are just asking you to stop raising taxes. should be talking about cutting taxes. Please set the rate at $1.08 and zero out the meals tax. Freeze salaries, maintain buildings. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number 11 is Christopher Falcon to be followed by Nancy Hall, Ken Balbuena, and Tim Hackman. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome, Chris. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay, members of the board, County Executive Hill, and the residents of Fairfax County. Thank you for your time.

[04:49:50] As you know, I am Chris Falcon, and I have the honor of serving as your clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court. I appreciate this opportunity to appear before you this afternoon during the public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. My remarks will focus on the critical role of the clerk's office and that it plays in the administration of justice and essential public services and how the proposed budget will impact our ability to meet growing demands, maintain statutory responsibilities, and continue delivering efficient, accessible services to the residents of Fairfax County.

[04:50:24] First off, I want to point out we hit a major milestone today on Route 1 in South County. Our circuit court satellite opened for business at the Jerry Highland Government Center. This satellite pop-up offers select circuit court services, including marriage license issuance, copies of court records, and free notary service.

[04:50:46] We recognize many of our residents live far away from the courthouse and find it difficult to get to us. And they also find it difficult to get to us due to time, transportation, work, or many other reasons. We are now coming to them on the second Tuesday of every month.

[04:51:03] And this program is being delivered entirely within our budget at no additional cost to taxpayers. you to the board, county leaders, local nonprofits, to neighborhood and community services, and to the Department of Information Technology, DIT, for your partnership in making this possible. Over the past year, our court staff has been busier than ever. The circuit court team opened over 30,000 cases, recorded over 95,000 deeds, answered tens of thousands of emails, phone calls, and assisted

[04:51:38] our customers in person in multiple languages. Our court functions thanks to our dedicated clerks whose work supports our public safety. I thank you for the planned funding of the cost of living adjustment, performance, merit, and longevity increases for our staff. My next topic is one that I know is a shared concern of all of ours, infrastructure. Earlier this year, Chief Judge Pena Oscarati wrote a letter to the board detailing the building issues we have experienced at the courthouse, including power failures, heating, and plumbing leaks. The closure of the historic

[04:52:14] courthouse in December underscores why these matter, why these matters need to be addressed to maintain an open and operational main courthouse. I ask for your continued support of our court's infrastructure, including planned preventative maintenance for our HVAC system and the replacement of the HVAC system at the historic courthouse. This year, we'll see large-scale changes to the landscape of court operations, including the state-mandated sealing of criminal records starting July 1st. This is a monumental shift in our operations, but we are well positioned

[04:52:49] and grateful for your support of our staffing and our efforts to digitize court records. In addition, our Circuit Court IT team has developed a property alert notification system to protect our residents from attempted deed and real property fraud. We continue to see an increase in fraudulent attempts against our residents and their properties.

[04:53:11] Our land records division has teamed up with the Fairfax County Police and also the FBI to provide training. The property alert system will help add a layer of protection and will be available at no cost to our residents. Our appreciation to DIT and the Department of Tax Administration, DTA, for working with us on this very important initiative.

[04:53:32] In closing, I want to thank you all for your time and support. Together, we will continue to take on the challenges that our courts are facing, navigate the changing landscape, and continue to connect our residents and businesses with circuit court services. Thank you all very much.

[04:53:47] Thank you, Chris, and thank you to you for your service to our community. It's appreciated. Speaker number 12 is Nancy Hall, to be followed by Ken Balbuena, Tim Hackman, and Mike Reynolds, if I called your name. Please be down here close and ready to testify.

[04:54:03] We are on speaker number 12. Nancy Hall, welcome. Thank you, Chairman McKay. I am Nancy Hall, a longtime resident of Mason District and a member of the Human Services Council. I am speaking as a citizen of Fairfax County.

[04:54:19] Dr. King called budgets moral documents. My hope is that this budget will reflect the best of Fairfax County's aspirations for its residents, businesses, and visitors. I appreciate the realities you face as you craft a budget that is fair for all.

[04:54:36] I support the One Fairfax initiative to improve equity and reduce disparities across the county, increasing the Fairfax County living wage to $18.50 per hour in FY27 to $19.25 in fiscal year 28, and with the goal to reach $20 by fiscal year 29.

[04:55:02] I support restoring or increasing the approximately $49 million in funding for the Affordable Housing Development and Investment Fund toward the goal of a total investment of $0.02 on the real estate tax rate for fiscal year 27.

[04:55:19] In addition, substantial one-time funding for affordable housing should be included in the FY26 and FY27 carryover budgets and in quarterly reviews, Restoring the $392,000 for home-delivered meals to enable the county to continue to provide 11 meals per week to older and vulnerable homebound adults.

[04:55:44] The program helps to ensure that these residents receive nutritious meals. The nutritious meals, they need to stay healthy, to live independently at home, and contribute to the community. I support restoring the $350,000 to the Home Repair Pilot Program, targeting low and to moderate income households not served by the existing Home Repair for the Elderly Program.

[04:56:11] I support the revitalizing the fund and the Innovation Challenge Initiative, which payers need to solution and outcomes-driven data. I oppose the elimination of funding for the kinship family support groups as it would reduce access to support networks and increase isolation.

[04:56:34] The money saved is not worth the loss of the county's previous investments in our most vulnerable children. Given the enormity of the Fairfax County fiscal year 27 budget and the cynical elimination of safety net programs by the federal government, some of the reductions seem petty.

[04:56:53] I call on the Board of Supervisors to consider the current, hopefully temporary, circumstances affecting our communities. What is my ask? That Fairfax County continues to be the best place to have a business. We're a family.

[04:57:10] Enjoy the parks. Read or play at the libraries. Worship freely. Benefit from and contribute to our public school system. And retire. Thank you to you all. Thank you. Speaker number 13 is Ken Balbuena, to be followed by Tim Hackman, Mike Reynolds, and Bill Bowie.

[04:57:29] Welcome. Good afternoon. My name is Ken Balbuena, and I'm the chair of Supervisor Herity's Budget Review Committee. Thank you, Supervisor Herity, for entrusting me with looking at this multi-year identification of trends and large variances in the FY27 budget for both the county as well as FCPS.

[04:57:49] Affordability has been a key priority across the county and across the Commonwealth, And it was a priority of mine when I ran for the board last year. Yet annual budgets in Fairfax County have continued to increase with the burden largely placed on residential taxpayers via their annual tax assessments, as well as their personal property taxes, and now even a meals tax that they voted against twice, but the board passed regardless.

[04:58:11] From FY27 to FY26, real estate tax revenue has increased 24.4%, while personal property tax has increased 45.1%, and this will continue to rise with the FY27 average homeowners seeing about $357.43 of an increase. And while this is the first time in five years that this average assessment increase has been below $400, the average increase for homeowners has been nearly $2,600 cumulatively since FY21. The board is making Fairfax County unaffordable. Much of the

[04:58:48] expenditures have been spent on staffing costs and that number will only continue to rise from a dollar for dollar perspective or dollar dollar perspective the cost for benefits is outpacing the cost for salaries and while salaries grew 26 percent from fy 21 to 26 benefits have increased 47.8 percent collected bargaining agreements uh not including colas or longevity increases for fy 27 are 83.3 billion million dollars with additional increases already in place for the next few fiscal years. The committee also explored FCPS's budget. And overall, school enrollment has

[04:59:25] decreased over the last two years, but the school operating fund has grown 72.3% since FY21 to match the rising cost per pupil. And while the school board and board of supervisors continue to say that the state needs to do their part in providing state funding, and often quoting the 2023 JLOC report, the state funding levels have a nearly identical trend line as the cost per pupil trend

[04:59:49] The committee also discovered that while FCPS's website indicates that 92.7% of the FCPS staff are school-based, 13.1% of their salary expenses support positions at gatehouse versus in-classroom-based positions.

[05:00:07] Leadership team positions have averaged nearly $281,000, according to the committee's findings. And additionally, mid-level managers have seen several of their positions reclassified for additional increases, which was never really widely publicized by any of the FCPS Budget Committee chairs.

[05:00:25] And since the school board refuses to hire an independent auditor, it's up to private citizens to bring these kinds of FOIA-based facts to light, as well as the amount of money spent on legal fees. But on a positive note, I'm personally pleased to see that there is ongoing funding for the middle school after school program, which is something I advocated for last year.

[05:00:44] The committee also looked into the increase of school debt versus county debt. And while school debt may have a greater public perception of increasing at a greater rate, the reality is that the percentage of county debt has outpaced the overall percentage of debt gradually over time.

[05:01:00] The county's zero-waste plan is a driver of budget increases, including the 12 FTEs to collect trash cans throughout the parks, but I will limit my remarks on this initiative to it having a greater impact on the ability to upgrade the county's vehicle fleet.

[05:01:16] From the 2023 budget, it says the transition from internal combustion vehicles to electric has collectively increased the overall cost for the vehicle fleet. And as a result, the contributions currently paid into the replacement funds are expected to fall short of covering the anticipated cost of purchasing new vehicles.

[05:01:34] Now, several of the police officers I spoke with during a ride-along with them, both before and after the ride-along, indicated that replacing police cruisers is among the department's greatest needs. Purchasing vehicles through the Department of Vehicle Services is both more costly and less efficient than going through outside vendors, and DVS has actually outsourced a lot of their work to keep up with the demand of outfitting police cruisers with the necessary security upgrades in a timely manner.

[05:02:00] It's also worth noting that five FTE vehicle maintenance coordinator positions were eliminated from the police department in their FY25 adopted budget. Lastly, affordable housing expenses for FY26 and FY27 are greater than the expected value of the six-year trend line, and Supervisor Herity's latest Herity Report, however, referenced that there may be high vacancy rates in the subsidized housing.

[05:02:22] But in closing, I hope that the Budget Review Committee's work provides some key insights for you to seriously consider, and we encourage the Board of Supervisors to conduct a detailed lines of business review since that's not been done in over a decade. And on behalf of Supervisor Herity's Budget Review Committee, thank you for your consideration.

[05:02:39] Thank you. Speaker number 14 is Tim Hackman, to be followed by Mike Reynolds, Bill Bowie, and Gia Antony. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. We are on speaker 14, Tim Hackman, who is chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority. Welcome.

[05:02:56] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Tim Hackman. As Chairman McKay said, I am the chair of the Park Authority Board and also represent the Dranesville District on that board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about the Park Authority, its ongoing maintenance, and the operation of our system.

[05:03:14] Continued investment is important to take care of our parks, from rec centers and athletic fields to trails, natural resources, and our many other amenities, each of which has its own constituents. The Park Authority remains a best-in-class example of a county agency which runs lean as an operation and strong as a steward of county resources.

[05:03:34] We have met with the Board of Supervisors over the years about maintenance funding to avoid falling behind, and I appreciate the county and Department of Management and Budget's partnership with the Park Authority to address these challenges so our parks can continue to operate as our residents expect and to serve as vital community resources.

[05:03:52] County Executive Brian Hill's focus on the county taking care of its existing infrastructure reinforces the importance of investment in maintenance of our parks. We have learned empirically from our 75-year-old park system, things fall apart, whatever park amenity or equipment is being considered.

[05:04:10] The maintenance backlog continues to grow and will be greater than the resources available. We also know that adding new parks and amenities requires additional investment in maintenance and stabilization of operating funding and staffing. In the county executive's advertised FY27 budget, the $1.3 million allocated for maintenance and operations at new parks will help ensure that the Park Authority is taking care of those parks which have been added to the system over the last several years.

[05:04:39] Addressing these stabilization impacts regularly would result in a more modest annual amount. The Park Authority Board is also prioritizing taking care of what we have by currently proposing to specify $51 million of our $180 million November park bond to address deferred maintenance.

[05:04:57] Yet this sum to be spent countywide over the next six years will be insufficient to eliminate just the facility's rated conditions, D and F, in all our categories or even in a single category. The Park Authority's Needs Assessment Survey this year reinforced just how important repair and upkeep of our parks are to residents.

[05:05:17] Three-quarters of respondents strongly support maintenance of existing parks, recreation amenities, and trails. Roughly two-thirds strongly support maintenance of indoor facilities, fields, and courts. As the largest landowner in the county, with varied requirements from playgrounds and picnic shelters to pipes and bridges, In addition to those mentioned before, the way to make the park system future resilient for another 75 years is by committing to a data-driven, transparent approach to maintenance, management, and growth.

[05:05:49] The Park Authority has some of the oldest and most heavily used structures in Fairfax County. Audrey Moore Rec Center, for example, built in 1977, will be nearly 55 years old by the time it will have been renovated. Audre Moore was visited over 300,000 times in 2025, contributing to its wear and tear.

[05:06:08] Providence Rec Center may be nearly 60 years old before we have the resources to upgrade that facility and may require significant capital expenditures in the interim just to keep the facility open. The anticipated capital expense replacing just Audre Moore in the next cycle is expected to require the dedication of almost one-half of the $180 million November 2026 park bond.

[05:06:33] We are committed to working with the county to get the park system to a level of maintenance which the Board of Supervisors, our residents, park staff, and the Park Board expect. We are also committed to our continuing partnership with the Board of Supervisors in fulfilling our multi-year mission to ensure our recreational programs are affordable and accessible for everyone in Fairfax County through a sliding fee scale.

[05:06:57] I also want to offer a special thanks to our park advocates, the Fairfax Park Initiative, Park Foundation, Local Park Friends Groups, EQAC, and others who have stood beside the Park Authority as partners every budget cycle. It is through their voices that we continue to echo the importance of parks throughout Fairfax County and the necessity of investment year over year.

[05:07:21] We appreciate the partnership of those advocates in helping to ensure the success of our parks and the 2026 Park Bond Referendum in November. The Park Authority looks forward to continuing to work with the Board of Supervisors to make our park system resilient and to ensure a bright future for the next 75 years of parks in Fairfax County.

[05:07:40] Thank you for your consideration. Thank you, Tim. Speaker number 15 is Mike Reynolds, to be followed by Bill Bowie, Gia Antony, and James Sadler. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[05:07:56] Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about Fairfax County Park Authority and why the county's investment in the present and future in parks is so important. My name is Mike Reynolds. I've been around parks all my life. I spent four decades serving national parks across the country in senior positions with the National Park Service, and I have seen how parks and recreation amenities help communities thrive up close and from many different vantage points, both during my career and more recently after I was appointed by Supervisor Palchak to represent Providence District on the Park Authority Board.

[05:08:29] As you all know, parks and recreational amenities such as programs, camps, rec centers, and other services is something that benefits residents of all ages, demographics, interests, abilities. When I first started on the Park Authority Board, I was astonished when briefed on the issues related to our current revenue fund and the fact that the demographics of the residents who use our camps, rec centers, and other programs that fall under our revenue fund structure do not mirror the demographics of the residents of the county. 44% of county renters and 23% of owners are cost burdened, spending over half of their

[05:09:05] income on housing and child care. I was happy to learn, however, that the Board of Supervisors understand this burden, support our current initiative to break this outdated 100% fee-based model, and are committed to ensuring that all residents have what can be truly life-changing access to recreation and social experiences that enrich lives. We welcome nearly 26 million visitors to Fairfax County Parks every year. More than 52,000 community members participate in our classes in the 2,300 camp programs that we offer children and adults. Resources in the proposed budget will help ensure that we can continue to provide these high-quality services to the

[05:09:44] community. So, for example, we appreciate the inclusion to funding to create and manage a new registration system. That system will pave the way for our first phase of implementation of a sliding fee scale for rec center memberships. That would be followed up with one for learn to swim, classes, and then camps, and this will help reduce the cost burden trade-offs that so many working families have to make when choosing between necessities and recreation. This support will contribute to the well-being of families and children long term, and we look forward to staying the course and completing implementation with the Board of Supervisors with your support. Every

[05:10:20] step of the way. I recognize that you have some very hard budgetary decisions to make now and likely into the foreseeable future. However, my Park Authority Board colleagues and I are committed to working with you diligently to ensure that parks are welcoming to all, not only to those who can afford it, and reflect the diversity of Fairfax County. I have seen how this commitment can be transformative within our national park system, and I commend the Board of Supervisors, all of you, and FCPA for doing it locally. On this 75th anniversary year of the Fairfax County Park Authority, please help ensure that the next 75 years is something we can all be proud of. Thank

[05:10:58] you for your attention and your support and consideration. Thank you very much. Speaker number 16 is Bill Bowie, to be followed by Gia Antony, James Sadler, and Desiree Pitts. If I've called your name, please come down close and be ready to testify. Welcome, Bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the board. Thanks for having me. My name is Bill Bowie. I represent the Hunter Middle District on the Park Authority Board and thank you for your continued support of our parks and for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Park Authority. Tonight I want to focus on one critical issue, funding the maintenance and rehab of our aging rec centers. Fairfax County's nine

[05:11:37] rec centers are more important than ever. As previous speakers just said, membership is at an all-time high, nearly 24,000 residents, and more than 52,000 people participate annually in our programs. These facilities support public health, youth development, and community connection across the county.

[05:11:58] Most of our rec centers, however, were built in the 1980s, when I was a young man. While that investment created a nationally recognized system, we are now confronting the reality of aging infrastructure and rapidly rising renovation costs.

[05:12:14] Renovating rec centers has become one of our greatest strains on the Park Authority's bond program. While we were planning for the 2026 Park Bond, the Park Authority hoped to renovate two rec centers. Due to continued construction cost escalation, that's no longer feasible.

[05:12:33] Under current conditions, the bond can support only one renovation per cycle, at most. When a single facility consumes such a large share of the bond, it severely limits our ability to address the needs across the broader park system.

[05:12:48] Audrey Moore Rec Centers planned to move forward pending the approval of the 2026 park bond. But Franconia and Providence Rec Centers have immediate renovation needs with several additional facilities close behind.

