How Do You Feel About the Proposed Tax Increases?

March 28, 2022

In this Issue…

Annual Budget Townhall Wednesday, March 30^th @ 7 p.m. – Please join me this Wednesday, March 30 ^th at 7 p.m. at the West Springfield Government Center for my annual budget townhall to share your thoughts on the budget and proposed tax increases. County Executive Bryan Hill and Phil Hagen with the Department of Management and Budget will be joining me to share an overview of the budget and answer your questions. I invite you to come share your concerns and questions with me and county leadership. More details below.

Teen Job Fair Success – On Saturday, March 19^th over 500 students and 50 businesses attended my annual Teen Job Fair at Chantilly High School, hosted in partnership with the Chantilly STEM Academy, Connection Newspapers, Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. I was thrilled for the many students who said that they received a job or an interview. If you were not able to attend, see below for more information on where to access the list of over 70 employers who signed up to participate in the fairs at Chantilly and West Springfield High Schools.

Other News and Information

Donations for Ukrainian Refugees @ West Springfield Police Station
Real Estate Tax Relief Workshops
Work to Replace Pipe Along Kincheloe Road in Clifton Starts Today (March 28^th-29^th)
44^th Annual Fairfax County Valor Awards @ Hyatt Regency Reston Hotel March 31)
CAC Community Engagement Meeting @ West Springfield District Station (April 5^th)
Virtual Public Information Meeting March 30 on Route 50 Chantilly Study
Budget Public Hearings
Repaving and Restriping Meeting Scheduled for April 19^th

Annual Budget Townhall Wednesday, March 30th @ 7 p.m.

Please join me this Wednesday, March 30^th at 7 p.m. at the West Springfield Government Center for my annual budget townhall to share your thoughts on the budget and proposed tax increases. County Executive Bryan Hill and Phil Hagen with the Department of Management and Budget will be joining me to share an overview of the budget and answer your questions. I invite you to come share your concerns and questions with me and county leadership.

The FY 2023 Advertised Budget highlighted an average 9.5 percent increase in taxes paid by homeowners (over 11.5 % in Springfield district) and assessments on vehicles saw nearly a 33 percent increase. However, the Board decided to keep the proposed tax rate flat even with $80M in unallocated funds included in the advertised budget. We must do better for our residents that are already facing record inflation, staggering gas prices, uncertainty from the pandemic and a war in Europe. For many years, I have said this Board’s spending is out of control, funding new, political initiatives at an unsustainable pace. I need your help to deliver the message. For more of my thoughts on the FY 2023 budget, see my February and March newsletters.

You can also sign up here to testify at the Budget Public Hearings April 12-14^th. You can provide testimony via phone, pre-recorded video, or in person. You can also send written testimony to the entire Board through the Clerk’s office by emailing ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov

Teen Job Fair Success

On Saturday, March 19^th over 500 students and 50 businesses attended my annual Teen Job Fair at Chantilly High School, hosted in partnership with the Chantilly STEM Academy, Connection Newspapers, Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. A special thank you to Jennifer Rose with the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce for hosting two very successful Resume Building Workshops during the fair.

This fair exceeded expectations for our first fair back in person since the start of the pandemic with student turnout representing every high school in the County. I heard from many students that they were excited to have the opportunity to be in person and talk directly to employers. Employers were surprised and excited to have a steady line of students at each of their tables. Some of our employers left the fair with all of their positions filled for the upcoming season, but others are still looking for bright students.

If you were not able to attend the fair, you can access the list of over 70 employers who participated in the fair series and may be offering positions on my website. Please reach out to those employers directly to inquire about a position or opportunity. As we receive inquiries from businesses, we will update the list.

Unfortunately, due to snow we had to cancel the other fair we planned on hosting at West Springfield High School. While we do not expect to reschedule this fair, we highly encourage students to continue reaching out to businesses on our list who are offering positions.

Thank you to all our sponsors and businesses who participated! Returning in person for the fair this year was a great success and I look forward to bringing you the fair series again next year.

Other News and Information

Donations for Ukrainian Refugees at the West Springfield Police Station

Elected leaders and the community have come together to collect new coats, blankets, socks, and gloves for refugees from Ukraine who have had to abandon their home due to the Russian invasion of their country. Be sure to stop by my office in the West Springfield Police Station (6140 Rolling Road) to donate. The box is in the lobby next to the community room. Donations will be picked up on Monday, April 18.

Generous citizens have already filled up all of the boxes we had, which have already been emptied once. Thank you to those who have donated to show support for the refugees of Ukraine through this aid program.

Real Estate Tax Relief Workshops

Mark your calendars – In-person and virtual Real Estate Tax Relief Workshops will be hosted throughout the county through April 20. At my urging, the Board approved a first step to address senior tax relief, so the eligibility rules have changed this year. Click here for more information. In-person Tax Relief Workshops will be available by appointment on April 7^th and April 8^th at the West Springfield Government Center from 10:30am until 1:30pm; call 703-324-2550 to schedule your appointment. At these workshops, Tax Administration staff can assist you with filling out the 2022 tax relief application form, as well as answering questions you may have. For more information on tax relief workshops throughout the County visit the Dept. of Tax Administration webpage.

