Dear Neighbors,

Today we had our Budget Mark-up meeting of the Board of Supervisors. This was an exceptionally difficult budget with tough decisions needing to be made. The proposed budget had some $60 million dollars in proposed reductions and a proposed 1.5 cent increase on the real estate tax rate. However, since February I have heard from hundreds if not thousands of you around the County’s proposed budget and your voices were heard! I fought hard to represent the concerns you all shared with me and worked with my colleagues to develop a budget that maintains our core services and working to lessen the burden property taxes have on our residents. I’ve been clear since day one I cannot do this work on my own and I rely on all of you to help guide our district into the future.

That said, I recognize that there is still a lot of uncertainty that our residents are facing, and this is not lost on me. Uncertainty notwithstanding and through strong advocacy and smart governance, I helped secure critical funding for community needs while also reducing the real estate tax rate. As such, instead of a proposed increase to $1.14 per $100 of assessed value, we’ve reduced the real estate tax rate from the current $1.125 to $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value, a reduction of a quarter cent from the current rate. I recognize that some may still see an increase due to rising home assessments, but it was a priority to mitigate this impact as much as I could and reverse the trend of higher real estate tax rates. This reflects my commitment to fiscal responsibility while still delivering key services and investments.

Before I get into what my team and I worked hard to secure I do want to touch on something the Board approved in mark-up today. As part of mark-up we included a 4% meals tax that will provide vital revenue to support services without increasing the burden on homeowners. It is estimated that roughly one third of revenue generated from this tax will be paid for by those living outside of Fairfax County. Additionally, this brings us into alignment with our surrounding jurisdictions, except for Loudoun County, who have already implemented such a tax. This includes jurisdictions within Fairfax County such as the Towns of Clifton, Herndon, Vienna and the City of Fairfax. The Board also approved and initial dealer discount of 3%, which will help to offset implementation costs that some restaurants may realize. It is also important to note that our reduction in the tax rate is based off of only six-months of the meals tax being in place. It will remain my priority to diversify, insofar as we can, revenue sources and to continue to alleviate the burden of real estate taxes have one our residents.

Below are several items that I was proud to help secure funding in the Fiscal Year 26 budget not in small part due to Mason residents advocacy:

🌲 Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources

• $250,000 for trail maintenance: Ensuring safe, clean, and accessible trails. This was a top priority in staying true to our One Fairfax efforts. Our trails are accessible to all residents regardless of socioeconomic status and provide and outlet for physical and mental health well-being.

🚒 Public Safety and Emergency Services

• While I advocated for full stipend funding for Volunteer Fire & Rescue Departments, we secured partial funding, including a $35,000 stipend for apparatus to help keep volunteers equipped. Mason is home to two of the busiest fire stations in all of Fairfax County both of which are staffed by volunteers. In helping alleviate the full cut to their stipends for purchasing equipment and apparatuses we maintain the level of service our residents have come to expect.
•  CERT (Community Emergency Response Team): Fully funded to maintain community preparedness. While a small part of our budget it was clear from Mason residents that this program means a lot to our community. Additionally, the volunteers in this program provide a value of over $1 million in volunteer hours a significant return on investment given its relatively small fiscal impact.

📚 Youth and Education

• After-School Program: Bridge funding provided to the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, enabling FCPS to continue operating the Middle School After-School program through the 2025–2026 school year while examining the potential transition to a fee-based model. While I do have concerns around how this may impact our economically disadvantaged residents, I am confident both County and FCPS staff will keep equity at the core of any future proposal. Nonetheless, it is clear this program means a lot to our neighbors, especially our youth and it is an investment on their future successes.    

🏠 Housing and Shelter Support

• $75,000 for case management services: Providing crucial support for adults in emergency shelters. If we are to continue to stay true to our efforts of preventing and ending homelessness, it is vital we have support in place to assist those on their road to self-sufficiency.    

This is the markup phase, and the final budget vote is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13. I’ll keep you updated and continue to advocate for the strongest possible outcomes for our community.

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and partnership.

Sincerely,