[05:13:05] At the same time, there remains no clear path forward for a long-needed and deserved rec center in the Reston area. This is a long-term structural challenge. Based on the age of our facility, it is likely that some buildings will be forced to close before reaching the renovation cycle.

[05:13:26] That is why I encourage the board to consider alternative funding approaches. Using economic development authority or revenue bonds could ease pressure on general obligation bonds and the general fund. Applying bond premium towards debt service would also help us preserve existing facilities before costs become unmanageable.

[05:13:46] I know how hard the county executive has worked to manage the finances in a very tough environment, and the county exec and BOS have been very, very supportive, as much as they could, of the park authority and its mission. At our current pace, we can design and renovate only one rec center per CIP cycle, leaving Franconia, Providence, George Washington, and Reston as unresolved needs.

[05:14:14] Our rec centers are among Fairfax County's most valuable public assets. Investing in them is an investment in health, equity, and the quality of life. And I thank you for your consideration. Thank you, Bill. Speaker number 17 is Gia Antony, and she'll be followed by James Sadler, Desiree Pitts, and John Forrest.

[05:14:36] And we are on speaker 17. Welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair, and the members of the board. I'm here strongly to urge you about eliminating the high school's crossing guards. At a core, this issue is all about safety.

[05:14:53] First, there has been no recent safety studies done on any of these high schools. None within the past year or longer to evaluate the impact of removing these positions. That should give us all a minute to pause and make a decision that affects student safety, be guided by current data, traffic studies, pedestrian counts, crash histories, and not assumptions.

[05:15:14] Second, the community and our schools are not asking for this change. And in fact, many are deeply concerned. Parents, educations, and residents understand what students are facing each day at high volume. Roads, increasing congestion, distracted driving, and complex intersections.

[05:15:30] These are high risk. These high schools are not like other high schools. They're on main roads. There are also important ripple effects that must be considered on these school schedules. Not only are the statistics, the missile times change due to bad weather, testing schedules, special events.

[05:15:51] And when that occurs, the existing traffic light pattern does not adjust accordingly. creating confusion, significantly higher risk for the student pedestrians in the moment, especially crossing guards, provide that critical structure, visibility, and control with them, and they're leaving students to navigate into these decisions.

[05:16:11] Not only that, the buses will be delayed, which will be a rippling effect to other schools, and plus the kids' and rides. Third, the safety risks are significant and immediate. What has been argued that students age 14 should be able to cross the street. They should.

[05:16:27] But the argument overlooks the environment, not the capability of the child, but the unpredictable of traffic. Even the most responsible teenager can control speed vehicles, distracted drivers, or poor visibility. Let's not forget there are numerous special needs children, students that walk to high school that are not as street savvy as typical students, and their parents rely on assistance of the crossing guards to help these children to get across every day.

[05:16:54] Crossing guards do more to assist. They create a controlled, safer environment. The presence changes driver's behavior. It slows traffic. It signals caution, and it protects not just the student, but everyone in that space. And I would ask you to reflect that.

[05:17:09] On page 17 of the draft, it says that it should say, it says that this is now the second year that you've been asking to eliminate the high schools, but it says on page 17 of the budget markup that the document states that the placement of crossing guards in any decision to add or remove protected crossings must continue to be based upon clearly defined metrics and prioritize the safety of the students, while also considers the impact.

[05:17:39] If I could say one last thing, please, what's going to end up happening is you're going to get rid of the main crossing guards. And if there's issues at these crossings and parents are calling back to have, it's going to go back onto the police department because your main guards are going to already have left.

[05:17:57] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number 18 is James Sadler. If you could come on down to be followed by Desiree Pitts, John Forrest, and Brian Kennedy. We are on speaker number 18. Welcome. Good afternoon.

[05:18:13] Speaker 19, Pitts, she is waving her time to me. Okay. Good afternoon, Chair McKay, members of the board, Executive Hill. My name is James Souten. I serve as the Senior Vice President of the Fairfax County Chapter of Southern States Police Penelope Association, commonly known as the PVA.

[05:18:30] Our chapter represents over 800 officers from the Fairfax County Police Department, along with many others across other agencies in the area. At the Safety and Security Committee meeting in February, the drones as first responder program was presented as an important investment in technology, enhancing the capabilities of the real-time crime center, and other systems currently in place.

[05:18:52] This program was touted as essential, and it was stated that continued funding for this program would be found to continue its expansion across the county. While I recognize the value of these technologies, it is important to remember that they are designed to support, not replace, the work of police officers.

[05:19:10] In fact, this was recently shown yesterday with the apprehension of the burglar in Centerville. Officers remain the individuals who respond to calls for service. They assist residents in their times of need, and they address a wide range of public safety concerns across the county. They handle everything from traffic incidents we see on our roadways, property crimes plaguing Tyson's Corner, to more serious investigations such as the recent child predator sting and emergency situations that we unfortunately saw in Annandale in February.

[05:19:40] These responsibilities highlight the broad and demanding nature of the profession, which often involves unpredictable and high-risk circumstances. It is inherently dangerous and not for everybody. At the same time, staffing challenges remain a concern. While the reported vacancy rate is just over 5%, the reality is many squads continue to experience short staffing.

[05:20:02] This in turn leads to increased overtime expenditures and it leads to operational strain. Court obligations and extended processing times at the Adult Detention Center further limit officers' availability in the field to respond to citizens as needed. Officers consistently demonstrate dedication through long hours and challenging conditions.

[05:20:22] However, we are also seeing experienced personnel leave for other opportunities, along with growing concerns about increased instances of burnout. These trends underscore the importance of maintaining a strong, sustainable workforce within our police department. And as always, in addition to identifying challenges, we believe solutions should also be part of this conversation.

[05:20:44] One solution is continuing investment in personnel, which is critical. This includes continuing to recruit qualified candidates, and more importantly, retaining the experienced officers we have and ensuring they are all properly trained and properly equipped.

[05:21:00] These efforts do require consistent and reliable funding. Now, I'd also like to highlight the Sheriff's Office, whose members are part of our organization as well. While attention is often focused on police staffing, the Sheriff's Office faces significant challenges of its own.

[05:21:18] Deputies are leaving at a rate that is difficult to keep pace with. This results in increased reliance on mandatory overtime, furthering their overtime expenditures, just to maintain basic operations in the adult detention center and the courthouse. To maintain this safety and continuity, staffing adjustments are often required, which impacts the processing time for arrestees, which is now measured in hours, and in turn delays officers returned to their patrol duties.

[05:21:45] These operational realities don't just affect the police department within Fairfax County, but also other agencies in the broader public safety system. When the Sheriff's Office brings forward its funding needs, we encourage thoughtful consideration to those requests. Now, in closing, we appreciate the board and the county executive's prior commitment to funding our current contract, particularly following a period of budget reductions that impacted public safety in the previous years.

[05:22:12] Now, as we move forward into the final year of that agreement and we begin discussions on next one, we do encourage that continued support. If funding can be identified for technology initiatives, we believe similar considerations should be given to funding and investing in the people who carry out this work every day.

[05:22:29] Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. And you also covered Speaker 19, as you mentioned. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. That takes us to Speaker number 20, John Forrest, to be followed by Speaker number 21, Brian Kennedy, Louise Epstein, and James Beggs.

[05:22:48] If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome, Mr. Forrest. Good afternoon, Board of Supervisors. My name is John Michael Forrest, and I'm a member of the Community Action Advisory Board, or CAP. Thank you for giving us the time to talk about our priorities of the CAP and to hear about concerns as they relate to Fairfax County residents experiencing poverty. I want to talk to you about something that is very familiar to me and how it impacts us, our neighbors, and especially low-income people in our community, and that is energy. I'm an energy attorney. I work daily with electricity rates, utility companies, and energy projects. I see and deal with firsthand how energy impacts

[05:23:26] people's lives, how critical it is for our modern world, and how the ripple effects of increased energy prices alter and impact our economy. Rising energy costs act as a multiplier for existing hardships, turning a tight budget into an impossible one through a series of small, increasingly painful subtractions from basic needs. While a high-income household might spend 2% of their paycheck to keep the lights on, a low-income family is often forced to hand over 10%, 15%, or 20% of their gross income just to maintain a basic standard of living. This is what we call the energy burden and is one of the most effective drivers of modern poverty. Now, rising

[05:24:05] energy prices don't just make people poor. They strip away the financial buffers. They keep a household from collapsing. Energy is a non-discretionary expense. You cannot opt out of heating your home in the winter or cooling it in the summer. You cannot opt out of the fuel required to drive to a job that puts food on the table. Inflation, data centers, and the war in Iran have and will continue to impose significant downward pressures on the most vulnerable among us through rising energy costs. With this impact, more people will be pushed into poverty, more people will forego basic necessities, and more people will be pushed to their financial breaking point. Now, while I

[05:24:42] commend the board for its investments in emergency housing, food assistance, and child care. I implore the board to resume its funding for the low and moderate income home repair pilot program. A low income family typically lives in older, leaky housing. They have drafty windows and aging furnaces. Homes that often fail to insulate its occupants from harsh weather and inefficient appliances must compensate, provide adequate heating and cooling as a result. For them, their energy burden is magnified by the inefficiency of their surroundings because they cannot afford the upfront cost of waterization to their home.

[05:25:17] By providing home repair services, you not only reduce the upfront cost of repair, but also avoid increasing energy costs to heat or cool a home from now and into the future. This program is an opportunity to address a root cause of increasing pressure to low-income people in our community.

[05:25:34] I ask that the board reconsider cutting the funding of this program and to continue to invest in solutions that mitigate the root cause of poverty in our community, like the Low and Moderate Income Home Repair Program. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. We're on speaker number 21, Brian Kennedy, to be followed by Louise Epstein, James Beggs, and Michelle Jefferson. Welcome, Mr. Kennedy.

[05:25:56] Good afternoon, Jared McKay and members of the board. My name is Brian Kennedy. I'm the deputy public defender for Fairfax County. For those not familiar with our office, we're the office charged with representing people who are unable to afford their own lawyer when they're charged with a crime. We're asking the court, the court, that's going to happen a lot, I'm sorry.

[05:26:14] I'm asking the board to increase the supplement that the board has been kind enough to give us over the past almost 10 years, from 15% to 25%. This board is one of the few across the state, but many in Northern Virginia who supplements our state salary.

[05:26:31] And this board did it in 2017 to make our salaries closer to those in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. In the decade since this board first did that, our hardworking lawyers and staff have been asked to do more with less compared to other local offices and the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.

[05:26:48] And we're asking the court again to the board to rectify that. In terms of starting with the more we've been doing, in 2022, we had about 5,000 cases for the office. In 2024, that number had been increased to about 8,000 cases and remains there.

[05:27:08] That's a significant increase. We went to the state and asked for more lawyers. We received more lawyers from them, but it hasn't been enough to keep up the pace of the cases. We represent about 75% of the criminal cases in the county. We do not have 75% of the staff of the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, either in terms of lawyers or support staff.

[05:27:29] In addition to more cases, we have to do more on those cases. Specialty dockets and referrals to county agencies are a large part of our job. We do more to try to make sure that our clients have the resources and access to county resources, and each of those tasks takes time.

[05:27:49] The advent of body-worn cameras has been fantastic, but again, has taken more lawyer time without staff that other agencies have. We also have less compared to other areas. For example, Arlington County supplements are 22% to 25% for their lawyer staff.

[05:28:06] Arlington County also fully funds a lawyer position in their office to help reduce those caseloads. Prince William County has a 25% supplement. They also fund a full-time interpreter, the county board in Prince William County. Loudoun County, just this past year, increased their supplement to 40%, which is, again, much higher than our 15%.

[05:28:26] And compared to all of those other offices, which are great offices, we're better because we're Fairfax County and we try to buy the best services we can for our residents. We've been called the best criminal defense firm in the state and we try to do that. But it's hard when our neighboring jurisdictions are paying more and our lawyers, especially in recruitment, can go somewhere else and get substantially more pay even for the same job.

[05:28:51] In addition to having more cases, generally, we also have the highest caseload per lawyer in the entire state of any public defender system. Our state agency, the Energy Defense Commission, recommends about 200 cases for caseload.

[05:29:06] Our lawyers routinely carry 300 cases, which is substantially more than, again, any other office in the state. Meaning that we are the biggest office with the biggest caseload with the highest numbers, making less than our Northern Virginia colleagues. We also make less on average than our counterparts in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.

[05:29:27] They have ranges being on the county system. The state system does not provide a range. It provides a number. So there are times where our lawyers make $40,000 less than their people at the same level in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. Someone can and did leave our office after 12 years and end up making more after 12 years in our office in three years in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.

[05:29:49] And we provide an important service, again, that we're not going to stop doing. We love our clients. We love the people in this county. But we represent some of the most vulnerable people in the county. Our clients are disproportionately black, disproportionately non-English speaking, disproportionately housing insecure, disproportionately mentally ill, disproportionately intellectually disabled, and disproportionately suffering from many other vulnerabilities that make them even more vulnerable given everything that's going on in the world at this time.

[05:30:18] We're often the first face they see in moments of crisis, working with their families, working with them to connect them to all the wonderful services that we're lucky to have in Fairfax County, but we're the conduit through which that happens. So we're asking the board to help us as we move forward doing this important work to be able to retain, to recruit the attorneys that we need to keep doing this work, to recruit and retain the staff, and to help us maintain that level of doing the best for the citizens of this county as we do that work.

[05:30:49] Thank you very much. Thank you. Speaker number 22 is Louise Epstein, to be followed by James Beggs, Michelle Jefferson, and Brittany Parker. If I called your name, please come down close and be ready to testify. We are on speaker number 22.

[05:31:05] Welcome, Ms. Epstein. Thank you. Good evening. So my name is Louise Epstein, and I am testifying tonight on behalf of the McLean Citizens Association. First, I want to thank you for working to improve the governance of your three pension plans.

[05:31:21] Like our county CFO, we believe this will ultimately reduce employer contribution rates. Second, we commend you for prioritizing maintenance of existing properties over building new facilities. Please encourage school board members to follow your lead.

[05:31:41] We also ask that you allocate more of the total FCPS transfer to the school construction fund and less of it to the school operating fund. Third, we ask that you reduce the advertised rate below $1.12.25.

[05:31:59] The county has become less affordable, and rising property taxes are one reason. To balance the budget with a lower property tax rate, we suggest the following. One, use state aid beyond the amounts assumed in the fiscal 27 advertised budget.

[05:32:18] Two, use some of the meals tax revenues. Three, use some of the unallocated $23 million in the advertised budget. And four, consider higher BPOL rates, but only to the extent that they will not cause businesses to move to other counties.

[05:32:37] These ideas are unlikely to suffice, though, for future budgets, especially if you hope to make a dent on all the deferred maintenance of the schools, as well as deferred maintenance for county and park authority facilities.

[05:32:53] Thus, our resolution also recommends that you ask your program auditor to analyze other topics that you could use to help balance future budgets. First, should all the FCPS administrative positions be part of a needs-based budget, especially those positions added since fiscal 22?

[05:33:17] For this data on this, please read carefully not only the text but also the footnotes on pages 4 through 7 of our resolution. Second, should the county split the transfer to the school operating fund into two parts and transfer the second part only after county staff compute the final transfer based on actual total and actual subgroup enrollment, as well as actual state aid.

[05:33:51] Answering this question will require your staff to obtain details about subgroup costs that we cannot find in public documents. However, public documents do provide scattered data on the assumed number and the subsequently determined actual number of subgroup students, And that is a great starting point.

[05:34:16] FCPS does not publicly compare these two numbers for subgroups. However, using WABY guides and other documents, you guys can do this independently. For example, in all but two years since fiscal 2018, FCPS overestimated total enrollment.

[05:34:38] This year, it overestimated by almost 4,000 students. In almost every year since fiscal 2018, FCPS overestimated the number of Level 2 special ed students who often cost over $50,000 a year.

[05:34:56] In fiscal 25, that was by 453 students. The same pattern holds for ESL students, and I want, again, to refer you to both the footnotes and the text that's in the resolution for more information.

[05:35:13] When FCPS overestimates the number of subgroup students or of total students, that raises the transfer request. And when those students do not show up in September, FCPS keeps the difference.

[05:35:31] Similarly, every budget assumes a certain amount of state revenue. Differences between the assumed amount and the actual amount, which is subsequently determined in most years, are not used to adjust the county transfer to the school operating fund.

[05:35:49] We hope that this quick analysis of the publicly available data will give your staff a head start in analyzing the potential fiscal impact of having a true-up or a true-down approach to the transfer from the county general fund to the school operating fund.

[05:36:09] Thank you. Thank you, Louise. Speaker number 23 is James Beggs, to be followed by Michelle Jefferson, Brittany Parker, and Robert Whitfield. Welcome. Hi, good afternoon. My name is Jim Beggs. I'm a longtime resident of the Drainsville District.

[05:36:33] The first part of this, I apologize, will be a touch pedantic. I'm giving you some charts. This is a background of the Fairfax County pension system. The pension system reports define normal cost as the percentage of payroll required to fund projected benefits, and employers and members contribute.

[05:36:48] These costs are invested to grow pension assets that will pay for future employee benefits. The present value, using our discount rate of 6.75% of projected employee benefits, is called the pension liability. As reported in the ACFERS, when the value of pension liability drops below 90% of the pension liability, the assets, 90% of the pension liability, the employer must recognize an unfunded liability as a debt that must be repaid.

[05:37:13] All Fairfax County pension systems have been below 90% for more than 20 consecutive years. Every year, the employer has been paying to support the normal cost of employee benefits and amortization payments, debt payments towards the unfunded liability.

