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| Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova |
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Email
Website
Office
(703) 324-2321
Please contact my office with any comments, questions, concerns or ideas. I
look forward to hearing from you.
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Thank you to my four spring interns for all your help and great work.
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Greetings,
One of my favorite non-profits is an organization called Britepaths. F
ormerly called Our Daily Bread, Britepaths is one of many partners that works with Fairfax County to assist families and individuals who need help. In particular, their mission is to stabilize families by providing  short-term food and financial assistance, and then helping to build continued resilience and strength through mentoring. They help families out of their crisis and onto a path of stability and self-sufficiency.
Recently, Britepaths launched a social media project asking members of the community to share what "resilience" means to them. I submitted a photo of a tree I pass several times a week while jogging/hiking through Villa Park. The path I take runs parallel to a tributary of Popes Head Creek.
For years I've marveled at the sight of this healthy tree, growing straight and tall on a shallow embankment hanging over the creek. There is almost no soil under the tree. Its roots, however, have fanned out and fastened the tree firmly to the earth. If this isn't a demonstration of resilience, I don't know what is!
Several themes
are associated with the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget, which the Board passed on Tuesday. When beginning our Budget Mark-up Process I used the word sustainability. Throughout the Budget Guidance document we adopted, Budget Chair Jeff McKay stressed the need for us to recognize the fiscal realities as we continue to slog through a tepid recovery following the Great Recession. Repeatedly, the Budget Guidance calls for fiscally constrained planning, recognizing what former County Executive Tony Griffin cautioned (in FY'09) was going to be "the new normal" for much longer than most of us imagined.
So, back to my favorite tree, resilience is another theme
associated with this year's budget. We live in a fantastic community.
We are engaged and committed. We will do the best we can with what
we have.
See in this Byline information not only about the challenges our Board and region are addressing, but also the beautiful things we are able to enjoy. My favorites are our upcoming Evenings on the Ellipse (summer concerts in the Government Center back yard) and Farmers Markets opening all over the County. I can already taste the fresh tomatoes and corn!
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Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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| Board of Supervisors Adopts FY2018 Budget |
On Tuesday May 2, 2017,
the Board of Supervisors formally adopted the FY2018 Budget. Here are some key things to know about the Adopted Budget:
- The real estate tax rate will stay the same at $1.13.
- This year, the average sales price of homes increased by 1%.
- The average homeowner's annual tax bill will go up about $40 due to slight increases in assessments.
- The Budget is built on an increase in total revenue of just 1.9%.
- The Budget includes $13 million in savings, reductions and efficiencies.
- Schools will receive $2.17 billion, which is 52.8% of the County's General Fund Budget.
- We increased funding to schools overall by 2.49% ($52.7 million) over last year. That includes debt service and capital.
- We increased the School Operating Transfer by 2.79% ($53.4 million).
- This is the sixth consecutive year that we have increased funding for schools.
- $2 million in new funding is allocated to support the Diversion First program, which helps divert individuals with mental illness from jail into mental health treatment.
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| Working to Restore Safe and Reliable Metro Service |
Our region is working to develop a resolution to help restore Metro's safe and reliable service. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) convened two groups:
The first group was comprised of our region's Chief Administrative Officers, including County Executive Ed Long, who looked at WMATA's financials and the ability of local jurisdictions to help fund Metro into the future. A report was created that provides baseline financial information and realistic options for filling WMATA's funding gaps in a fiscally constrained time. The
report suggests that local governments consider a regional sales tax for the WMATA compact jurisdictions.
I chair a second MWCOG task force with other regional leaders to develop policy and funding recommendations for the long-term viability of WMATA. My group is discussing strategies for how to implement the recommendations in the report mentioned above.
WMATA's General Manager, Paul Wiedefeld, has put forward several internal recommendations that could provide additional stability in the long term such as legislative changes, personnel policy changes, labor plan modifications and maintenance practices. The WMATA Board of Directors will be working to implement these internal changes.
In addition, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) has a group tasked with looking at the governance structure of WMATA and more opportunities for streamlining. This group is led by Braddock District Supervisor John Cook.
Some recommended changes regarding the financial and governance structure of WMATA will require revising the
WMATA Compact, the federally constructed agreement among WMATA jurisdictions (Maryland, DC and Virginia) for managing the Metro system.
Our regional leaders are fully aware that a safe and reliable Metro system is critical to the success of the region. Many decades ago our region was able to come together to create our transit system, and we will come together once again to improve the system for future generations.
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| Capital Bikeshare Membership Special Offer |
Capital Bikeshare has come to Fairfax County and for a limited time, county residents can save 50% off the annual $85 membership fee with a special code from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation Bike Program. This offer is only valid for new Capital Bikeshare memberships, and customers must be residents of Fairfax County. This promotion expires on May 31, 2017 or when all codes have been claimed. To receive your discount code, simply fill in the online form and click submit!
