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April 16, 2025

Neighbors,

For three days next week, the Board of Supervisors will hold public hearings on the advertised FY 26 budget on April 22-24.

These hearings will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center at these times:

• Tuesday, April 22 at 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 23 at 3 p.m.
• Thursday, April 24 at 3 p.m.

You may provide testimony in person, by phone, in writing or by video.

To speak in person, register online by April 22 at noon, or call the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151. If you don’t register in advance, you’ll still have the opportunity to speak in-person or over the phone on April 24 after the registered speakers.

To offer written testimony, submit it online, and here’s how to provide testimony by phone or pre-recorded video.

On April 22, the Board will hold a separate public hearing at 3 p.m. for the proposed prepared food and beverage tax, although the public also may offer testimony on this issue during any of the three days of public hearings.

If ultimately adopted, this new tax would take effect on Jan 1, 2026, and the initial tax rate would be set at no more than 4% based on the maximum amount advertised by the Board of Supervisors on March 18 (6% is allowed by state law).

The Board’s public hearings follow the two budget town halls I held in March. During the past month, I have heard from residents on their concerns about real estate tax increases, proposed budget cuts on the county half of the budget and funding for Fairfax County Public Schools' new teacher collective bargaining agreement,

I hope to hear from you during next week’s public hearings, and of course, you may also contact me directly by email or call my office.



Regards,

Walter

• Site-Specific Plan Amendment Town Hall April 29
• New Affordable Housing Dashboard
• Drug Take Back Day April 26
• Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
• What's News in Vienna
• Events and Activities

Attend my Site-Specific Plan Amendment

Virtual Town Hall April 29

For those of you who could not attend, and for any questions about the county staff white paper on the SSPA nominations to be published on April 24, I am holding my own virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to hear from you.

Join on Microsoft Teams with this link (Meeting ID: 254 541 737 585 0 and Passcode: mg33HF7w) Or, participate by phone at 571-429-5982 (Conference ID: 510 390 694#).

This is an opportunity to share input directly with me and Hunter Mill District Planning Commissioner John Carter about whether nominations should be screened out or included for further study/consideration in the ongoing Comprehensive Plan Work Program in the Hunter Mill District. We want to hear from you about the 11 nominations submitted (read summaries here) if we have not already.

The county’s Department of Housing and Community Development recently unveiled a new affordable housing dashboard, showing progress towards the preservation and production of affordable housing. (This dashboard also displays information by district so you can see the progress in Hunter Mill District.)

As many know, I, along with my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, set a goal to create 10,000 net new affordable housing units by 2034. Since the Board initially adopted its housing goal in 2020, the county has been making progress with more than 4,000 units already delivered, under construction or in the process of being developed.

One question I have received numerous times is about senior affordable housing. Notably, many of these units are specifically designated as senior housing — in fact, about 26% of the more than 4,000 units are for seniors, including:

• 413 units that have been built since 2020
• 330 are currently under construction
• 345 are in the pre-development process now

In the Hunter Mill District, there are also 943 existing affordable housing units dedicated to seniors. They are located at Hunter’s Woods Fellowship House, Lake Anne House, Coppermine Place II, Kendrick Court and Tysons Towers.

Furthermore, as part of our long-standing inclusive zoning and planning policies, affordable and workforce dwelling units built concurrently with new market-rate housing are also available to eligible residents of any age. Most new housing developments in Hunter Mill have between 8-12% of their new homes either as affordable or workforce dwelling units.

The county’s housing department plans to present more information about senior affordable housing to the Board of Supervisors at our July 8 committee meeting. So stay tuned.

Drop off your unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs on Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at these locations in Hunter Mill District:

• Reston Hospital Center, Pavillion II
• Reston District Police Station
• Town of Vienna Police Department

Safe disposal of unused medications prevents drug misuse, accidental poisoning and protects the environment.

🐶 Spread mulch around the dog walking trails and perform outdoor gardening and cleanup at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s Lorton Campus on April 19. Sign up by email.

🌻 Celebrate Earth Day at Meadowlark Botanic Gardens by removing invasive plants on April 22. Meadowlark also seeks volunteers to be docents or work in the office, on the trails or at special events.

🖍️Assist Public Art Reston as a volunteer for the April 26 eARTh Day ChalkFest, including checking-in attendees, assembling chalk kits and more.

🛠️ Do you have a talent for bringing broken or damaged items back to life? Volunteer for the Fairfax County Public Library’s May 10 Fix-It Clinic at Reston Regional Library.

🥦 Sort and unload food for families in need during the May 24 Feed Fairfax Families monthly food distribution.

🎠Volunteer at Frying Pan Farm Park as a historic carousel operator, farmhouse docent or wagon ride driver.

👩🏽‍🏫 Become a docent for the historic Colvin Run Mill Miller's House.

What's News in Vienna

Celebrate Vienna’s Volunteers on April 22

Celebrate and honor Vienna's hardest working and most deserving volunteers at the Mayor's Volunteer Reception! Everyone is invited to this event on Tuesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (400 Center Street South). Refreshments will be provided and the Vienna Jammers will perform.

Patrick Henry Library Closing on May 9

Patrick Henry Library’s current location will close on May 9 to prepare for construction of the new Vienna-Carter Library. However, library patrons will be able to use a temporary quick-service branch at 262 Cedar Lane, Vienna starting in June.

🖼️ Take a trip to the Glenstone Art Museum and sculpture garden on April 18 with Vienna’s Parks and Recreation Department.

🦉 Meet a Red-Shouldered Hawk and Screech Owl at Meadowlark Botanic Gardens on April 18.

🎭 Watch the play “Paper Dreams” at 1^st Stage Theatre on April 18-19, sponsored by The Tysons Community Alliance.

📽️ Watch a free screening of Disney’s movie “Up!” at Window Plaza at Reston Town Center on April 19, and the first 50 guests will get a free blanket.

🥚 Enjoy the ultimate Easter Egg Hunt with 3,000 eggs at the Perch at Capital One Center on April 19.

💰 Early-stage entrepreneurs may apply by May 5 for up to $50,000 in grants from the Fairfax Founders Fund.

📃 Free paper shredding and recycling event at Reston Town Center on April 22.

🏢 Participate in the Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services’ April 23 Open Hire event at Lake Anne. Interviews are offered on the spot for summer camp counselors and year-round School Age Child-Care positions.

🌳 Join me at NOVA Parks’ Arbor Day Commemoration on April 25 at 3 p.m. at the Vienna Town Green.

🔔 Learn about the art, history and making of the Korean Bells at Meadowlark Botanic Gardens on April 26.

🌎 Join me for the Hunter Mill District’s Earth Day activities on April 27.

⚠️ Learn how to protect yourself from scammers during AARP and Fairfax County’s Scam Jam 2025 on April 30.

🚲 Participate in my community bike ride called the Tour de Hunter Mill on May 4.

Find all events for the Reston Community Center, Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation Programs, Tephra ICA and Arts Fairfax.