[05:37:29] It is presumed that if the rate of return meets or exceeds the discount rate while making unfunded liability amortization payments, this liability will eventually be retired. However, unfunded liabilities emerge when not only the rate of investment return is less than discount rate, but when we have negative adjustments to actuarial projections and excessive asset return volatility and other changes impacting liability projections.

[05:37:54] On your next chart, you'll see that over the last, according to the Chiron report, over the last five and 15 years, we've met or exceeded our discount rate in our rate of return. And yet, all of our pension systems since 2010 are between 80% and 120% higher.

[05:38:12] And over the past five years, they've gone up 25% to 30%. So other variables have driven the unfunded liability higher despite acceptable asset rates of return. On the next chart, you're going to see the impact of all of this. So on these charts, I show a green line at the bottom of the charts.

[05:38:29] Those are the service costs, which include the normal cost of supporting our employee benefits. The red line is what the employer has been committing. So these pension systems are two and a half to three and a half times higher today than what they would be if we were in balance.

[05:38:47] If you add in the ERFC, if we can get these pension systems into balance, it would free up more than $400 million a year. So my conclusion and recommendation, I would say that there has been comments that the unfunded liability as long as we're 75% or 80% funded, I think we're okay.

[05:39:08] But as I've shown on the previous slide, that puts us in a situation where we're paying much more for the level of benefits than we should be. And this is true despite acceptable rates of return. The unfunded liability has forced the pension systems to become very expensive for the level of benefits provided.

[05:39:24] So questions that I would ask for the supervisors, are you confident that the current amortization plan will be sufficient? If so, why? And I would urge you that if the Agilis report is providing a very optimistic projection, I would urge you to still keep these amortization pit high.

[05:39:40] Don't take assumptions that might make you believe you can go with a lower amortization rate. Our history on this has not been good, and it would be great for the county if we could get it under control. Thanks for the extra 20 seconds, and thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Speaker number 24 is Michelle Jefferson, to be followed by Brittany Parker, Robert Whitfield, and Renee Grebe on the phone.

[05:40:03] Welcome. good afternoon chair board of supervisors and county executive my name is michelle jefferson and i am the community action advisory board chair also the appointee for the braddock road thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today um and i do thank you for your thoughtful approach to balancing the many priorities reflected in this budget i am here to advocate for Fairfax County's most vulnerable residents, focusing on housing, food insecurity, and child care as the foundation of economic stability.

[05:40:42] Let me begin with housing. The data presented by the Fairfax County Housing Task Force, which I may say is excellent, underscores a significant structural imbalance. Between 2015 and 2025, Fairfax County added 50,000 jobs, but only 22,000 homes, resulting in a 2.3 jobs-to-home ratio.

[05:41:07] We are currently short 15,000 homes and will need up to 95,000 new homes by 2035 to meet the demand. Between 2013 and 2023, Fairfax rental supply grew by 5%.

[05:41:27] Arlington's grew by 21%. D.C.'s grew by 26%. At the same time, affordability continues to decline. The median price in these figures are 2023 is $770,000.

[05:41:45] And even in the budget, you guys have higher numbers than this, requiring approximately $230,000 in income, with the median renter earned just over $100,000. Rents have increased by 40%, and the county faces a shortage of approximately $14,000 affordable rental units.

[05:42:07] These are not abstract figures. They reflect the daily reality of families being priced out and experiencing longer commutes. and placing increased strain on critical systems. Housing is the foundation of stability.

[05:42:22] We also recommend revisiting the penny for the affordable housing fund. The housing task force data makes it clear that the scale of housing gap requires a proportional response. With the current shortfall, we will not meet the need.

[05:42:37] We will not meet the need. We encourage the board to continue increasing the penny fund. I know the budget shows 1.25. We encourage it to go to 1.5, going towards our goal of the two cents.

[05:42:55] Additionally, from the STAR plan, we urge the reconsideration of the elimination of the low and moderate income home repair. This program is in its first year, has not been fully evaluated. It is a critical gap for homeowners not served by the existing program and helps prevent minor repairs from escalating and displacement. That's $350,000. We recommend continuing this program. Turning to food insecurity, this is talking about our farmers markets. We currently

[05:43:33] have 10 farmers markets and five of them do not have SNAP available due to administrative cost. We have a non-profit who covers the administrative cost and it would be good if the county can look at funding an administrative so all of our farmers markets have that because the need is countywide, not just in five farmers markets. And additionally to the funding for the meals on wheels, it's being recommended to reduce to five meals. We recommend do not do that reduction.

[05:44:02] Keep it at 11. That is $391,000 and $764,000. Finally, child care and investment remain critical. Reducing Children's Services Act non-mandated funded by 25 percent will reduce 50 fewer youth served in the creation of a wait list. We recommend funding to prevent more costly interventions later, eliminating, and then we're going to preschool, eliminating the part-time preschool program, which also helps with child care. We recommend that you keep that. That's at

[05:44:40] I will close with this. Housing, food insecurity, and child care are interconnected drivers of economic stability. When families cannot access these essential workforce, participation is impacted. Economic mobility is constrained. Long-term growth is affected.

[05:45:02] We appreciate the thoughtful and data-informed approach reflected in the budget and courage continued investment in the areas that mostly direct stabilizing family. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to our community. Thank you.

[05:45:18] We're on speaker number 25, Brittany Parker, to be followed by Robert Whitfield, Renee Grebe, Ferozy Kahn, and Chanel Jackson. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. welcome Ms. Parker. Hi, good afternoon. My name is Brittany Parker and I serve as the Director of Peer Services at Hopelink Behavioral Health and I oversee the dedicated Hopelink staff that work at Fairfax County CSB and we have the Be Well program, a pivotal health and wellness initiative that's designed for individuals who grapple with mental health disorders. Today I'm advocating for

[05:45:58] the restoration of that funding for the Bewell program to ensure that we continue this vital service. My personal recovery journey began in 2009 as a consumer of services. The support that I got from peer recovery specialists was instrumental in my recovery, and I credit so much of that success to other peer specialists who walked that journey with me for so many years.

[05:46:21] And it's from this personal and professional standpoint that I'm talking today. Our program celebrated 10 years of excellence last year, and we were honored in June 2024 at the CSB Spirit of Excellence Awards and is unique in its approach of integrating clinical, mental, and physical health through peer-led support. But I also note that we were just informed last week that we were once again nominated for the CSB Spirit of Excellence Award for 2026. At Be Well, our peer recovery

[05:46:55] specialists whom we refer to as our health coaches play a crucial role. They reduce isolation so often associated with mental illness, echoing sentiments from our participants like, I am not alone in this fight. This statement and many similar expressions were repeated over and over again at several community meetings held after we learned about this proposed funding cut.

[05:47:20] Be Well offers a suite of evidence-based programs led by our health coaches, exclusive to this service only within Fairfax. These include our chronic disease self-management program, action planning for prevention and recovery, nutrition, education, wellness, and recovery, our dimensions tobacco cessation, our whole health action management program, WAM, and the self-help action plan for empowerment program.

[05:47:48] Additionally, our supplemental groups include food, mood, and behavior, and our community walking groups, so popular, which occur at two locations within Fairfax, which further support our community. The impact of the program is profound, not only fostering community and support, but intangible health outcomes as well.

[05:48:09] Individuals with mental health disorders face significantly higher risk of conditions like diabetes, emphysema, cancer, and obesity. Our program addresses these risks head-on involving diet, exercise habits, and reduction of tobacco use.

[05:48:28] A few examples of these B-Well outcomes, we serve Stevenson Place Assisted Living. There were zero falls reported among 20-plus Stevenson Place residents that participate in B-Well, and that was in 2025.

[05:48:43] One resident was able to reduce their blood pressure from 149 over 62 to 129 over 70 since they began participating in Be Well. Another resident reduced their tobacco use by 50% after taking our smoking cessation program.

[05:48:59] And eight residents who primarily isolated in their rooms identify that Be Well is their only consistent weekly interaction within Stevenson Place. You may question the role of peer coaches alongside traditional health care providers. Our team does not compete with professionals.

[05:49:18] Rather, we complement their efforts by providing evidence-based care and fostering a unique trust through our shared experiences. Our peers have lived through similar challenges as our participants, and that enables them to provide relatable, actionable support that bridges the gap between clinical advice and everyday life.

[05:49:37] Peer health coaches encourage and facilitate program participants to actively engage in their own care coordination, to stay in treatment, and to complete physical health and mental health follow-up visits with all of their providers. Be Well peer health coaches bridge the gap between individuals and their providers, encouraging use of providers and case management to address goals holistically while we cheer them on every step of their journey.

[05:50:04] To date, Be Well has supported 2,020 individuals over the past 10 years, helping them achieve their health and wellness goals through direct, individual, and group support. As expressed emphatically by our peers during our recent community meetings, removing Be Well would be removing hope.

[05:50:25] Be Well is about health, and it's not just a program, it's our resource. It is our honor and privilege to serve the Fairfax community through the Be Well program for these last 10 years. We save lives and empower citizens facing mental health challenges to be strong, healthy, and well.

[05:50:43] Thank you for considering our request. We are eager to continue providing this essential service to our community. Thanks. Thank you. We're on speaker number 26, Robert Whitfield. To be followed by Renee Grebe for Rosie Khan, Chanel Jackson, Rosalyn Ellis.

[05:51:03] Welcome, Mr. Whitfield. I didn't even realize I have a clock there to see. Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, I'm Rob Whitfield with the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance.

[05:51:20] And I'm also probably the only person speaking here tonight on behalf of seniors, so I'll start with seniors. Living in a nursing home is a challenge, especially when you're on Medicaid. And I don't know if the board, or I know you didn't mention anything in your legislative package when I testified to this in November, But I can tell you $40 a month for Medicaid is a very low cost for trying to live in this county.

[05:51:54] And so I've advocated for increased what's called monthly needs and personal needs allowance. I don't know if the General Assembly is going to act on this, but I can tell you that what we need to do for the seniors in this county is more than we have been doing.

[05:52:10] And I've known Walter Alcorn for 20 years, and I have suggested to him recently that what we should do this fall, when the renewal period for the health providers occurs, that we should have a conference, a one-day conference here at the Board of Supervisors, which would be televised so that the disabled and people who can't get here, we need to discuss and understand what the changes coming from the big, beautiful bill will be.

[05:52:39] because some of those changes will not occur until next year. So if you could please consider a budget allocation for trying to have an outreach to the seniors of the county. The other thing is housing, and I know you have a goal of 10,000 housing units by, what, I don't know, 2034, I think it is.

[05:53:00] I've asked several times what percentage of those are going to be reserved or allocated to seniors, And senior housing has less requirements for parking spaces and so on. And so I've got some ideas. I will submit those to Supervisor Alcorn.

[05:53:19] But we need to realize that the numbers of seniors is accelerating now and will be for the next 20 years. And so the needs, and including some religious facilities, I don't know what passed in the General Assembly.

[05:53:35] I know that there was some consideration of allowing religious facilities to have senior housing as well. So as to transportation, we are really falling further and further behind because our funding is going mainly to transit and bike trails and pedestrian trails.

[05:53:55] As to the active Fairfax plan, I watched last month in dismay when the Planning Commission considered the proposals, and not one mention of costs was made or cost effectiveness. And so I don't know if this measure is coming before the board next month, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a non-starter.

[05:54:17] And finally, Dulles Airport is the principal economic engine for growth in the near term for this county, and we need to do something to address the road and other transportation access needs for Dulles Airport. I will put my comments in writing. unfortunately I lost some of my paperwork today. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. We're on speaker number 27, Renee Grebe. Is she on the line? Welcome, Renee. Can you hear us okay? Yes, I can. Okay, welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay and members of the Board of Supervisors. I'm Renee Grebe, a resident of Fairfax County and testifying tonight on behalf

[05:54:55] of Nature Forward as the Northern Virginia Conservation Advocate. We submitted a more robust set of written comments in conjunction with 20 other partners of the Fairfax Health the Communities Network, which I co-chair, and I'll be highlighting some of those asks today. In the first category, housing. We say it every year, housing policy is climate policy. The board's goal of two cents on the real estate tax by FY27 falls short by three quarters of a penny this budget with no proposed increase, but this is a critical investment as we've heard from others, and we ask that the board increase the current allocation. We do appreciate the proposed three

[05:55:31] additional full-time staff to support affordable housing activities. Thank you. Please retain those positions. In the second category of transportation, we recognize that the challenging funding year at the state level creates challenges for our budget here locally. But funding sustainable transportation helps to meet the greenhouse gas production goals of CCAP and ensures the safety of people walking, biking, and taking transit. So first of our ask in transportation, please reverse the proposed funding cuts for Fairfax Connector. Affordable public transit options are critical, especially with the increase in gas prices. Second ask in transportation is to identify new funding

[05:56:09] for active transportation projects. The board's prior commitment of $100 million for active transportation projects runs out in FY27, and we hope that additional funds can be identified to continue to build out connectivity. We also want to provide funding for maintenance of active transportation facilities. It was great to hear that maintenance of school facilities is being budgeted for. We'd like to maintain investments that we've already made in our transportation network. So let's please make maintenance of our transportation facilities as flashy and as exciting as the ribbon cuttings for new facilities. And then lastly, we have asks and thanks in the

[05:56:45] category of climate mitigation, resilience, and green spaces. So first under that category is to continue to invest in strategies with the highest return on investment to reduce carbon emissions. I appreciated hearing the board's concerns about effectiveness of the green business partners program at the February Environmental Committee meeting, and yet nearly one-sixth of the county's climate action funds are proposed to go to that program. One-sixth. We have to have our investments be linked to real-world actions if we're investing in climate reductions. We urge the board to view all decisions with a climate lens and to identify funding and implementation strategies to reduce

[05:57:22] the entire county's carbon footprint, including considering the board's own land use decisions. Relatedly, we ask you to continue to invest in strategies that address the effects of climate change. Our weather is getting warmer, wetter, and weirder, and we've seen it all this year already.

[05:57:39] We had one of the most brutal snowstorms and ice storms in decades, followed by late winter heat spikes in the 80s. It was 95 as I drove away from the government center this evening for having to take the phone, and my car was super hot. And now we have had threats and tornadoes.

[05:57:55] The Resilient Fairfax Program must continue to be well-funded, and more funds are needed for sufficient natural resource management in the framing of resilience, such as budget guidance to increase the stormwater tax next year. Also, please increase support for the Invasive Management Area Program.

[05:58:12] This category is near and dear to my heart as an IMA leader in the Franconia District in my personal capacity, and I'm grateful to be able to advocate for this on behalf of Nature Forward as well. We appreciate this year's sustained funding of the program, but IMA staff are increasingly relying on trained volunteers like me to fill the gaps in staffing. Providing oversight, invasive management strategies, training, quality control to so many FCPA volunteers requires commensurate increase in staff time. So please provide budget guidance for future years for more support of IMA. And lastly, thank you for the proposed increases in funding for various aspects of FCPA funding, including the implementation of the sliding fee scale to

[05:58:51] ensure equitable access to park offerings in support of One Fairfax, and also supporting the final phase of the Zero Waste Trash and Recycling Initiative. Thank you so much for those inclusions, and please retain that funding. Thank you so much for your time this evening. Thank you, Renee. Our next speaker is speaker number 28, Phyros Khan, followed by Chanel Jackson, Roslyn Ellis, and Ivory Clark. And if I called your name, please come down to the front of the room. Okay, is Firos Khan here? All right, our next speaker is Chanel Jackson. I'm sorry, yes,

[05:59:26] Chanel Jackson. Is Chanel here? Yes, thank you. Okay, good evening. My name is Chanel Megan Jackson and I live in the Fairfax County area. I attend the Be Well program at the Merrifield Center and have been a client of Be Well since 2022. I'm here on behalf of the program to advocate for

[06:00:00] the funding and keeping the be well program going as a client of the be well program it has helped me mentally physically and emotionally when i first joined the be well program i was not willing i was shy not outspoken and very much against sharing my life with strangers that's what we're to about oh excuse me to about a year within the program i grew accustomed to seeking help and hope

[06:00:34] that i could change my lifestyle my be well coach at the time michelle suggested that i tried groups that would help to improve my well-being michelle gave me the tools that started my journey i started to attend groups that focus on fitness eating right and goal setting i started slow one group at a time new r which this group helps with eating right following labels and measurements when making food choices. I also started to follow the my play diagram and added a little

[06:01:12] more portion control on how much I was consuming during each meal. A year and a half in, I thought to myself, what else could I do to improve my mental and physical health? Is there any other groups I should try to feel whole and complete? Michelle then asked about my dreams and goals I have so she shared the idea of joining WAM and that's where I thought that's where I put my thoughts and desires to the test. I started to set goals that to my ideal way and how long it would

[06:01:49] take to get there. I've been doing both groups for the past years and have been excited about the outcome and improvement of the challenges I have faced. If the BWF program is cut it will be a disappointment, a letdown to many, and I would feel like I had failed myself and there is nowhere to turn. Many people such as myself would have to cope without guidance or the support needed.

[06:02:22] There are no other alternatives out there for people such as myself. While in the Be Well program, I've started to express myself, communicate with others again, and I feel normal. Programs such as to be well, help people in our community feel safe, grow as a person, and connect with others.

[06:02:45] Be well has helped people like myself stay healthy and stable. I respectfully ask Fairfax County directly to fund the Be Well program to keep clients in need to help receive the support we needed.

[06:03:02] Thank you respectfully, Chanel Jackson. - Thank you, Chanel, for your testimony. number 30, Rosalyn Ellis, to be followed by Ivory Clark, Lucy Brown, and Claire O'Brien.

