Last night more than 70 county residents, including several from our district, participated in public hearings on the proposed FY 2023 budget and tax rates. The public hearings continue tonight and tomorrow beginning at 3 p.m. and you can watch them here. Thank you to everyone who has provided input during the public hearings, my town hall, or contacting my office. Following the public hearings, we will have markup on April 26, which is when the Board makes changes to the county executive's proposed budget. We adopt the FY 2023 Budget on Tuesday, May 10 and it becomes effective July 1, 2022.

Coming up with the right balance of allocating roughly $4 billion of general funds (more than half goes to Fairfax County Public Schools) to meet the needs of our community and employees is a task that this Board takes very seriously. We must also balance these needs with taxes that do not unduly burden our residents. This year has presented us with the challenge of substantially rising home and car values:

Your questions and input are always welcome, please email my office.

It's time to head back out on our decks to enjoy the warm weather. If you have an older deck, please take a few minutes to review deck safety resources provided by the county, including how to extend the life of your deck. Learn more.

Every year, the county's Department of Code Compliance receives questions and complaints regarding grass height on both residential and commercial properties. Fairfax County Code regulates grass height, which may not be taller than 12" on any vacant or occupied residential property less than ½-acre (21,780 square feet) in area. Learn more

Spring and summer storms may put many homes at risk for flooding. And just one inch of water in a home can cause more than $25,000 in damages. There are several steps you can take to protect your property. Learn more.    

Regional challenges need smart solutions! Fairfax County is seeking individuals/teams to participate in the 2022 Smart Cities Challenge. Participants will come together over a six-week period, from May 2 – June 16, to create innovative solutions in the areas of transportation, health, water and carbon neutrality. Cash and in-kind prizes will be awarded, including pilot project opportunities, participation in the Smart City Works accelerator, membership in Refraction, and Amazon Web Services credits. You may also win the opportunity to pilot a project with Fairfax County based on innovation, equity and inclusivity, practicality of application and regional impact, as outlined in the judging criteria. Learn more.

For more information, contact Shannon Bell

The Board of Supervisors met yesterday, April 12. I had three board matters and an announcement, highlighted below. Watch the full meeting here and review materials here.

Mr. Chairman – more information is forthcoming, but I would like to announce that I am creating the Reston Town Center Public Facilities Community Task Force, which admittedly is a long name for an important set of projects. Currently that area includes the aging Reston Regional Library, Embry Rucker Shelter and a county Human Services building – all in close proximity to my office and the Police Department’s Reston District Station. I will be calling upon homeowner and condo association representatives from the surrounding Reston Town Center North area to provide input on the public facilities planned for the redevelopment. Reston residents have waited patiently for new – or the renovation of –these existing county facilities by Reston Town Center. It is imperative that we have community dialogue and move forward with location and co-location options. 

Metro’s Board of Directors is seeking candidates to serve on the RAC and provide input on service, fares, proposed changes and other initiatives. RAC advises the Board on Metro service and policies and includes a mix of riders that may use Metrorail, Metrobus or MetroAccess from across the region. Members must live within the Metro service area. Learn more.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)’s Northern Virginia Paving Program improves hundreds of miles of roads in the county every year. VDOT and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation use this program as an opportunity to increase driver, bicyclist and pedestrian safety with road and crosswalk improvements while minimizing the financial investment in restriping work. The community is invited to provide striping-related feedback by attending a virtual public meeting and/or by submitting comments online. Learn more.

Information on May meeting will be forthcoming in an upcoming newsletter. For more information email [email protected].

The meeting is hosted on the Webex platform. Use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. You will be prompted to register with your email address and ZIP code before logging into meeting. If you prefer to only listen to the meeting, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use code: 2336 267 2529 . For information, contact Paul Davis, 703-478-0283.

The first phase of community outreach of the Task Force’s interim recommendations on the 14 areas of the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study is underway. To learn more about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study and the Task Force, visit the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study webpage. The archive of meeting details and agendas is here. The video archive of all past task force meetings can be found on my YouTube page. If you have questions or would like to provide input, please email [email protected]

The next Hunter Mill Transportation Advisory Council (HMTAC) Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20 at 8 a.m. The meeting will be virtual on Teams, Click here to join the meeting Or call 571-429-5982 and use Conference ID: 502 838 458#.The HMTAC meets quarterly on community transportation issues. For additional information or to be added to the HMD TAC email list contact Shyamali Hauth.

Mark your calendar for Walk on the Hill on April 24. The event features live entertainment and self-guided walks through gardens in Vienna's historic Windover Heights neighborhood. Learn more.

Death of a Salesman, put on by Vienna Theatre Company is at the Vienna Community through Sunday, May 8. For all dates and times or to purchase tickets, visit http://viennava.gov/theatre.

You are invited to the re-scheduled grand opening of Reston's new Fire Station 25 this Saturday, April 16 at 10 a.m. The station is located at 1820 Wiehle Ave. For more information, contact Ashley Hildebrandt

The Reston District Police Station is hosting a blood drive with the INOVA Bloodmobile on Monday, April 18,10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Dr., Reston. Registration is required. Your blood donation will support Fairfax County Police Department's Helicopter Division's whole blood carrying program for medevac services.

The second annual Tour de Hunter Mill is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year, we will be starting at the Town of Vienna's Town Green with three routes that will take cyclists through scenic Hunter Mill District. Learn more.

Bring your family to Frying Pan Farm Park for a great day of food, fun activities and baby farm animals. Spring Farm Day is Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn more.

Ed Begly Jr. at Reston Community Center May 4

Reston Community Center will welcome actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. to the CenterStage on May 4 as part of a special evening of events to raise awareness about environmental sustainability. Learn more.