Volume 05 | February 12, 2020
Every February, the United States and our Board recognizes an important part of America's history: African American History Month.

African American History Month reminds us to think actively about the vital contributions black people have made to every aspect of American life. We also must always learn from our history, the injustice and the progress, and do better. Finally, it's an opportunity to celebrate Fairfax County's biggest strength: diversity. We should use this time to honor what makes us different and how those differences create the rich community we call home. You can celebrate with us at one of the several Neighborhood and Community Services events this month.

Key Takeaways:

  1. At my request, the Board designated February as African American History Month and Teen Violence Dating Awareness Month, and recognized a CEO of a Fairfax nonprofit for her years of service.
  2. We approved the positions of the Board on various bills in front of the Virginia General Assembly.
  3. The design for the widening of Route 28 was approved.
  4. There will be a public hearing on a draft Action Plan that will determine how federal housing funds will be used.
  5. We plan to recognize the work of the firefighters and police who helped control the fire on Route One last weekend.

The full agenda is available for your review here .
Presentations
  1. We designated February as African American History Month and Teen Violence Dating Awareness Month.
  2. We passed a resolution recognizing Janet Samuelson for her over 25 years as CEO of ServiceSource, which facilitates assistance for people with disabilities, their families, their caregivers and community members.
General Assembly Report
What is in the legislative package? Every year the Board presents recommendations to our General Assembly (GA) delegation as to what bills should be passed or opposed based on their impact on the County. This year, a number of bills introduced to the GA are in line with Fairfax's legislative agenda .

What was approved? At weekly Legislative Committee meetings, we discuss the bills as they are changing in Richmond. In this Board Meeting's report we were asked to approve the positions decided on during committee meetings.

Any bills I need to know about? The Senate passed a bill authorizing Equal Taxing Authority for cities and counties. If passed by the House, the bill gives counties the same tools as cities to diversify our tax base in order to avoid over-relying on property taxes. This is the priority initiative of the Virginia Association of Counties and strongly supported by our Board for decades. Almost every member of Fairfax County's GA delegation supported us in our desire for this bill to pass. I spoke with Senator Saslaw about the reasons for his no vote and while I disagree with him, I understand his perspective. Unfortunately, Senator Surovell disappointed and surprised us all by breaking from the rest of our delegation and voted against this legislation. We know this bill will have long-term benefits for our County and allow us to be less beholden to the roller coaster that real estate values can resemble. This was a historic moment and I appreciate the support of our delegation members who did the right thing. Any good financial advisor will tell you diversification of assets is critical. As a AAA bond-rated County, we take our fiduciary responsibility very seriously, which is why this bill is so critical.
Widening Route 28
What's the problem? The corridor that Route 28 serves in Fairfax and Prince William Counties has experienced an increase in traffic congestion over the last few years.

What happened? The Board endorsed the design to widen 2.3 miles of Route 28 from four to six lanes. The project will be from the existing bridge over Bull Run to the interchange at Route 29.

What's next? The plan is submitted to VDOT for approval.
Draft Action Plan for Federal Housing Dollars
What housing dollars? The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided Fairfax County with funding through a number of grants and programs that address community development, affordable housing, and homelessness. These are in addition to the substantial investment Fairfax has made with its own dollars.

What is the Action Plan? Every fiscal year Fairfax County must present specific goals and objectives for that funding. They are based off of the needs laid out in a five-year consolidated plan.

What was approved? The Board agreed to move forward with a public hearing for residents to comment on FY 2021's Action Plan. Learn more here.
Other approved items
What happened? Last Saturday, one of the largest fires in Fairfax history occurred at a construction site on Route One. Although there was extensive property damage and the fire was difficult to control due to windy conditions, we are so lucky that no lives were lost. This would not have been possible without the quick response time of our Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) and the work of the Fairfax County Police Department. Our FCFRD responded to the 911 call and were on site in 3 minutes. In addition, the City of Alexandria Fire Department, Arlington County Fire Department, Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Services Department, and Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services also helped us control the fire.

What was approved? I introduced a board matter to recognize the heroism and hard work of our fire and police departments and those of the surrounding jurisdictions.

Anything else?

  • In order to continue to facilitate a strong relationship with the School Board and discuss opportunities for collaboration on our shared priorities, I asked our Board to hold more regular meetings with School Board members. These meetings will allow us to discuss more issues like developing the workforce, climate change, poverty, and early childhood education.
  • Fort Belvoir is the largest employer in Fairfax. With over 50,000 employees, it has over 150 different departments and is a significant provider of critical amenities and services like the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. The County could benefit from having a staff member gain insight into departments and build relationships with leadership. The Board moved to evaluate the feasibility and advantages of creating a liaison position for Fort Belvoir and I thank Supervisor Storck for his advocacy.
  • Supervisor Alcorn asked that the County Executive report to the IT Committee on several tasks that would explore how the County can more efficiently deliver emerging technologies to residents. This would include looking at local and state statutes that impede technology implementation, identifying related policy changes, and facilitating partnerships with federal departments and tech companies.
  • Finally, in an effort to look to new economic opportunities in the Route One Corridor, Supervisor Lusk proposed entering the preliminary research stages of creating a technology accelerator and co-working center in Lee District. The aim would be to create new tech training, apprenticeship, and job opportunities.
Sincerely,

Jeffrey C. McKay
Chairman
Contact the Office

chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov | 703.324.2321 |