[06:03:18] Is Rosalyn here? Good evening. My name is Rosalyn Ellis, and I've been on this journey since I was 14. I'm 70 now, and I'm a retired head teacher from daycare. Everything, if you heard anything

[06:03:53] about days of old, how mental patients were treated. Believe it. It was true. I lived through some of it, and it's not good. I'm glad over the years that service has gotten better. I think when people on Capitol Hill, when they lost loved ones, that's when you start seeing commercials.

[06:04:21] We got a problem here, and let's invest in it. Okay, you have a good program here. Be well. Don't take it away. You can't look at a book and judge what the inside is. I'm a chameleon or a clown. I'll smile on the outside and crying on the inside. I didn't let people know what was going on.

[06:04:45] But by me being in B-Well and my coach, she's very good, Serene Rain, Serene Rain helped me through a lot of battles that I was going through.

[06:05:03] Okay, I could see, I know that you have to minimize different things, but don't take away from something that is working. The old saying is, if you build it, they will come.

[06:05:21] We are coming. We are there. You know, I could see it if nobody wasn't showing up. But we do come, and we're getting a lot out of it. You're making a big mistake if you try to take it away. So many people are counting on this program.

[06:05:41] There's a lot of people that have nowhere else to go and socialize but this program. You know, we really need it. Where I live at, I'm around the corner from the Garland Center, and I've been in Alexander for 12 years.

[06:06:05] I'm just now seeing a lot of mental ill patients walking around because they have nowhere to go. They have nothing to do. So if you open up the doors and let people come in and discover what they need to help themselves, you'll be doing a great thing.

[06:06:30] That's all I want to say. Thank you for your testimony, Roswell. Our next speaker is number 31, Ivory Clark. Is Ivory here? Okay, I'm going to go through a few names, and if you come to the front, if I call your name.

[06:06:46] Speaker 32 is Lucy Brown, then Claire O'Brien, Toddy Carnes, Janine Deem Purdy. Is Janine here? Are you Janine? I'm going to read a couple more names so people can come down.

[06:07:08] Norman Hall, tell me. 33 is listed as Claire O'Brien. Oh, okay. Thank you.

[06:07:36] Good evening, Vice Chair Smith, Board of Supervisors. Forgive me, I was very excited to be on deck and didn't realize it was my turn. My name is Claire O'Brien. I am a middle school teacher here in Fairfax County and a member of the Teachers and School Staff Union FCFT.

[06:07:52] I'm speaking here today because I would like to discuss the budget transfer for our public schools. I love teaching. I love getting to help and see students grow, getting to know them, and learning how to find just the right way to spur them to be the best young people that they can be.

[06:08:08] However, I have a problem. Last year, I taught classes larger than any I've seen ever in Virginia. Every day, I would run back and forth in my crowded classroom, scrambling to help everybody who needed it. How was I meant to get to know students as who they were as individuals when they are being packed into my classroom and class sizes are increasing every year?

[06:08:30] I paid close attention to the budget process last year. I was hopeful that Fairfax County would find resources to reduce class sizes and increase the support for students who needed it most. Instead, class sizes were increased in last year's budget by one student through changes to the staffing formula.

[06:08:48] This hurts our students and our staff. It leads to lower senses of belonging for our students and lower test scores. It's a problem with a lasting impact felt over years. The currently proposed FCPS budget partially addresses this issue. It decreases average class sizes by half of a student.

[06:09:07] When I mention this to my colleagues at my school, I receive the question, which half of a student is it that I'm supposed to get? Last year, the answer to my questions about how we could fund FCPS was blame shifting and finger pointing to the state government. Go talk to Richmond, I was told.

[06:09:24] Well, I did. I and other members of FCAFT talk to delegates and state senators, and they are poised to help fund our schools. When they reconvene on April 23rd, they're set to approve a budget that will help fund FCPS. The end result? Somewhere between a budget surplus of roughly $21 million to a budget deficit of roughly $8 million.

[06:09:44] will know the final total when they meet. A budget surplus is great news. Every half a student change to classroom size costs $17 million. With a surplus, FCPS can more closely return to last year's status quo. A budget deficit is worse news. That would mean leaving last year's harmful and debilitating cuts in place another year. That means another year that Fairfax County's reputation for educational excellence will be put further in peril by underfunding. My plea is in two parts.

[06:10:13] In the event of a budget surplus coming to FCPS, please allow Fairfax County Public Schools to reverse more of last year's cuts. Do not do what was done last year and, in the midst of a crisis of underfunding, reduce revenues from the property tax, leaving FCPS scrambling to find more student support to cut. Additionally, in the event of a budget deficit for FCPS, please consider using the county budget's remaining discretionary funds to fund FCPS. The restoration of positions and class sizes in the current budget are not nothing. FCPS is one of this county's most valuable assets. Please continue investing in it. We and our students are worth investing in. Thank you for

[06:10:49] your time. Okay, we are on speaker number 34, Toddy Carnes, to be followed by Janine Dean Purdy, Norman Hall, Les Shockley. If I called your name, please be ready. Welcome. Mr. Chairman, supervisors of the board, I'm Toddy Carnes, president of the Friends of Historic Huntley.

[06:11:16] Historic Huntley is a Fairfax County Park Authority property which we support. We come before you tonight grateful for a proposed budget that includes increased general fund support of Park Authority operating budget impact needs, but concerned about what the source of monies will be to support the massive infusion of funds the Park Authority needs to catch up on long accruing operating budget impacts, especially in the area of staff support.

[06:11:43] When I use the term operating budget impacts, I'm generally referring to new operational and maintenance funding requirements associated with the acquisition of a new property. Historic Huntley provides a case in point. Following the park authority's accession of the site, a new staff position was projected to support it.

[06:12:04] Unfortunately, the position fell by the wayside, the victim of insufficient funds. Nearby staff at Huntley Meadows Park have been required to fill the gap, assuming management, maintenance, and programming responsibilities for Historic Huntley out of Hyde, in short, absorbing a whole other site without a commensurate increase in funding.

[06:12:25] The result has been an effective budget cut for the Park Authority, an effective staffing cut for Huntley Meadows Park, and the lack of any staff dedicated exclusively to the interest of Historic Huntley, which, perhaps not surprisingly in light of this, is generally closed for half the year.

[06:12:43] Accordingly, the additional staffing needs produced by the Park Authority's accessioning of Historic Huntley created an ongoing, unmet operating budget impact dating back to 2012. This is one of many, many unmet and long-standing operating budget impacts that the Park Authority has tried to absorb over the years as it acquired new properties without commensurate funding increases.

[06:13:08] Such a course is not only inconsistent with having, maintaining, and growing the parks our communities need and want. It is unsustainable. We are grateful that the advertised budget seems to recognize this by affording the Park Authority increased funding for seven full-time positions for five new properties added since 2022. We ask you to continue such increases in the years to come to meet the long-standing present and future operating budget impacts the Park Authority has been and is routinely met with. To this end, we have previously supported

[06:13:44] all manner of increased taxes, which has exhausted the taxpayer without affording full relief to the Park Authority. It would appear that pursuit of alternative funding sources may be advisable. The private sector is one source of alternative funding.

[06:14:01] For the Park Authority, reaching out to the private sector has traditionally been the province of the Park Foundation. Last year's approved budget included a cut of $150,000 in Park Foundation funding. This year's budget calls for an additional $150,000 Park Foundation cut.

[06:14:19] These cuts have been an existential threat to the Foundation. Notably, the Foundation has established what I would characterize as a fledgling endowments program. It includes the recent bequest of over $3 million for a deceased resident's favorite park area.

[06:14:36] Let me repeat that. One of our fellow citizens has funded a $3-plus million park endowment. For some of us, it seems not that long ago that we all became individually responsible for funding our own retirements through 401K, thrift savings, and other financial accounts.

[06:14:58] Now they've been around long enough to mature, and a not insignificant number of our fellow citizens have amassed substantial amounts subject to distribution upon death. Either through the Park Foundation or some other means, the Park Authority should be developing and executing an endowment strategy to secure, manage, and expend such potential bequests.

[06:15:21] I submit to you that the $150,000 in Park Foundation monies now on the chopping block, and even the $150,000 cut from last year's funding, should be restored, either to the Park Foundation or put to a study on establishing an expertly thought-out and managed Park Authority.

[06:15:41] Endowment Program. Just as we need all forms of energy, oil, gas, solar, wind, etc., our parks need all forms of funding. They need these proposed budgets increased general fund support for operating budget impacts, for which we again are grateful. Moreover, they also need investment in and development of private sector funding, especially in this era of mature retirement savings accounts that informed citizens may want to endow in support of our parks. Thank you.

[06:16:11] Thank you. We're on speaker number 35, Janine Dean Purdy. Welcome. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you this evening. Initially, I'm voicing my concern about proposed cuts for the reduction in home-delivered nutrition, the B-Wall program, and housing repair.

[06:16:32] Secondly, my concern is about housing. I've found myself involved with a family since 2020. Over the last six years, I followed them through losing housing, being sheltered at Kate Hanley, sheltered in a rental unit that wasn't fit to live in, encouraged to sign a lease for an unaffordable apartment, being mistreated by housing staff so that the court ordered the county to pay back rent.

[06:17:01] They were evicted anyways, re-sheltered, living in their car, re-sheltered again, and as of next week, told to vacate a shelter motel room and will be on the street because this time they don't have a car. The young man of the family recently turned 18 and will be evicted from the shelter 45 days before he's supposed to graduate from high school.

[06:17:22] After 18 months in the shelter, I really can't imagine what 45 days will make a difference. We've volunteered, I've volunteered with this family, I've met with Supervisor Stork and his staff, gone to the expungement clinic that Supervisor Lesk held, visited St. Anthony's Legal Clinic, met with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, testified at a Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority public comment time, and also talked to Supervisor Beerman about this client.

[06:17:52] I've met with staff from housing and nonprofit staff tasked with supporting this family multiple times. I'm a social worker with more than 44 years of experience, and I and my white privilege cannot figure out how to help this family with their needs. My volunteer efforts in advocacy, along with guidance, support, and representatives from other local nonprofit organizations and faith communities, aren't able to see a positive outcome for this family.

[06:18:19] I applaud the board's work on affordable housing. However, I think we've committed publicly to support affordable housing, but not committed to using affordable housing funds for those who need it most. Taxpayers approved funding to rebuild the Emory Record Shelter in 2016.

[06:18:38] We're now 10 years later and are still planning. Reminds me of Nightingale Woodley Hills. Glad the apartments are there. Glad that the new shelter is going to come to Route 1. We're hearing about how we need to provide housing for hardworking Fairfax County residents, but we do not have residency preferences or work requirements for taxpayer-funded affordable housing projects.

[06:19:00] We consistently hear that those making between $800,000 to $100,000 need affordable housing because their housing costs burdened, because they pay more than 30% of their income in rent. But current policy for the county requires that voucher holders pay a minimum of 35% of their income and many pay more. There's so much more that I could say. I do hope that we can continue to work

[06:19:26] towards affordable housing. Good evening, Chair McKay, Vice Chair Smith, members of the Board of Supervisors. My name is Norm Hall and it is my great honor to appear before you as the chair of the Fairfax County Employees Advisory Council. The Employees Advisory Council was established in 1957

[06:20:03] and since then has served to make sure that the high standards of service by Fairfax County employees in the merit system, greater than 16,000 of us, are present in the working relationships we have with each other, our supervisors, and the community at large. This year, the EAC has been working to make sure that all employees have representation on the council. For them, we host morale-boosting events, fund workplace appliances, and share suggestions about ways to generally improve outcomes for employees and the public. Through news bulletins and our website, we

[06:20:40] communicate news and information about the budget and common employee concerns. We appear before the board twice a year. First up is the Don Smith Award that recognizes employees who go beyond their job descriptions in helping other employees. Ia Khan from Public Safety Communications was honored in February. Our second appearance concerns the annual budget. Regarding the FY 2027 budget, we take enormous satisfaction with the fact that this budget honors all the county and school collective bargaining agreements with comparable pay and benefit increases for those who are not

[06:21:18] in any of the collective bargaining units. And I appreciate the commitments that have been made to support the portion of the 107 merit positions, which are slated to be eliminated, but are currently filled. As an ongoing body meeting throughout the year, the EAC will advocate for fair treatment of these employees, as well as for the non-merit employees whose positions may be converted, whether as part of the implementation of this budget, or as a result of this study of non-merit employees that is taking place as part of the General Employee Collective Bargaining Agreement due this fall.

[06:21:52] While we encourage employees who are represented by collective bargaining agents to make cost-saving and performance suggestions through their unions, I also want to commend those employees who contributed suggestions on ways for the county to economize last fall.

[06:22:08] EAC welcomes suggestions from non-union employees for those who aren't comfortable making them directly to the county executive or members of the Board of Supervisors. Simply, we do better when employees speak up honestly about issues. One recent victory was the reversal of the plan to outsource staffing from the Employee Child Care Center.

[06:22:29] To attract top-notch employees, a concern expressed during the recent Technology Information Committee meeting, it is appropriate that the county consider high-quality child care and other services as part of its benefits portfolio. To be competitive with the private sector, nonprofits, and other government employers, we should consider plans that are tailored to meet the needs of the talent that we want to attract and retain, no matter whether staff are at the beginning, middle, or nearing the end of their career, like me.

[06:23:02] Regarding the EAC's own budget, I wish to report that we aim to be frugal. While our annual contributory allocation has remained constant since the pandemic, our outreach efforts on behalf of employees have resulted in depleted reserves as expenses on office appliances have increased. Recent discussions about the need to consider infrastructure investments alongside staffing turnover mean that we really need to focus attention on employee as well as public amenities in county-owned facilities. I want to extend an offer to work with county leadership to make sure we are making prudent decisions when updating

[06:23:39] older County buildings. Over the next year, I plan to have EAC explore options to generate revenue to assist in financing our operations. This assumes support from the collective bargaining units and management. I may need some help. In closing, I offer best wishes as you determine acceptable budget solutions that work for all. And thank you, Chairman McKay, for the opportunity to present my remarks. Thank you, Norman. Thank you. So we do have about 40 more speakers. So I'd like to get everybody out of here at a reasonable time, if folks could factor that in. We are on

[06:24:19] speaker number 37, Les Shockley, to be followed by Linda Nordstrom, Molly Cronin, Mark Downey, and Aram Jain. If I call your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome, Mr. Shockley. Good evening, Chairman McKay and members of the board.

[06:24:35] My name's Les Shockley, and I'm testifying on behalf of the Fairfax County branch of the NAACP, where Ms. Nikki Zimmerman serves as our president. I'd like to thank Mr. Hill, Brian Hill, although he stepped away from the room. He took time out of his busy schedule last month to address our general meeting about the FY 2027 budget.

[06:25:00] So we are very grateful for us taking that time. Today I'm here to speak on budgetary issues important to the NAACP and the community that it serves. Affordable housing has long been a central priority to the NAACP. We're concerned that the county is not meeting its development targets and that continued underfunding will make these goals unattainable.

[06:25:24] I won't take the time to go into this at length. As you have heard or will hear, other housing advocates state the case in more detail. We recognize the challenges of the current environment and continue to believe that the board considers affordable housing to be of crucial importance.

[06:25:41] However, the county has fallen behind its 10,000 affordable unit goal to be attained by 2034. According to one report, 2,975 units have been created since 2019. We need to prioritize housing as the critical economic and community need that it is and ask for the full three-quarters of a penny increase to two cents of the real estate tax rate to be included in this budget.

[06:26:08] We are pleased that the advertised budget includes an additional $5.5 million to provide emergency rent, utility, and food assistance. We ask the board to be prepared to provide supplemental funding should the need grow beyond what's being funded.

[06:26:26] We request that the board allocate additional funding for rent support and legal assistance during pre-eviction hearings to keep people housed. We see a growing need for increased emergency housing capacity and request that the board meet the need in its budget.

[06:26:44] The co-responder teams and mobile crisis units are key resources for community members experiencing behavioral health crises. The county has much to be proud of with this program that helps de-escalate issues and deals with those who are having mental health challenges.

[06:27:00] The FY 2027 advertised budget includes funding for current staffing and for the co-responder teams and mobile crisis units. We thank you for your continued support of this program. The Public Defender's Office represents low-income individuals who have been arrested, many who are suffering from drug dependency, mental illness, black and brown community.

[06:27:24] Mr. Kennedy testified earlier, repeating some of what he said, but we understand that there's a current 15% supplement and the NAACP is supporting the public defender's request, office request, for an increase in that formula to 25%.

[06:27:43] While routing funds through the Indigent Defense Commission allows for greater administrative flexibility, inadequate funding remains an issue that only raising the supplement will address. We support the increase as a supplement, which we understand to be about $300,000, which is not a large amount.

[06:28:04] If the office is adequately staffed, detention times for minor offenses can be reduced, along with the county's cost for housing, food, and security for inmates. It's an investment that has a measurable payback. Promoting education has always been a fundamental principle for the NAACP.

[06:28:24] Fairfax County takes pride in its schools, and we believe the children educated in our school system deserve the best educators. We support the full funding of the second year of the collective bargaining agreement between the Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax Education Union.

[06:28:40] Let's keep our teachers in the county. In closing, we encourage the board to fund these initiatives fully and ensure that your budget reflects the values of equity, justice, and opportunity for all residents of Fairfax County. Thank you.

[06:28:56] Thank you, Les. Speaker number 38 is Linda Nordstrom, to be followed by Molly Cronin. Welcome. Good evening, Supervisor McKay, members of the Board of Supervisors. My name is Linda Nordstrom, and I am the president of the Friends of Green Spring, better known as Frogs.