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| Seeking Public-Private-Partnerships to Help Support Human Services |
The One Fairfax Resolution strives to build an opportunity-rich society for all, in part by providing vital health and human services to residents in need. We know that when everyone in our community has the chance to fulfill his or her potential to the maximum extent possible, everyone among us benefits.
Like many jurisdictions across the country, Fairfax County must find novel and innovative ways of funding and delivering health and human services. Demand is outstripping current resources. The
Human Services Needs Assessment
makes clear we must embrace change in the way we deliver and pay for programs and services that many residents rely on in Fairfax County, including seniors, students and people with disabilities.
On May 18, the Fairfax County Human Services Council will host a community-driven Innovation Challenge. Led by residents, this event will bring together businesses, nonprofits, educators, philanthropists, foundations and leaders in the human services community to
explore innovative business opportunities to help address areas such as housing, disability services, economic self-sufficiency, mental health, seniors, youth se
rvices and more in our community. This is a great opportunity for the community to come together to discover new possibilities for innovative service delivery. If you are interested in attending, p
lease
register
for this free event. Breakfast will be provided.
WEBSITE
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PRESS RELEASE
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FLYER
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| Volunteer Opportunity to Help Struggling Children and Moms |
Second Story (formerly Alternative House) is a 45-year-old organization that transforms the lives of children, youth and their families by providing safe havens and opportunities for them to grow and thrive. Second Story provides support at critical turning points in their lives and is always welcoming volunteers to assist with their programs. Some of these programs include Second Story Teens in Crisis, which helps teens who are homeless or leaving an abusive situation. Second Story Young Mothers helps mothers and their children with housing, food, clothing, financial advising and a path to stability. The Second Story Homeless Youth Program offers services and support to help homeless teens finish high school, start college, recover from trauma, and enter empowered adulthood. And Second Story in the Community helps low-income, disadvantaged youth connect more in school and their community.
Volunteer Info Sessions are held every second Tuesday of the month at 10am, 3pm and 6pm at the Emergency Shelter for Teenagers location: 2100 Gallows Road, Vienna, VA 22182. For additional information and to RSVP, please visit
second-story.org/get-involved/open-door-registration/.
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| Who We Are In Fairfax County: View Latest Report and Interactive Data |
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| Celebrate Fairfax with Carnival Rides, Music, Food and Fireworks |
The Celebrate Fairfax! Festival is a county fair and music festival hybrid, steeped in the history and vitality of Fairfax County and its 1.1 million citizens. Launched as the Fairfax Fair in 1982, the event was created by a commission of elected officials and community leaders who realized that our fast-growing county lacked a unifying event or an established downtown. Th
e resulting county fair was (and remains) the only major event designed to reach all of Fairfax's communities. This three day festival is coming up June 9-11!
Friday, June 9th 6:00 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Saturday, June 10th 10:00 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Sunday, June 11th 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Festival Location:
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035
Free Parking: Fair Lakes Circle and Fair Oaks Mall lots will have shuttles to and from festival entrance.
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| Family Friendly Fairfax History Fair - June 17, 2017 |
Visit
www.fxva.com/275/ to learn more about Fairfax County's 275th Anniversary Celebration!
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| Buy Locally Grown Produce at Farmers Markets |
Farmers Market season is gearing up in 11 locations across Fairfax County. You can purchase produce, bread, snacks and goodies directly from local farms, bakeries and vendors. Visit
fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/ to find the market nearest you.
A market will be held in the front parking lot of the Fairfax County Government Center every Thursday now through the end of October from 3-7pm. In July and August, the
Evenings on the Ellipse Concerts will be held on the back lawn of the Government Center from 5:30-7pm. You can grab some snacks at the market (and often a food truck will show up for dinner) and then stay for a free concert, thanks to our amazing community sponsors.
You can catch
other concerts hosted at many Fairfax County parks this summer!
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| Native Plants Support Healthy Ecosystems |
Plants that evolved in Fairfax County are not only beautiful and garden worthy, they are also the entire basis for our local ecosystem. Native plants feed the insects that nourish baby birds, frogs, bats, etc. Only native plants provide the food for most of the caterpillars that turn into butterflies. Very few native insects can find anything to eat on our landscapes of Asian, European and other imported plants.
Plant NOVA Natives is the joint campaign of a coalition of non-profit, governmental and private groups all working to reverse the decline of native plants and wildlife in Northern Virginia. Its goal is to encourage residents as well as public and commercial entities to install native plants as the first step toward creating wildlife habitat and functioning ecosystems on their own properties.
The
Plant NOVA Natives
website has all the information you need to landscape with native plants, from simply putting a tree in your front yard to adding shrubs and flowers. Free consultations are also available from volunteers with the
Audubon at Home Wildlife Sanctuary Program
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| Nominations for Environmental Excellence Awards Due May 31 |
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| Ways to Help Prevent Mosquito Bites |
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