Work to Replace Pipe Along Kincheloe Road in Clifton Starts Today (March 28-29)

Kincheloe Road (Route 641) between Old Yates Ford Road (Route 612) and the Kincheloe Soccer Park will be closed to through traffic, weather permitting, Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day to replace two culvert pipes, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Those needing to reach properties along Kincheloe Road will have access; however, traffic will not be able to go beyond the point of pipe replacement in either direction. VDOT crews will work on the pipe near Kincheloe Soccer Park on Monday, and then the pipe near Old Yates Ford Road on Tuesday.

Through traffic will be detoured each day via Old Yates Ford Road, Henderson Road (Route 612), Clifton Road (Route 645) and Yates Ford Road (Route 615) back to Kincheloe Road. Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.

View more information on VDOT’s release online.

44^th Annual Fairfax County Valor Awards @ Hyatt Regency Reston Hotel

At this luncheon hosted by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, we will be recognizing the remarkable achievements in service of Fairfax County’s dedicated first responders with Lifesaving Awards, Certificates of Valor, along with Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals of Valor.

The event will take place on Thursday, March 31 from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM at the Hyatt Regency Reston Hotel. You can register using the following link: 44th Annual Fairfax County Valor Awards (fairfaxvalorawards.org)

CAC Community Engagement Meeting @ West Springfield District Station (April 5^th)

The West Springfield District Community Advisory Committee will be hosting a Community Engagement Meeting on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 7:00 PM. These meetings are open to the public and designed to help enhance communication between the residents and Police Department. They offer residents a chance to dialogue with the officers of the West Springfield Station on a wide range of subjects.

Also, please consider joining the West Springfield District Station Community Advisory Committee (CAC). This is a free program, and all ages are welcome to attend. The meetings are generally held on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM (except for July and August). If you have any questions, contact MPO Tony Capizzi at 703-277-2363.

Virtual Public Information Meeting March 30 on Route 50 Chantilly Study

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public information meeting Wednesday, March 30 on a STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study that is assessing potential improvements at Lees Corner Road, Stringfellow Road and side street intersections along the Route 50 service road. This is being done because of public feedback received from the study’s first phase, which assessed potential safety and operational improvements for nearly two miles of Route 50 between Route 28 (Sully Road) and Stringfellow Road and follows a virtual public information meeting held last fall.

Potential study improvements being assessed include:

Enhancing traffic flow and operations by restricting left turns at the Route 50 intersections with Lees Corner Road and Stringfellow Road
Adding a second westbound Route 50 left-turn lane at Lees Corner Road
Improving the service road intersection at Route 50 and Lees Corner Road

To attend the Wednesday, March 30 online meeting, please register at virginiadot.org/Route50ChantillyStudy or to participate without registering in listen-only mode, call 877-309-2071 (use access code 638-045-227). The study team will make a short presentation beginning at 7 p.m. and answer questions for about an hour after the presentation. In case an alternate date is needed, the meeting will be held Monday, April 11.

Through April 11^th, you can provide comments via the online survey or by email to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov.
Mail comments to Ms. Regina Moore, Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Budget Public Hearings

I strongly encourage you to sign up here to testify at the Budget Public Hearings April 12-14^th. You can provide testimony via phone, pre-recorded video, or in person. You can also send written testimony to the entire Board through the Clerk’s office by emailing ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Repaving and Restriping Meeting Scheduled for April 19^th

As part of its maintenance program, VDOT repaves hundreds of roads in Fairfax County each year. FCDOT and VDOT collaborate during the repaving and restriping process to efficiently implement the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan that seeks to improve traffic safety and provide transportation options to people around the County. Paving work is scheduled to begin in April and conclude in November.

VDOT and FCDOT will be cohosting a virtual repaving and restriping meeting to discuss proposed changes in the Lee, Mount Vernon, and Springfield Districts Tuesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. Community members will have the opportunity to learn about VDOT's repaving program, proposed striping changes and provide feedback.

Join the Online Meeting
Dial In: 571-429-5982; Phone Conference ID: 652 144 956

Changes proposed in the Springfield District include:

Old Keene Mill Road: FCDOT and VDOT are proposing to narrow the travel lanes to a standard 11ft and widen the existing shoulder between Rolling Road and Greeley Blvd. In areas where no shoulder is present, the median will be widened to improve the safety of crossing pedestrians.

FCDOT and VDOT are considering upgrades to the following crosswalk locations, which may include marked crosswalks, high-visibility crosswalks and/or crosswalk signage:

Autumn Willow Drive at Stringfellow Park: Location would require some parking restrictions to provide sufficient visibility of the crosswalk.
Fair Lakes Boulevard at Sedgehurst Drive

For more information, visit the FCDOT website.