[06:29:17] Frogs is one of the dedicated Friends group that supports our parks, as well as the Fairfax County Park Authority. First, we are thankful for the funding proposed in the advertised budget for the Park Authority in FY27. The reductions were less than we anticipated.

[06:29:36] However, they do include several personnel positions. We cannot emphasize enough that without adequate staff to develop programs, respond to the public, and supervise our myriad of volunteers, we have many, many, many at Green Spring Gardens, We will fall behind in what our park can offer to our citizens and the revenue that they can generate.

[06:29:59] Our parks are truly one of the highlights of living here in Fairfax County. And you all know with over 1.1 million residents, our parks provide health benefits to citizens of all ages and help enhance community livability. We are pleased that the advertised budget includes park authority funding increases, and we urge you to continue moving toward full funding for our parks in the coming years.

[06:30:27] Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you tonight. Thank you. We're on number speaker 39, Molly Cronin. Is Molly Cronin here? Okay. When I call your name, folks, I've been calling names. Come down close. We're taking a lot of time here of a lot of people.

[06:30:43] Molly Cronin to be followed by Mark Downey, Aram Jain, and Dominic Pallari. If I called your name, please come down close. Welcome. Good evening, members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County Community. My name is Molly Cronin, and I'm a special education teacher in FCPS here today to advocate for fully funding FCPS.

[06:31:03] While it is true that FCPS has received increased funding over the past 27 years, as measured by dollars, the percentage of the county's budget allocated to our schools has steadily declined, particularly since 2022. In the FY2027 advertised budget, the transfer to schools is 51.2% of the general fund disbursements, down from 51.5% in each of the past two years and below the 27-year average of 52.37%.

[06:31:30] Although this may appear to be a small change in percentage, it represents tens of millions of dollars lost each year. In fact, the last time FCPS received a similarly low percentage at 51.3% was in FY2002 when I was a first-grade student in Ms. Goldstein's class.

[06:31:47] Today, I'm an FCPS teacher with eight years of experience and a master's degree. Some may argue that FCPS is overfunded and advocate for lower taxes. I hope those same residents also recognize and appreciate your proposal to keep the real estate tax rate flat.

[06:32:02] The reality, though, is that FCPS is currently facing a $43.8 million shortfall between your advertised budget and what the school board has identified as necessary to maintain existing programs, staffing, and high-quality education expected of the ninth-largest school system in the country. FCPS is also the largest employer in our county and the third-largest in the Commonwealth, and maintaining that workforce is essential to our community. I understand that there's an expectation that the state will help bridge this gap with an anticipated $106 million in additional funding referenced in your advertised budget. However, as of today, April 14th,

[06:32:39] the state budget has not been finalized, leaving FCPS staff, students, and families in a state of uncertainty. We have seen the consequences of this before. Last year's nearly $150 million shortfall led to devastating cuts, including the loss of elementary special education department chairs, AARTs, and increased class sizes across the division.

[06:32:59] As we await the General Assembly special session on April 23rd to finalize their budget, I urge you to prepare for the possibility that state funding may fall short. Your advertised budget includes a remaining balance of $24.17 million after recommended adjustments. I encourage you to consider using a portion of that balance to ensure FCPS is fully funded should a gap remain.

[06:33:20] You'll have until May 5th to finalize your FY 2027 budget. That window presents an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to public education, not just in words, but in your actions. I urge you to fully fund FCPS and invest in our students, staff, and the future of Fairfax County.

[06:33:36] Thank you. Thank you. Would speaker number 40 call in? I understand they've canceled, but I have them as a caller. Yeah, they canceled. Okay, they canceled. So that takes us to speaker number 41. I'm going to call a couple names. Please come on down.

[06:33:52] Aram Jain, Dominic Polari, Diana Hashemi, and Emily Vanderhoof. And we are now on speaker number 41. Welcome. Good evening, Chair and members of the board. My name is Aram Jain.

[06:34:07] I'm a Fairfax County resident and student at McLean High School. I know that a lot of people have been here, and you're probably exhausted, so I won't keep you long. As a student, I've had the pleasure of learning from the finest teachers, and I've actually developed an interest in math. And I'm hoping that I can apply that interest in math to account for our county budget.

[06:34:28] So the way surplus typically gets distributed is as a flat percentage increase across the board. But that ignores something important. Different services produce very different returns on investment. So an award-based framework uses peer-reviewed research to find the allocation that actually maximizes societal benefit.

[06:34:45] So here's how the model works. Each domain is scored using two parameters. Alpha captures policy priorities, meaning how much weight we place on an area. And beta captures diminishing returns, the reality that the first dollar invested does much more than the hundredth. The model's objective is simply to maximize the total benefit for society.

[06:35:04] And so here are the five domains with their perimeter values. I assigned schools to get the highest alpha value at 0.33 to reflect JLARC's findings that schools are chronically underfunded. And economic development gets the lowest at 0.05 because research showed that it has, quote, limited impact.

[06:35:22] So optimizing the $23.17 million balance that remains for your consideration, schools receive approximately 61% of that allocation, with health and social services each around 15%. The result is a total award of 40.17% compared to just 34.58% under flat distribution.

[06:35:43] That's nearly 6 percentage points of additional benefit from the same pool of dollars. And the model accounts for different priorities. We tested four weighting scenarios. Baseline uses research-derived weights, equal alpha weights all domains the same, health-first emphasizes health, and equity-first emphasizes social services.

[06:36:03] And here are all the five scenarios sorted by total award value. Every optimized model beats uniform allocation, which is the gray bar on the left. And two models stood out to me. The baseline model allocates 60.9% to schools, directly addressing the $568.7 million per year underfunding gap in FCPS.

[06:36:23] If the board's priority is education, then this is the path. Alternatively, the health-first model produces the highest total award at 41.76%. If the board wants to maximize total societal benefit, then this is the way to do so. So both models beat uniform weights.

[06:36:40] The choice between schools and public health is yours. But seeing the fact that my own school isn't expected to receive its first complete modern renovation until 2050, and it was constructed in 1955, I Choose Schools. Thank you.

[06:36:56] Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Much appreciated. Is this your dad right here? Well done. Well done. We're going to move on.

[06:37:18] Speaker number 42, Dominic Polari. He is here to be followed by Diana Hashemi, Emily Vanderhoff, and Regis Brett. Please be ready to testify. We are on speaker number 42. Welcome. I really don't want to follow that guy's act.

[06:37:36] Members of the board, the Starwoods purchase of county land for the potential data center is a bad deal for all Fairfax County residents. At the best, it's a predatory loan. The projected $20 million annual revenue comes at a $58 million cost to Fairfax County residents.

[06:37:53] The SEC approved an $11.24 increase to resident energy bills. That's $11.24 a month times $433,000 residents times 12 months for $58.4 million costs paid by Fairfax households. We're paying for a $115 billion company startup costs one year before the GS5 kicks in.

[06:38:15] But next year, two more dollars are being added to these residents' costs as well. This is to cover the 15% transmission and 40% generation costs of this company so they can continue to secure billions in profits. Not only that, but projected $20 million revenue is based on the equipment value of the site, which, unlike land, depreciates by 50% in the first year and is devalued to $2 million in five years.

[06:38:38] In addition, the PJM has projected increased energy capacity demands, which will only lead to higher costs for residents. No resident should pay even 1% of the cost to subsidize these centers. Amend the deal so the center pays 100% of its transmission and generation and any necessary upgrades.

[06:38:56] Not only that, but these centers consume 1 to 5 million gallons of water a day. Yes, they pay for the water, but unlike residential water, this is lost to evaporation. A finite source that is being consumed at an alarming rate, while 85% of Virginia is in a drought. Amend the deal to demand the centers use closed-loop cooling, not drain our potable water sources.

[06:39:18] Not only that, but these centers only employ 25 to 50 personnel. This will not generate sales tax, it will not provide new jobs, it will not allow graduates to seek opportunities, it will not increase community vitality. That is only 1.2 jobs per acre. In conclusion, do not subsidize billion-dollar companies at the expense of Fairfax County residents.

[06:39:39] Stop the waste of repotable water. I know $20 million looks like a good upfront price, but we are paying a predatory interest rate. On a final personal note, I'm an active-duty U.S. military soldier. I understand this $167 million is going towards the police training facility.

[06:39:54] I understand how important it is to maintain professionalism and expertise and maintain training. However, this is at a very egregious cost. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Speaker number 43 is Diana Hashemi, to be followed by Emily Vanderhoff, Regis Brett, and Alex Ghali.

[06:40:13] Welcome. Thank you. Good evening, Supervisor Chairman and Supervisors. My name is Diana, and I'm from the Drainesville District. Shout out to Supervisor Behrman. I'm here to speak about the FY 2027 budget.

[06:40:29] I appreciate the complexity of your work, but tonight I want to highlight one area that appears to be missing, funding for active transportation. The board committed $100 million for pedestrian and bicycle improvements between 2021 and 2027.

[06:40:46] In fall 2025, an additional $25.43 million was approved and will soon be allocated. After that, only about $17.88 million will remain to be spent by next year. FCDOT initially received nearly 3,000 project requests.

[06:41:03] That list was narrowed to $650 and then to $317 unfunded high-priority projects. The need continues to grow. So our question is, what is the plan for funding these projects beyond 2027? Will there be funding in the FY2028 budget?

[06:41:21] Let me give you one example of a high-priority project that needs funding. On Birch Road, for decades, our community has needed just one short sidewalk segment. It's about 472 feet to complete a critical gap.

[06:41:38] Today, there is no sidewalk on either side of the road and no safe shoulder, forcing our schoolchildren and pedestrians to walk directly in the traffic. Students walk about 10 minutes to Chesterbrook Elementary School and about 15 minutes to Longfellow Middle School.

[06:41:54] There's no bus service because they are considered too close. Birch Road is narrow and a cut-through between Old Dominion Drive and Kirby Road, with speeding traffic, poor visibility from a blind hill, and tree coverage. At the busy intersection of Birch Road and Kirby Road, there are no crosswalks.

[06:42:13] At the McLean High School bus stop at Birch Road and Tucker Avenue, Students wait in the roadway at a stormwater construction site with no safe space. This project received $800,000 for design from Supervisor Faust in 2023, but still needs $1.5 million for construction.

[06:42:32] This project aligns directly with Safe Routes to School and the Board's Safe Streets for All commitment. Yet we are asking children to walk to school without providing a safe place to walk. I would also ask the Board to consider policy changes.

[06:42:49] If just three infill homes along this stretch had been required to provide frontage improvements, such as stormwater or sidewalks, especially along school routes, this gap would already be complete.

[06:43:06] Other jurisdictions, including Vienna, Arlington, and Alexandria, more consistently filling gaps by requiring frontage improvements for sidewalks, stormwater, and curb and gutter when new homes are built, even on single-lot by right development.

[06:43:24] Fairfax County should have the authority to do the same through its local ordinances and permitting processes. In closing, our community respectfully asks that the Board fully fund construction of the Birch Road sidewalk, FC-DOT Project 111, and provide a path forward for sustained active transportation funding.

[06:43:43] Children should not have to walk in the road to get to school, and neither should pedestrians. We have the ability to fix this. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Speaker number 44 is Emily Vanderhoff. And if I called your name, please be close. Regis Brett, Alex Gawley, Antoinette Jordan. Welcome.

[06:44:06] Good evening. My name is Emily Vanderhoff. I'm the president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, one of the two unions that make up the Fairfax Education Unions, the exclusive bargaining agent for the 28,000 operational and instructional employees of Fairfax County Public Schools.

[06:44:21] Our members include bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, teachers, maintenance and trades workers, classroom assistants, counselors, librarians, special education staff, and many more who keep our school system running every day. Last year, we negotiated a historic first collective bargaining agreement with FCPS that sought to improve working conditions and compensation for FCPS workers.

[06:44:43] One of the key terms of this agreement was a 7% market scale adjustment in year one to account for years of step freezes that FCPS employees had endured through the years. Looking to the model of other unions who had negotiated before us with Fairfax County government, Fairfax County police secured 10.69%, fire negotiated 7.85%.

[06:45:01] Our 7% MSA was not an outlier. But when it came time to fund it, this board said it was not rooted in reason and funded enough for 3%, leaving a $120 million gap. When FCPS made deep cuts to try to retain some semblance of the compensation we negotiated, Chair McKay made a Facebook post celebrating how the funding from the Board of Supervisors allowed FCPS to still provide a 6% raise.

[06:45:24] When the district has to cut over 400 full-time and around 200 temporary hourly positions to make ends meet, this was not quite the celebration Chair McKay made it out to be. Let's look at what those cuts entailed. To close the $120 million shortfall, FCPS adjusted the student-to-teacher ratio, increasing class sizes across the board.

[06:45:43] This means students are sitting in crowded classrooms receiving less individualized support than they had the years prior. These high school classrooms were not made to fit 35 desks and 35 high schoolers. And for good reason, class sizes should never be that large, but it's becoming the norm and not the exception.

[06:46:00] The budget cuts also cut central funding to three key elementary positions, reducing elementary advanced academic resource teachers and special education department chairs from 1.0 to 0.5, and completely eliminating the position of elementary classroom monitors. When the community rallied behind AARTs and SPED chairs at the final school board budget hearing last may funding levels had already been set and so instead of instead principals were directed to dedicate the school-based staffing funding to fill the funding gaps for these positions this meant the problem just shifted from one position to another i'll share how that looked in my elementary school my own school went from two full-time counselors to de-staffing at

[06:46:38] 0.5 and that school is actually now sitting at 1.0 staffing with each counselor being half time what's the impact on students if a student's in crisis we can only hope that it's the day that their trusted adult is scheduled to be in the building. The counselors can never plan and coordinate together because they have opposing schedules. The result is less proactive coordinated student support and gaps when students are in their time of need. My school also previously had 1.5 ESOL teachers. Now it's down to 1.0. Now our immigrant population, the students facing the trauma of the threats of ICE raids, have fewer trusted adults to support them. And the budget cuts resulted in de-staffing a special education IA in my school. Special education IAs are the

[06:47:16] staff who work the most closely day-to-day with our students with the highest support needs. This means students with disabilities have less ability and less support to achieve their goals. Last year, you dropped the real estate tax by 0.25 cents. I'm a homeowner in Fairfax County. This drop had less than a $13 impact on my tax bill for the year. That 0.25 cents would provide around $8 million of additional funding for the county. Do you think my students would think it was worth it? This year, the FCPS budget proposal seeks to fund a salary step and 3% market scaling adjustment. It also seeks to restore some of the cuts imposed by the $120 million shortfall left

[06:47:51] by this board. The FCPS FY27 budget proposes to restore central funding to the special education department chairs and advanced academic resource teacher and restores by half the class size ratio imposed last year. Schools are expensive, but there are most complex and comprehensive public services our community provides. Every resident, whether they have children in our schools or not, benefit from the high quality and comprehensive services our schools provide to our community.

[06:48:17] So the decision is before you. Do you maintain a flat tax rate and dedicate enough of the discretionary funding to make up the gaps? Or do you continue to disinvest in the 180,000 public school students of Fairfax County? This board has a very long way to go to regain the trust of FCPS employees. It could start with ensuring our schools are fully funded this year. Thank you.

[06:48:36] Thank you. Speaker number 45 is Regis Brett. Is he here? Yes. To be followed by Alex golly antoinette jordan and jim hagan all right good evening members of the board my name is regis brett and tonight i come to you proud of three things proud that i'm a bus driver from fairfax county public schools proud to be a new father and proud that i got a kindergarten through

[06:49:09] high school education at our public schools tonight i only have one simple ask to fully fund our schools not just this year or the next year or the year after that etc etc but for every year going forward so that when my currently nine-month-old son starts kindergarten years and years from now he receives the same level of world-class education that i got all the way up through high school a wise man plants trees he will never see bear fruit and our students are of the seeds of our true tree of knowledge we must keep it watered nurtured and fully funded

[06:49:48] when you cut real estate taxes they barely feel it but when you can't cut jobs cut bus drivers cut custodians cut groundskeepers cut cafeteria workers we all feel it students feel it when they go hungry when their programs aren't being funded enough when they have trouble getting home because the buses have to do double backs when they don't get the attention they need because their teachers got more students in class than last year these problems compound on each other

[06:50:23] and the answer is simple fund our schools and fund them now thank you thank you speaker number 46 is alex golly is he here all right to be followed by antoinette jordan jim hagan monica harman Welcome. Good evening.

[06:50:39] I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm a speech therapist at Fairfax County Schools, and I'm just going to get right to the point. We're drowning. We have too much on our plate and not enough to show for it at the end of the month. Our services being delivered at our schools are taking a nosedive.

[06:50:55] And we in special education don't have access to the resources we need to properly help our kids like we were once able to. This also extends into general education. Caseloads are too high with not enough support, and staff shortages and problems with retention are causing myself and many others to go itinerant between multiple sites more often, not to mention frequently burning out.

[06:51:19] If we don't get our schools funded, then we won't be able to deliver services to the standard that FCPS is known for, and that hit to our reputation, which extends to the county at large, let's let that sink in, will be difficult to recover from.

[06:51:36] What I just mentioned about staff shortages and lack of retention will be the future if we don't handle this properly, and that's not going to be good for the county. You take a look at what happens in Baltimore, though, that they're funding social programs in schools, crime has taken a nosedive over there.

[06:51:53] It has been a net benefit. This is what happens when you fully commit to funding public services. So here's my question to the board. If the state funding results in a surplus for the FCPS budget, are you still going to commit to the in-county transfer as initially proposed in the in-county executive hills budget proposal? Number two, will you commit to keeping the tax rate flat to ensure that there's sufficient funding for education and public services? If you really care about the kids in our county, you'll fund our schools. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 47 is Antoinette Jordan. Welcome.

[06:52:28] Thank you. It won't be before you long, but I want you to keep a number in mind and that number is 47.2 and I'll explain to you what that means at the end. Nobody here has come this far in their lives without the benefit of an educator. At some point in your life, you needed somebody to sit down and teach you how to speak eloquently, how to make complete sentences, how to count, how to do a myriad of things. You needed someone to help you.

[06:53:02] I want the school board to remember not to forget your human capital. Those are your teachers, your speech therapists. Those are your artists who give students the extra edge to even want to come to school. You seem to be forgetting your beginning. And I need you to keep that in mind.

[06:53:23] Some of us are a few years above our rank now, and some of us have concluded our education. Most of us haven't. That 47.2 number that I want you to remember is the number of preschool preschool students who are in special education, preschool. They haven't even started their direct educational services yet. And yet you guys can't seem to find the money to take care of our babies.

[06:53:54] They need us the most. And I am an advocate for special education because that is my career path. I am a 20 year veteran, not in Fairfax. This is my first year in Fairfax, but I've been teaching special ed 20 years and this is the first time in 20 years that we've had to put preschool students in special education services. I need to remind you guys that without your human capital the educational system will fail regardless of what Melania Trump will have you believe. Robots cannot

[06:54:30] cannot and will not ever be able to replace human beings. So we ask you to continue to remember us as teachers, as service providers, and please give us the money we need to stay in Fairfax County and continue to educate our children, your children, your grandchildren, and your great grandchildren. Thank you. Thank you. Jim Hagan, I have, I have, he, him is canceled. Is that what you have as well? Mr. Hagan is not here, correct? Okay. That was speaker number 48. Speaker number

[06:55:07] 49 is Monica Harmon, to be followed by Allie Klein, Julianne Link, and Beth Marino. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome. Thank you. Hello, my name is Monica Harmon. I'm a kindergarten instructional assistant at Kings Park Elementary School and a member and political chair of FCFT. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. I've worked in Fairfax County for 20 years and during those 20 years I have always had to have a second job and many of

[06:55:40] those years a third job. After having our steps frozen and so for so many years and the few and far between raises which would barely cover the increased cost of health care I was extremely grateful last year for the six percent raise that we received. I have always been a hard worker and of the belief that if you're going to complain, then you must be willing to be part of the solution.

[06:56:06] In that mindset, I have become very involved in the union and understanding how the budget works. I have now been down to Richmond four times to lobby for funding. I've been to many school board meetings, board of supervisors meeting.

[06:56:23] In the past, I would hear the blame game about whose fault is it that we were not fully funded. Was the school board fiscally responsible? Is the Board of Supervisors taking the FCPS budget seriously? Was the state paying its fair share?

[06:56:39] Well, we as employees and members of the union have done our fair share. We've lobbied, sent postcards, phone calls, emails. We've met with parents and families. And we are now here, hopeful that this board will fully fund our schools.

[06:56:56] We will not know how much we will receive from the state until the end of the month. And although I am hopeful that that amount will increase, the county still has an obligation to fully fund our school budget. As an employee, I can say last year was a disaster for us as colleagues were de-staffed and we lost classroom monitors.

[06:57:19] Classroom sizes have increased and everyone is worried about what will be on the chopping block this year. I have always been proud to work for Fairfax County Public Schools, and I can tell you that at my school, every single person works incredibly hard and at a high degree of professionalism, and I'm sure that is the same in all of our schools.

[06:57:42] We love and care about our students. That is part of why people come to live and work in Fairfax County. I know that you're going to hear from people who don't believe that our taxes should go to pay for our schools. Well, I live in this county, and I pay the taxes, and I vote in this county.

[06:57:59] And I would challenge anyone to spend a day at my school and say that those taxes are not well spent. I understand the budgetary challenges you all are facing, but I stand with my colleagues and the families that are present with us today to ask if you will commit to fully funding our schools.

[06:58:18] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number 50 is Allie Climb, to be followed by Julianne Link, Beth Marino, and Jamie Muccialo. Welcome. Hi, I am Allie Climb.

[06:58:37] I have lived in Fairfax County most of my life. I graduated from South County in 2016. I'm a current special education employee, as well as a homeowner in the county.

[06:58:53] So I pay taxes. I vote here. This is where I live. This is where I want to be. But the current status of what it's like to be in Fairfax County is not good. We're stressed about contracts and promises made by this board to not fund our contracts. We're overwhelmed with caseloads and with class sizes. And these problems impact the students.

[06:59:22] With bigger class sizes, we have less time per student to work with one-on-one, with big caseloads and special education. We don't have the ability to do the job that we can and provide the rigor of service hours that we know we can do. These problems can't be fixed with less money.

[06:59:44] The solution is more money. We can and we deserve to be a model of what education can look like in the state and in the country. Fairfax County residents want us to be the model.

[07:00:00] We want to be the best. We love living here. We love working here. And we have got to do better. We need to be keeping the tax rate the same so we can fund the schools.

[07:00:16] We need to start taxing the rich. We need to tax the data centers. And we're still waiting for the state to ensure that we have money. But it is our job in Fairfax County to fund Fairfax County public schools.

[07:00:35] That's what I got. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 51 is Julianne Link, to be followed by Beth Marino, Jamie Mucciallo, and Duran Thompson. Welcome.

[07:00:53] Hello. My name is Julianne Link, and I am a member of Fairfax County Federation of Teachers. and I have been working for Fairfax County Public Schools for five years. Thank you for taking the time to listen while we work together to continue the labor of building up Fairfax County Public Schools.

[07:01:14] Today is the day my union works and believes in fairness, dignity, and the value of our profession. In my profession, I work as a public health training assistant. Within this job, I work in the upper enhanced autism classroom.

[07:01:32] Within the classroom, my role is to support students and every member of my team contributes to the foundation of our community's education system. With the liability of students' learning and safety, we need to ensure that we continue to retain and value FCPS employees.

[07:01:55] Every FCPS employee contributes to the foundation of our community. By getting the opportunity to labor with Fairfax Federation of Teachers, it gives me a chance to travel around our community. Hearing stories from committed FCPS employees, one message is communicated clearly.

[07:02:18] Dedication alone does not pay the bills. With rising costs of higher and higher increases in job losses, less time for families, rising costs, gas prices, the list goes on.

[07:02:36] We need stability. Over time, expectations have increased, while responsibilities have also increased. We are doing more for less, taking on more additional duties. I believe the goal is to deliver excellence despite the challenges within the budget shortfall.

[07:02:59] With that said, a raise is not just about money. It is about respect. It is about opening your hearts to understand that the work we do matters. We all deserve to be compensated for the work that we do.

[07:03:17] It guarantees, as staff, that we are an investment in our school district and in our community and the long-term future of our district. As a union member, my top goal is that all voices within our district matter.

[07:03:37] Together, we have the power to stand for equality, pay, transparency, policies, and sustainable working conditions. The power of the budget is unity within every Fairfax County School employee, standing strong and supporting one another.

[07:03:57] We are asking for more than is fair. We are asking for leadership to acknowledge our dedication and keep pace with the challenges we face, leaving work every day. When we value every department, we value the future of Fairfax County Public Schools.

[07:04:15] Thank you. Thank you. We're on speaker 52, Beth Marino. Is Beth Marino here? Beth Marino is not here. Jamie Mucciolo, I hope I'm pronouncing that right, to be followed by Duran Thompson and Simone White.

[07:04:33] Welcome. Good evening, supervisors. My name is Jamie Mucciolo. It's Italian. It's a little hard, sorry. I'm a National Board Certified Educator of 16 years, and I serve as the AART, the Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, at Kings Park Elementary.

[07:04:50] Last year, I faced the possibility of being de-staffed from my school after dedicating nine years to the students, families, and staff that I serve. While I am very grateful to have remained, that experience highlighted the fragile reality facing our educators.

[07:05:06] Today, I want to speak to you about invisible labor. Despite escalating expectations, increasing class sizes, and tightening budgets, our staff continues to create welcoming, safe, and joyful environments for our students against all odds. We often say that educators move mountains, but in reality, we are the ones laboring to move the mountains of bureaucracy, socioeconomic barriers, and resource gaps that stand between our students and their success. This labor is the glue holding our system together. It's our kindergarten teachers who are building foundational life skills that anchor our youngest learners, our first grade teachers tirelessly bridging the gap toward primary classroom independence,

[07:05:44] our second grade teachers laboring over resources to ensure equitable access to AAP services, and our third-grade teachers masterfully differentiating instruction for an array of needs. I could go on, but I work at a primary school, so we stop at third grade. We cannot build a world-class school system on the backs of unpaid, unrecognized overtime.

[07:06:04] This labor extends far beyond the classroom walls. It is our instructional assistants who provide one-on-one breakthroughs, our bus drivers who are the steady hands bringing our children home, our cafeteria workers ensuring no child learns on an empty stomach, and our counselors who carry the emotional weight of our students' lives.

[07:06:21] These are not just support roles, they are the foundational pillars of our community. This past winter, I traveled to Richmond with several of my colleagues to lobby for our schools. We have put in the time, the energy, and the miles to fight for our resources our students deserve. We have done our part at the state level and now we have come to you.

[07:06:38] As a Fairfax County resident, I understand the struggle of rising prices and federal cuts, but we cannot cultivate an educated population without proper staffing. As a mother of an FCPS first grader, I see the results of this dedication firsthand. My son receives a world-class education from a teacher who is patient, loving, and present.

[07:06:57] Every student deserves that, but that showing up requires a system that supports the educator in return. As you review the fiscal year 2027 budget, I urge you to move beyond gratitude and towards sustainable investment. We need a budget that protects positions and recognizes that invisible labor is a debt repaid through competitive compensation and stable staffing. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Speaker 54 is Duran Thompson to be followed by Simone White and Nadine Wright. If I called your name please be ready to testify. Welcome.

[07:07:30] My name is Duran Thompson and I'm here today as a teacher and a member of FCFT. Once again asking you the Board of Supervisors to fully fund the second year of our collective bargaining agreement. We stood here a year ago ago making the same request. Today I want to begin by acknowledging what I hope is a shift in our relationship. I would like to believe it is evolving, that it is growing. As a member of FCFT, we have met with some of you to discuss the challenges facing FCPS. There seems to be a willingness to

[07:08:05] move forward differently, to move beyond how things have been handled in the past. I would like to believe that the cycle of blame is coming to an end. I understand the physical pressures facing the county, the state, and the nation. Those realities are real, but even with that understanding, I stand here asking you to do what is right, fully fund the FCPS budget, because the consequences of not doing so are already unfolding. Across FCPS, teachers are being distaffed at record

[07:08:42] numbers. Programs are being adversely impacted, and behind each of these decisions are people. Too often when budgets are discussed, the focus stays on numbers. Dollars saved, dollars spent.

[07:08:59] What is missing are the human stories behind those numbers. But when we hear those stories, the conversation changes. We begin to see our neighbors, our constituents, and our voters. We begin to understand that these decisions are not abstract.

[07:09:15] They shape the daily reality of our schools and our community. So let me make those numbers real. Last year, an art teacher with nearly 30 years of service was de-staffed from her school. This year, she is teaching in two different schools.

[07:09:32] And for next year, school year 2026-2027, she is being de-staffed again. After decades of commitment, she is now searching for a new position within the system she has faithfully served. We have lost special education teachers and department chairs.

[07:09:51] Those who remain are taking on increased workloads, working harder to meet the growing demands of our students. Advanced academic resource teachers have been reduced. Class sizes have increased, which means less individual attention for students and more strain on teachers.

[07:10:10] These are not just budget adjustments. These decisions directly affect students, educators, and the quality of education in this community, in this county. What we're asking today is straightforward. Restore what was cut. Fully fund FCPS. Honor the agreement that was negotiated. Our students deserve stability, our educators deserve support, and our community deserves a school system that is fully resourced to meet its needs. Thank you.

[07:10:45] Thank you. Speaker number 55, Simone White, to be followed by Nadine Wright, Alan Wright, and Scott Vested. Welcome. Good evening. I'm a Fairfax County resident, a speech-language pathologist, and a member of the FCFT Union.

[07:11:06] Today, I'm here to urge you to fully fund the school board's proposed budget for 2027. As a school-based speech therapist, I see the daily impact of insufficient school funding. It creates an environment where districts are forced to choose what programs and services are prioritized, often leaving children with special needs and those who serve them hanging in the balance.

[07:11:31] Every day when I go to work, I'm faced with a moral dilemma. How do I apply inadequate resources equitably among students when there isn't enough? Behavioral health specialists in Fairfax schools are approaching a crisis. Instead of providing equitable care, we are triaging needs because our schools lack sufficient staff and funding.

[07:11:52] This engineered scarcity creates emotional and educational strain on both educators and students. For example, without full funding for essential positions like special education department chairs, coordinating staff and families for local screening and IEP meetings becomes significantly more difficult.

[07:12:15] As a special education case manager, I provide direct speech and language services, and I also spend much of my day coordinating these mandated meetings. These responsibilities would become even more time-consuming if department chair positions are not fully funded. These processes are required to meet state mandates and support students with disabilities, but they reduce time available for direct student services when staffing is insufficient. Simply put, without full funded staff, special education student services are directly impacted and limited treatment

[07:12:50] becomes available. So the question I ask is, will the Board of Supervisors fully invest in the future of Fairfax County, or will educators and students be forced to pick up the bill again? Today, I'm here to highlight the moral cost of our current situation. We're living in a system where many of our neighbors are left without what they need, such as affordable housing and health care. At the same time, substantial public resources are directed elsewhere, including toward federal government agencies such as ICE. This reality makes one thing clear. It is not simply a question of limited

[07:13:29] funding. It's a question of priorities. It reflects what we are willing to invest in and what we're not. Again and again, there are resources available for enforcement and expansion, yet not to fully fund the education of our most vulnerable students or to support the essential workers who serve them every day. So I'll leave you with this.

[07:13:52] What will matter 100 years from now? The funds withheld from students or the decision to uphold our responsibility to provide a high quality education by funding schools and supporting educators. What investment will you make for our children and for the future of Fairfax County? Thank you.

[07:14:12] Our next speaker is Nadine Wright, to be followed by Alan Wright and Scott Vested and Carla Okuchi. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Nadine Wright. I have a master's degree in art education, and I've been teaching in Fairfax County Public Schools for 29 years. I've taught elementary for seven years. I've been in middle school for 22 years, and this last year I was split, this year, excuse me, I was split between middle school and high school because of the funding shortfall last

[07:14:46] year thanks to the General Assembly and the Board of Supervisors. Underfunding has real consequences for real people's lives. In June of last year, after teaching at my beloved middle school for 22 years, I was told that because of budget cuts, I was no longer able to be full-time there.

[07:15:05] I now needed to find an additional school to keep me fully employed and for not going part-time. At the time, it was terrifying. No one had any answers because it was unprecedented. Never had the superintendent's budget request been underfunded by so much. There was no openings, and there was no options.

[07:15:27] The first school that reached out to me, I took it. That's great, you say, except for the fact that it was located in Centerville, Virginia, and my base school is in McLean, which is much farther than what I've been doing and has significantly added to my commute. So this year, every other day, all year, I drive out to Centerville to teach photography to high schoolers.

[07:15:48] The commute has taken me as much as two and a half hours to get home. Sit with that for a moment. I don't get compensated for my gas, my mileage, or my time. So yes, I thankfully do have a full-time job, but it has taken a toll on my mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

[07:16:07] That was because our budget was not fully funded last year. Now I'm speaking on behalf of our students, ages 5 to 18, who aren't able or aware that they need to advocate for themselves. Fully funding the budget means they get the services and programs that they need and deserve.

[07:16:25] Without that money, positions and programs get cut for those who are affected the most, which are our and your students, who get shortchanged. That's not fair for them or for us. Do the right thing and fully fund the schools.

[07:16:42] Thank you. Speaker number 57 is Alan Wright. And if you are Scott Vested, Carlo Cucci, Jen Miller, or Lauren Hershey, please be down here close and ready to testify.

[07:16:58] Welcome. Good evening. My name is Alan Wright, and I'm a teacher at West Springfield High School. The community, my colleagues, and I are all here to speak to the same issue tonight. The budget has not been working for Fairfax County teachers, parents, or students.

[07:17:17] Last year was my first year teaching, and when we were underfunded by $120 million, I was told it might also be my last at West Springfield. I was going to BD staffed, unless I quickly earned another certification to keep my job, spend my own extra time, the busy end of the year, my own money to get that certification.

[07:17:38] And I did, and I'm happy to be teaching physics and math this year. But some of my co-workers were not so fortunate. Dr. Reed was asked to put forth a practical bare-bones budget this year, and she has done so. I understand that there is uncertainty in what the state funding will be, and that we're likely somewhere between a surplus and deficit if the county transfer remains as proposed.

[07:18:04] Last year, FCPS was underfunded by over $120 million, and tonight we are sharing with you the repercussions that everyone in our community faces. It is essential that we avoid another shortfall, however small. Fully funding FCPS this year means providing the bare minimum needed to avoid further damage to our school system.

[07:18:26] So, if the state funding results in a surplus, we need you to commit to the proposed transfer so that we can start to rebuild. But if the state funding is not, we need you to commit to making up the gap. We as a community, and you as our representatives, have an imperative and responsibility to provide a quality education to future generations.

[07:18:48] And it is time that we turn the ship around and start reversing the damage that has been done. Students need programs and resources returned that have faced cuts, and schools need to restaff instead of de-staff. Thank you. Thank you.

[07:19:04] Speaker 58 is Scott Vested, to be followed by Carlo Acucci, Jen Miller, Lauren Hershey. Welcome. Good evening, and thank you very much. You got my name right every time, and that's not an easy task. I'm here tonight as both a teacher and a parent to speak about the importance of fully funding our school system.

[07:19:24] I understand that you are faced with difficult budget decisions and competing priorities, and I want you to know that I truly do not take that lightly. Honestly, I don't envy you. Years ago, when my wife and I had our first child, we had to leave our tiny D.C. 750-square-foot apartment in search of more space.

[07:19:44] And at the time, we were considering both Maryland and Virginia. We chose Fairfax County in large part because of its school system. We chose it because we wanted our daughter to have all the benefits of a vibrant and diverse community with a top-tier education.

[07:20:02] We went to public schools ourselves. We believe in public schools. wanted our daughter to go to one too. For us, the budget isn't abstract. It affects real students every single day. As a high school social studies teacher, I see firsthand how funding decisions impact classrooms, students, and staff. We teach our students that a budget is a moral document, and we believe that's true. At my school site, we have about 2,400 students, and we typically have four, sometimes five, members of our security team. This means that the entire faculty has to

[07:20:40] rotate assisting with clearing hallways, clearing bathrooms, every period. It means less time for lesson planning, for grading assignments, and for focusing on the individualized care that helps learning outcomes. And as a side, one of the most common things I hear from students, if they're not making great decisions, is that I don't get paid enough to care to stop them. But they're wrong about that. I do care. Another growing concern is that many educators can no longer afford to live in Fairfax County. With the price of everything around us going up, many teachers I know are now

[07:21:17] commuting in from neighboring counties. And I'm not being hyperbolic. We have teachers at my school that are coming in from Winchester, from Fredericksburg. It's just not sustainable. FCPS schools consistently rank among the best in the nation. We're consistently among the best in the Commonwealth, and yet our pay lags behind neighboring counties here in Virginia and in Maryland. We risk losing the very people who make our schools strong. I'm a parent in the county.

[07:21:48] I know there are many worthy priorities and competing interests for funding. I'm here to argue that strong schools are not just one priority among many. They are foundational to all of them. They support our economy, our workforce, our property values, and the long-term health of our community. When schools are underfunded, everyone feels the impact. In a world of uncertainty, our schools are meant to be a source of stability and learning for our kids.

[07:22:19] I'm out of time, I think. Thank you very much. Thank you. Speaker number 59 is Carla Acucci to be followed by Jen Miller, Lauren Hershey, and Riley Wall. Please be ready to testify. Welcome, Carla. Greetings, Chairman McKay and members of the board. My name is Carla Acucci, proud resident of Fairfax County and graduate of Fairfax County Public Schools. 16 years ago, I stood before this board with my then newborn son to fight for full funding for our public schools, specifically to protect elementary band strings and foreign language. As a parent and education professional, giving back to our community by preparing the next generation of our workforce through the fine

[07:22:58] and performing arts is an honor. Our children and workers deserve the very best our public schools and county has to offer through a budget that reflects our values. Both of my children continue to benefit from the wide variety of programs this district and county provides. Our son explored the technical side of theater, lighting design, and spotlight operation before his passion shifted to auto tech.

[07:23:20] It is heartbreaking knowing your child is unable to access career and technical education training offerings at a base school, not because one lacks the drive or aptitude, but because consistent underfunding, chronic space shortages, and swelling student-to-teacher ratios means students are turned away from enrollment. Failing to provide safe, state-of-the-art facilities to meet the demand is unacceptable. We are preparing children for a workforce where artificial intelligence is predicted to displace white-colored jobs at a scale we have yet to see.

[07:23:50] The students who will be our most resilient are those with hands-on, technical, and skilled trade training, the exact programs they're being turned away from. Our seventh grade daughter was cast at her first musical as an understudy for a lead role and ensemble member. Twenty minutes into the show, the student stage manager communicated to her you're going on as Janice with no time for a costume change no microphone she delivered a powerful performance as a lead adjudicated by cabbies that day she showed our community what it means to be prepared to perform under pressure and to rise to the moment that is what an consistently underfunded school system makes possible imagine what a

[07:24:28] fully funded school system would provide to all of our students to our theater music teachers and employees who have been accessed we value you and you deserve full-time employment in our school system and county while we wait on finalized virginia state budget which could add significant funding this proposed budget takes meaningful steps towards diversifying the revenue based to support public schools and county services the food and beverage tax is projected to generate over 67 million in additional revenue for the first half of the 2026 calendar year

[07:24:59] Shifting our reliance on the inequitable property tax burden, large-scale corporations should pay their fair share towards investing in the services we value as a public good, including public safety, health care, child care, after-school programs, libraries, transportation, parks and recreation, and so much more.

[07:25:15] I ask you to rise to this moment as previous speakers have requested. Fully fund our public schools and honor all collective bargaining agreements. Education and county workers who show up every day have earned that commitment.

[07:25:32] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number 60, Jen Miller. Is Jen here? Let's see. Speaker number 60, I do see Lauren Hershey. will be speaker number 61, Riley Wall, Colleen Funkhauser, Amber Gorski, if I called your name, please come down close. I'm sorry, sir, are you Riley Wall? Okay, you'll be in one following Mr. Hershey here. You'll be speaker number 61. We are on speaker number 61, Lauren Hershey, and then we'll be on speaker number 62, Riley Wall. Well, I thank you all very much for all

[07:26:10] the listening that you do. I thought I was speaker number 66, but I do want to make clear I am 79 by age. I'm going to be addressing health and wellness. I've done that before, and I'm circulating something that I circulated last year for the first time, which is a fitness index that lists out the rankings of 100 municipalities, all of them cities except Arlington County. It includes

[07:26:41] Richmond, it includes Virginia Beach, but because our municipality is a county, we don't get evaluated. So I will talk with all of you on another occasion. Basically, I want to renew my suggestion of a couple of years ago and last year that the Board of Supervisors go into a planning process to do a Fairfax County marathon that can become as famous or more famous than any

[07:27:15] other marathon being run under a city name that could be New York, Boston, other places. Anecdotally, I spoke with a professional colleague earlier, a woman, roughly a little bit over the age of 50, an immigrant here years ago. She's going to Orlando on Thursday and will compete in a 5K, a 10K, and a 10-mile race. Well, since I was going to present this before

[07:27:49] I heard that anecdote, I want to offer that up to you, that we have 1.2 million people here. Some of us, like me and my wife, have been here many years. We've been here, this is our 50th year. We know the great bounty that Fairfax County offers in parks and walks and so forth. And I would like to see us do a marathon. That has to be a planning process, not a budgeting process. And also consider doing something at cherry blossom time. Make Fairfax County as

[07:28:24] famous as it should be recognized. So out of my lawyer curiosity, I went to the list of the ten largest cities, not the ten that are listed here as the fittest cities. And Fairfax County actually would be either the ninth or tenth largest city in the United States. And I never thought of it until I looked that up a couple of weeks ago. So I'm going to close out with a couple of pictures. This is Park Takes, one of the most amazing accomplishments of our county. This is the winter edition, but note the age of the person on the cover.

[07:29:05] And the American College of Sports Medicine that does this fitness index sends me a monthly magazine, That's Me at the Gym, when I lost my hair. Thank you very much for your consideration.

[07:29:21] Thank you, Lauren. Thank you for your testimony. Speaker number 62 is Riley Wall, to be followed by Colleen Funkhauser, Amber Gorski, and Annette Batchelor. Welcome. Hi, everybody. Thanks for having me. My name is Riley Wall, and I speak, I teach second grade at Sangster Elementary School, and I'm also a member of FCFT, along with all the other members behind us. I'm here today to speak in support of a fully funded budget for the upcoming school year. Instead of focusing on positions that will be cut like last year, I'll be focusing on my own experience as a teacher. This is my 10th year of my teaching career. I spent five years in

[07:30:01] Chicago, and this is my fifth year in Fairfax County Public Schools. I have saved my money, I invest, I spend frugally, and I still have no realistic path to owning my own home or being able to afford the community that I work in, which is Burke. I live in Alexandria instead. As you all know, we spend our whole school days with kids, then go home and do additional planning outside of school that's unpaid, as has been reiterated multiple times tonight. I work this job, tutor a student for one hour a week, and often spend one weekend night driving Uber Eats to earn some more money. I often hear from co-workers about this experience of working jobs in addition to teaching

[07:30:39] full-time. There's no simple, easy solution to make myself more financially stable other than seeking employment in a field that would pay me more outside of education. That's the current fear that I have for education in general, that experienced veteran teachers like myself who have dedicated so much of their lives to this profession will have to leave because of the lower salaries that we accept. I encourage you to consider these things from my personal experience when considering these budget proposals. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number 63, Colleen

[07:31:13] Funkhauser. Is Colleen here? Okay. Amber Gorski, I understand, has canceled. Annette Batchelor has canceled. So after Ms. Funkhauser will be George Silver and Nicole Zupan, if I called your name.

[07:31:28] there's all kinds of seats down here in the front, folks. Welcome. Thank you. Hi, my name is Colleen Funkhauser, and I am a resident of the Huntington neighborhood in the Mount Vernon district. I'm speaking in opposition of the proposal to end county services at the Huntington Community Center.

[07:31:46] The Huntington Community Center and the county staff who provide programming there are a hidden treasure to our community. My family first used the community center in 2019 to rent space for my baby shower. That baby is now a first grader at Cameron Elementary School. Hi, Eleanor. She is probably watching at home. She rides the bus every day after school with her neighborhood friends to the community center where they have an after-school program. Despite me rushing home from work to pick her up as soon as possible, she asked me, Mama, don't pick me up early. I want to have

[07:32:21] dinner with my friends. So at 6 p.m., I arrive, and I can hardly separate her and her friends to finally go home, each family walking in their own direction throughout the community. On full day school closures, and there are many holidays and planning days and school closures, she looks forward to spending an entire day at the community center with her friends. This county service is a godsend to local families. Other options in the area are limited in capacity or higher in cost.

[07:32:52] Families can remain on the wait list for SAC at Cameron Elementary for more than a year. The convenience and flexibility of the after-school program at the Huntington Community Center is essential for working families in the neighborhood. It's free, walkable, offers busing directly from school, a hot meal, neighborhood friends are attending there, and there's a playground nearby.

[07:33:15] Despite this amazing resource, it remains a hidden treasure, relying heavily on word of mouth in our community. I don't feel the visitor numbers quoted in the budget proposal reflect the true demand of the community. if outreach and communications were stronger.

[07:33:30] Myself and at least five other families learned about the after-school program simply by word of mouth from one single family that was already enrolled. The same is often true for other community programs at the center, and despite that limited outreach, our family has benefited from many other events that help make Huntington feel like a close-knit community.

[07:33:51] From Halloween activities, Easter egg hunts, craft activities, and importantly, educational programming from other county departments. With a county as large as Fairfax, neighborhood community centers help residents connect to each other and to the services of the broader county.

[07:34:08] I appreciate the need to close budget gaps and to carefully consider alternative programming in the community. Though the county proposes potential solutions at nearby community centers and options to procure non-profit services at that existing building, there is no guarantee that similar services will be provided at the convenience, flexibility, and standards the community currently receives from the county.

[07:34:32] The Huntington community values this center as a resource and hopes to retain the county services provided. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Speaker number 64, I'm going to call these two names again, even though I know they've canceled just to verify. Amber Gorski, Annette Batchelor.

[07:34:49] Okay, then we are on speaker 66, George Silver. Is George Silver here? He is to be followed by Nicole Zupan and Patrice Gotch. Welcome. Good evening, Chairman and members of the board. My name is George Silver. I'm the General Manager at Jeffries Catering.

[07:35:06] My organization partners with Fairfax County for the Home Delivery Meals Program. Our partnership is unique from other counties that we service in that we deliver to the homes directly. Other counties use volunteers. You know, in the process of that, you know, we take pride in the fact that we're building rapport and relationships between drivers and the clients.

[07:35:28] But that gives us a firsthand perspective of the proposed cutting meals and what kind of impact that will have on the seniors. You know, many of the seniors, they live alone, they're vulnerable, they struggle with mobility, so you probably won't see any of them here over the next few days.

[07:35:47] So, you know, I'm here today to speak on their behalf. You know, many of the seniors, the food that we give them is all the food that they have for the week. You know, part of our service is our drivers will help put away the food for the client.

[07:36:03] So we open the refrigerators, the refrigerators are bare. We open the freezer, the freezer's bare. We had a new client started three weeks ago. My wife's actually at one of our drivers who works with us. And, you know, we're just sitting at home discussing it. And she said that this woman is literally at the door waiting because she's so hungry.

[07:36:22] Just waiting for the meals to get there. you know we rewind back to January we had the snows and the ice and you know it gave us some really unprecedented challenges on making deliveries usually when inclement weather's coming you know the leaders of the program for Fairfax County they'll call and say George are you going to be able to get there and we've never had a problem of getting out but we're not really aware of what we're going to see on the other end and like I said with the unprecedented weather we got pictures of drivers and what they faced you know I had one driver they had a driveway I've never even seen a driveway like this but it was so covered with snow and ice it looked like a ski

[07:36:59] slope and we had to call and say you know we're not going to be able to deliver roughly 30 minutes later the driver called she went and parked at grocery store put the 30 pound bag on her back and on her hands and knees took 20 minutes to scale this driveway just to get up hour later we had another driver sent a picture single family home there wasn't a trail that went to it so nobody had even been there in over a week and it was so hard you step on it wouldn't crack or anything. The driver had fallen at the last stop, so she was kind of leery of trying to attempt to

[07:37:34] get to the door. And we called the client again, and he just kind of laughed. He said, I don't know why you're here. I told the social worker not even to send you. There's no way you're going to get here. Maybe 45 minutes later, I was walking by, and the manager of that department should grab me by the sleeve as she was on the phone, and she put it on speaker, and she said, sir, can you repeat that? And he was crying, and he was laughing. He said, I have no idea how you made it here. He said, I was prepared not to eat this week.

[07:38:01] The driver called her husband and her son happened to be in the neighborhood. And they came and they dug a trench to get her to the door so she could deliver those meals. You know, the program allows for the seniors to be independent with a level of dignity.

[07:38:19] You know, when you see it firsthand like we do, you know, it's kind of difficult to imagine that, you know, an item lying on a budget could put a price on something like that. You know, we understand that the budget and policies are going to be evaluated.

[07:38:36] My goal here today was to ensure that, you know, the needs of the seniors are part of that conversation. So I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Thank you. Speaker number 67 is Nicole Zupan, to be followed by Patrice Gotch, William McCabe, and Ellie Volatin.

[07:38:58] Welcome. Good evening. My name is Nicole Zupan, and I'm a Fairfax County Public Schools elementary special ed teacher. I'm here today to ask you to fully fund FCPS's proposed budget because without that funding, there is a real concern that funding for the elementary special ed department chairs will be cut.

[07:39:18] Special ed chairs are critical in supporting the successful rollout of Dr. Reed's ongoing inclusion program, a program that is considered cost neutral and therefore really depends on the skills and the abilities of those special ed chairs at the elementary level.

[07:39:35] They coordinate case manager schedules. They ensure proper support for students, organize training to build capacity within the schools, and they support both the special ed and gen ed teachers as they work together to help our students be their most successful self in the least restrictive environment.

[07:39:53] At my school, Union Mill Elementary over in Clifton, our special ed chair organizes re-eval meetings, mentors new staff, does all of our educational testing, support students who are acting out or attempting to elope when case managers like me are supporting other students on our caseloads.

[07:40:11] Without her support, the assistant principals and the principal would be spending a lot more of their time managing these challenging situations. Without her support, I would need to take more time away from my students to be trained to do the educational testing that she would normally do and then complete that testing with students.

[07:40:29] I would also need to manage my own re-evaluation meetings In addition to all of my legally required IEP meetings, there are already not enough hours in the day to do everything that we are legally required to do during our contract hours.

[07:40:45] Adding these duties to special ed teachers' portfolios will only lead to more burnout and staff potentially leaving in a field that already does not have enough people in it. Ladies and gentlemen, my colleagues, you've heard this already several times, we love what we do.

[07:41:04] For many of us, special education is a mission. It is why we are here on this earth. Please don't undercut this mission. Please fully fund FCPS's proposed budget so that schools are not asked again to find a way to fund their elementary special ed chairs.

[07:41:24] Without them, our time teaching students will be reduced. Our ability to work with and support their families will be less effective. And at the end of the day, the real losers will be our students. Thank you. Thank you.

[07:41:40] Speaker 68 is Patrice Gotch, to be followed by William McCabe, Ellie Bollatin, and Vanessa Hall. Welcome. Good evening, members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. My name is Patrice Gotch, and I teach multilingual learners at Bryant High School, an FCPS alternative high school that serves some of our county's most vulnerable students.

[07:42:08] Every day, I work with young people who are doing everything they can to survive while also trying to learn. Some of these students have family members who are facing deportation proceedings. Others deal with housing and food insecurity.

[07:42:26] They come from families where multiple jobs are necessary just to make ends meet. Some students are navigating court dates, substance abuse recovery, and trauma that most adults would struggle to carry. and still, they show up. They keep trying. What these students need from us is stability, and right now, we are on the path to giving them the opposite. Last week, eight staff members at my school were de-staffed, and at the beginning of this school year, five others were de-staffed.

[07:43:02] But as many speakers before me have noted, these are not just abstract numbers. These are trusted adults who built relationships with students who often do not have that consistency anywhere else. In schools like mine, relationships are not an extra. They are the foundation of learning and survival. When we lose staff, we lose the ability to meet students where they are. We lose counselors who know which students slept in their car last night. We lose teachers who can

[07:43:41] communicate with families across language barriers and navigate cultural differences. We lose the continuity that keeps students from falling through the cracks. I understand that budgets are complex, but I also believe that budgets are moral documents. They reflect what we value. So I am asking you directly, please fully fund Fairfax County Public Schools. Do not balance budgets on the backs of students who already have the least, do not allow another year of cuts that deepen inequity in our

[07:44:19] schools. Our students are counting on you to choose them. Thank you. Thank you. William McCabe is speaker number 69 to be followed by Ellie Ballatin and Vanessa Hall. Welcome. My name is Bill McCabe. I'm a Fairfax County resident, a national board certified Fairfax County public schools teacher, a father of two students who have graduated FCPS. I'm a homeowner, a taxpayer, and I'm a voter. Last year, I spoke before this board and urged you politely to do the right thing, to pass a small increase in the meals tax so you could devote the revenue to FCPS school system.

[07:44:59] You only got it half right. You raised the tax, but then used the revenue for a property tax reduction. And by so doing, you left the FCPS budget underfunded, which resulted in the following. The failure to fully fund increases in teacher compensation provided in a contract which had been negotiated between the teachers unions, of which I'm a proud FCFT member, and the school division.

[07:45:21] In my book, you reneged on that contract. Class sizes that are historically large. I'm in my 29th year of teaching in FCPS. I've never had the student load I have this year. I have 156 kids. I'm far from alone.

[07:45:37] Teachers are drowning in work to keep up with their overcrowded classes. D-staffs, they are rampant this year. Teachers with years of experience teaching in their schools will need to find jobs elsewhere, upsetting not only their professional, but their personal lives. Decreased morale among school faculties.

[07:45:53] Failure to fund schools fully causes those teachers who don't lose their positions to have to do more work. I'm not sure if you are aware, but teachers today are not merely asked to teach. We're told to act as counselors, nurses, psychologists, mentors, administrative assistants, proctors, and this year, security guards.

[07:46:11] At my school this year, teachers are being asked by administrators to man stations adjacent to the weapons detectors, the first point of contact for any possibly dangerous intruders. My principal says this is part of my professional responsibility, as if it were in any way connected to the description of the job I was hired to do, such as the ripple effect of what you do in this room.

[07:46:36] I hear so many loud voices who complain their property taxes are going up by a few pennies. And it makes me amazed that these same people don't realize their property values are so connected to the quality of the public schools here in Fairfax County. Yet you listen to them and not to teachers.

[07:46:53] You hand out tax breaks while underfunding the school system. And the underlying unspoken message to teachers is, you are noble, teachers. You don't really work for pay as much as the chance to help your students learn. You won't mind, then, when we give you less than you deserve, less than teachers and surrounding school systems make, less than you need to make to make sure that there are not more kids in each of your classes than there are desks in the room.

[07:47:16] You won't mind because you're docile and kind, and, you know, you're there for the kids. And thus you take advantage of our so-called nobility and generosity. Do you know what teachers' greatest weakness is? Their politeness. Their ability, when faced with yet another year of making do with less than they need, to merely shrug their shoulders and try to get by.

[07:47:36] Well, I am close to retirement, and I am old. And I have decided I cannot be polite any longer. I am tired of being docile. Tired of not speaking out, even though I realize, like last year, there is little chance that you will listen to anything I am saying. Yet, I will be a teacher today who stands up and says to you, those in control of the budget, Stop relying on meekness, politeness, and nobility among teachers and start prioritizing schools.

[07:48:02] If you do not, we will all wake up someday soon and find our homes are worth less than they were when we did fund the school system. That employers are leaving because the workforce is not as educated as it once was. And the graduates of Montgomery County are looking better bets as employees. And you will find it even harder than it is to find teachers who will put up with the spare change and the leftovers you decide we will have to suffice with yet again this year.

[07:48:24] Just like every year. Speaker number 70 is Allie Bulletin, to be followed by Vanessa Hall and Sarah Robles.

[07:48:48] Welcome. Hi there. My name is Eli Bulletin. I am the father of a joyful, snuggly, determined little first grader who happens to get extra support from the special education program in our public schools. Now, kindergarten was a joy.

[07:49:05] and that first year I learned things about my own kid that could only be learned from people who love working with children. The extra support my child received truly worked. My daughter thrived and we saw those support needs decrease over time. Then the end of the year came and we learned that the funding for the STEAM teacher was disappearing and we learned that her special education teacher and her favorite instructional assistant and even the special education department chair were all leaving and we were devastated.

[07:49:38] This year, my daughter's brand-new special education teacher left the school before the first quarter even ended. Without this support teacher, my daughter was getting lost in a class with 25 other students and just a single adult. We scrambled, took what seemed like forever for the replacement to pass all of the administrative hurdles, but our department chair stepped up to fill that gap while we waited.

[07:50:04] This was possible as our school principal somehow found a way to keep the position full-time this year, And I shudder to think what would have happened if the chair had only been part-time, as it was at so many other schools this year. So I'm grateful to our principal, and I am grateful that Dr. Reed's proposed budget aims to fully restore the funding for special education department chairs.

[07:50:27] And that class sizes are being addressed. Even with no children that have special needs, 26 first graders being managed by one adult is not a recipe for success in my book. I came to this hearing from a meeting earlier this afternoon where my daughter's special education support needs were re-evaluated.

[07:50:48] One of the professionals there was a school psychologist who plays a key role. However, he was only able to be there for the legally mandated first half of the meeting as he had other obligations. Now, the National Association of School Psychologists recommends a ratio of one school psychologist for every 500 students to provide a full range of mental health, behavioral, and academic supports.

[07:51:09] He is supposed to be responsible for 500 students. Unfortunately, the real number is well over 1,300, as he is shared between schools. Similarly, our technology specialist was warned that she might get shared between schools as well. This is the person that makes sure that our children become familiar with using iPads, the person implementing our typing program, the person who will be coordinating the county's new AI curriculum, things that are all kind of a big deal right now.

[07:51:36] We already cut the STEAM teacher position. That's the position dedicated to science technology, also something that's rather essential in today's day and age. Now, I'm not an expert on how to raise money or which programs should be raised more efficiently, run more efficiently. I just know that as a parent, I see every day how much our schools mean to our children and our community.

[07:51:56] Please help us. Thank you. Speaker number 71 is Vanessa Hall, to be followed by Sarah Robles, and then we have a series of videos. Hi.

[07:52:17] Hello. I know it's been a long day, so I appreciate your time and attention. I'm really sad that the anti-taxers, who I now consider anti-Fairfaxers, are not here to listen to this. Pardon me. They seem to be willing to throw out the best of Fairfax County for pennies, less in taxes.

[07:52:36] Yet they don't care if tens of thousands of their neighbors suffer due to cuts to programs for seniors, teens, and high support needs children. Anti-Fairfaxers love to focus on cuts to FCPS because they consider nearly everything our students need to be some combination of CRT, Marxism, and Communism.

[07:52:57] Oh, my. Especially they hate mental health programs, which I'll talk about. My name is Vanessa. I'm a longtime resident of Fairfax County, an FCPS alum, parent of two FCPS kids, one of whom was a national merit finalist, one of whom is also smart and has an IEP for dyslexia and ADHD. When my daughter started high school, we first met the school psychologist, Mr. D. In the first month of ninth grade, she had an insurmountable problem in American Sign Language, which is not uncommon for dyslexics.

[07:53:29] But Mr. D and I worked together to help her self-advocate and move into a new class where she thrived. With Mr. D's guidance, my daughter went from feeling like a failure and having grades that reflected those feelings to getting nearly all A's her freshman year, which was really awesome.

[07:53:45] In other words, Mr. D's immediate efforts and availability helped my daughter begin high school with confidence by empowering her to succeed rather than fail. She is one of hundreds, if not thousands, of kids whose education outcomes have been improved by Mr. D, and that means grades and SOLs.

[07:54:08] However, due to last year's budget cuts, Mr. D splits his time between Woodson and Lake Braddock, which means that he's serving 5,000 students. And those students don't know how to find him any day of any week.

[07:54:26] And it means their crises don't respect the days when he's there. He is the trusted adult. And obviously, they can always see someone else, but he always has an open door, a kind heart, and incredible guidance. So imagine the crises that are left unaddressed and the impact on the bottom line for FCPS and for you all, which are grades and SOLs.

[07:54:48] Every single school deserves a Mr. D, but last year's budget cuts eliminated trusted adults from across the county and students are suffering, especially those with IEPs or anxiety. One, Fairfax and equity means mental health support for those who don't have access to mental health care or insurance, no matter their age, ability, or immigration status.

[07:55:12] I'm here to kind of represent people who can't be here in person, even though I'm just talking as a parent. But we really need to care about this because that's how we bring parents, families, and businesses to Fairfax County. And thank you all.

[07:55:27] And I'm sorry it's so late, but it's better than last year. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Sarah Robles. Good evening, Board of Supervisors. My name is Sarah Robles.

[07:55:44] I have lived in Fairfax County my entire life. I graduated from FCPS and have served as a teacher for the last 13 years. Additionally, I am a homeowner in Fairfax County in the Mount Vernon District. I'm here tonight to ask you to fund our schools.

[07:56:02] Last year, our union alliance, FEU, negotiated a historic contract after 40 years. As a teacher, I was hopeful as we negotiated a 7% salary increase after years of missed, consolidated, or frozen step increases.

[07:56:19] I was extremely disappointed when this board then voted to underfund our schools, leading to a budget shortfall of over $120 million. This led to staffing being cut and increased class sizes. This board cannot continue to say they support schools while at the same time continuing to underfund them.

[07:56:41] Actions speak louder than words. Show us you support public education by fully funding our schools. We will remember when we go to the polls. Thank you. Thank you. We now are going to move to Speaker 73 through 76, who has submitted video testimony.

[07:56:59] if we could roll those. Hello, Chair, Vice Chair, and members of the board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Katie Priest, and I'm a Fairfax County Public Schools special education teacher and resident of Fairfax County. I am in my 11th year of teaching and have taught in Massachusetts and Northern Virginia, working exclusively with middle school and high school students. I come to you today urging you to fully fund the proposed budget. This is not just a financial decision, it is a statement about our priorities as a community. FCPS serves more than

[07:57:33] 180,000 students, each with unique needs, talents, and challenges. The proposed budget reflects the real cost of maintaining a high-quality education system in one of the most diverse and dynamic counties in the country. It addresses rising costs, supports our educators, and ensures that students receive the resources they need to succeed. First, we must talk about our teachers and staff. They are the backbone of our schools, yet many are struggling with the high cost of living in this region. Competitive compensation is not optional. It is essential if we want to

[07:58:09] retain experienced teachers and attract new talent. Fully funding this budget means investing in the people who shape our children's futures every day. Second, our students' needs are growing more complex. From mental health support to language services to special education, FCPS must meet students where they are. Underfunding the budget risks widening gaps and leaving vulnerable students behind. That is not who we are as a county. Third, strong schools are directly tied to strong communities. Families choose Fairfax County because of its public schools. Property

[07:58:45] values, economic vitality, and quality of life all depend on a well-funded education system. Cutting corners now will only cost us more in the long run. I understand that budget decisions require balancing and competing priorities. But education is foundational. It's not just one line item among many. It is an investment that underpins everything else. Fully funding the FCPS proposed budget sends a clear message. We value our students, we respect our educators, and we are committed to maintaining Fairfax County as a place where opportunity thrives. I urge you to make that

[07:59:21] commitment and fully fund our budget. Thank you for your time and consideration. Good afternoon, Chairman and members of the Board of Supervisors. My name is Jenna Smith, and I am the Executive Director of the Every Child Advocacy Foundation, and I have over a decade of professional experience supporting individuals with disabilities across educational and community settings, in addition to being the parent of three children with disabilities who do have IEPs in Fairfax County Public Schools.

[07:59:52] And today, I want to talk about something that often goes unseen, but is essential to whether special education actually works in practice. As both a parent and an advocate, I have sat at countless IEP tables, and some feel collaborative and supportive, and others feel confusing and overwhelming, where you're trying to follow along, but you're not sure if what's being decided will actually help your child. The difference is often not the child, and not even the school as a whole.

[08:00:21] It's whether there is a strong, supported special education department chair in place. As a parent, I can tell you what that role feels like when it's done well. It feels like someone's guiding the process, not just managing it. And timelines are met, meetings are clear, and most importantly, the child doesn't get lost.

[08:00:39] But I can also tell you what it feels like when it's not. When you leave a meeting with more questions than answers, carrying the weight of wondering if your child is about to fall through the cracks. Elementary special education department chairs are not just administrative supports, they are the infrastructure.

[08:00:57] They are the ones running the IEP meetings as the principal's designee, monitoring compliance so timelines are actually met, mentoring new and provisionally licensed teachers, supporting behavior and crisis situations in real time, translating complex processes into something that families can understand.

[08:01:16] They are the difference between a system that works on paper and actually works in real life. Over the years, I've gotten to know several special education department chairs in Fairfax County. And I can say without exaggeration that I have rarely seen professionals carry the level of responsibility, time commitment, and mental load that they do. They are constantly thinking about students, staff, timelines, and what needs to happen next so nothing falls through the cracks.

[08:01:44] They don't just meet expectations, they consistently go beyond them. Not as a bonus, but because that is what it takes for the system to work. And returning to supporting behavior in crisis situations in real time. When you're the parent of a child with significant needs, there are moments when things escalate quickly. Moments where everything hinges on whether the people around your child know what to do. I have lived those moments. And in schools, the people who step in to destabilize or to stabilize, sorry, problem solve and support staff in real time are often the

[08:02:23] special education department chairs. Without that support, situations escalate faster, staff feel less prepared, and students are more likely to be removed from their learning environment. Not because they don't belong there, but because the system doesn't have the capacity to respond.

[08:02:40] And this is why I'm not just speaking today as a parent of my own children. I am speaking on behalf of the families I work with every day. Families navigating complex systems while managing very real, very immediate needs. Families who are not asking for anything extra, they're just asking for a system that works when it matters most. Right now, with a projected $43.8 million shortfall, we are at risk for destabilizing the very roles that make this possible. Because when funding becomes inconsistent, the system doesn't just adjust. It becomes harder for everyone to do

[08:03:19] their job well, and the impact falls on students, families, and staff. So today, I'm asking you to take two clear actions. The first is to fully fund the FCPS transfer request and do not shift additional financial responsibility onto FCPS by moving county-level costs into the school budget because when that happens, the impact is immediate and is felt most by the students who need the most support. As a parent, I know what it feels like to sit at a table and hope the system works.

[08:03:55] As an advocate, I know what it takes behind the scenes for that to happen. Right now, you have the opportunity to protect that structure, not after it breaks, but before. This is not about adding anything extra, it's about preserving something essential. I recognize that you are making decisions across a wide range of priorities, and that we don't always know what we don't know.

[08:04:17] So on behalf of families of children with disabilities, I am asking you to consider these pieces as essential contexts to connect the dots and fully understand the real-world impact of the decisions in front of you. Thank you. Hello, my name is Kevin Xu, and I live in the Monument Precinct. I want to bring to the board's attention a couple of specific items regarding language access in the budget. I've noticed in the agency reductions document that there is a reduction of language services budget in the Department of Family Services, as well as an emphasis on the Office of Public Affairs to provide more support to the agencies overall.

[08:04:54] I want to credit Fairfax County staff for their work in providing language access to Spanish and Korean-speaking residents, as well as Vietnamese in many official capacities. Growing up in this area and seeing election information in the mail and signs at Eleanor Lawrence Park helped show Asian communities that have been here for decades that our inclusion and our participation in county affairs matters. There was even a great presentation a couple of years ago by the Fairfax Health Department, another key example of community outreach to the Chinese community. However,

[08:05:28] there is still much more to be done. I ask that the county continues to put resources to expand language access for our various communities beyond Spanish and Korean. In particular, I feel that investment in hiring staff to handle Vietnamese and the various Chinese dialects is a critical first step. You can see in recent Title VI reports regarding Fairfax County, Vietnamese and Chinese remain the top third and fourth LEP communities without the same dedicated staff and media presence of Spanish and Korean from Fairfax County. I would like to emphasize that those reported as LEP

[08:06:04] are only a portion of the larger population that need language access to government information. I would ask the board to consider if they would truly be able to navigate how to pay a parking ticket online, file a restraining order, or apply for aid by only using the language that they have learned in Duolingo. Folks who may live here for decades may only be proficient in English for daily social and shopping interactions and not for bureaucratic financial or legal areas they may still depend on middlemen or community social media groups who may give out outdated or inaccurate

[08:06:40] information about county affairs as noted in hamke center's business needs survey 25 of fairfax county businesses are aapi owned yet there is still a large need for understanding and navigating government bureaucracy and economic development programs which dedicated resources and staff could resolve by bridging the communication gap.

[08:07:03] Committing funds and staff to translate announcements, regulations, and information on programs would drive participation and engagement from this undertapped part of our county. I will continue to support giving additional funding to ensure the Language Access Plan can reach all county residents to truly let my home shine as a cosmopolitan hub in Virginia.

[08:07:25] I hope the board can consider the same as well. Hi, I'm Junie, and one thing that is really important to me is the community. So, yeah, the community center is really fun for me as an after school because not only is it just fun, but I get to see my friends, staff members, and have fun activities.

[08:07:55] Play on the blacktop, play silent speedball. most games that I try to play is from either from the community center or my school so it's really important to me that the that it keeps going the way that at the after school because I don't care if it makes small changes but this is a big change so I really hope that this will be over and we

[08:08:30] could just go back to normal but it's kind of confusing for me but it's hard at the same time i really really like it there and i hope that will never change all right um that was a great way to end a long day right uh that brings us to the end of our speakers list and our first day of budget testimony as well as the end of our board meeting today and we will continue with testimony tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Until that time, the board is in recess.

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