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Recognizing James Madison High School Students for Their Kindness
Along with Chairman McKay, I sponsored a proclamation to recognize the James Madison High School students who bought their beloved custodian a jeep. (See photo above.) It was Francis Apraku’s lifelong dream to own a Jeep Wrangler, and these students secretly raised more than $20,000 to make his dream come true. They rightly received national attention for their inspiring act of kindness, and I congratulate them, their parents, teachers and the school and all involved!
Proposed Relocation of Federal Agencies
The proposed relocation of federal agencies outside the D.C. region threatens Virginia’s economy and workforce. Fairfax County is home to more than 80,000 federal workers and federal contract investments in Virginia exceed $108 billion. Here in Hunter Mill District, the U.S. Geological Survey's headquarters building in Reston could be sold, according to a preliminary list of federal properties to be disposed of that the U.S. General Services Administration put out yesterday — and then rescinded. Stay tuned on the possible disposition of that 85 acre property.
These relocations and property sales threaten to harm the county and region, resulting in job losses, economic instability, and the loss of institutional knowledge for effective government operations.
As I noted at yesterday’s Board meeting, this assault on our economy is unprecedented, and many people and businesses are already suffering. This is why I supported the Board of Supervisors’ letter to Governor Youngkin, urging him to actively oppose these relocations.
Joint Committees to Find Efficiencies in the County and Public Schools Budgets
At last week’s joint budget committee meeting, the Board of Supervisors and School Board discussed how to find efficiencies and cost savings over the medium term, as well as possibilities to improve services.
We are entering a time of likely unprecedented economic challenges, and the time has come to double down to find greater efficiencies and effectiveness in our budgets and services. For this reason, I accepted Chairman McKay’s request yesterday to serve on a joint board committee to take a deep dive/look at the county and schools’ IT systems. I will be joined by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck, along with two School Board members to be named later.
Our committee will be focused on finding cost savings and efficiencies. We will not be looking to expand existing programs unless it can be accomplished by reducing costs using shared, existing resources.
Along with a another joint Board committee focused on facilities, our two groups will meet after the FY 2026 budget is adopted in May and report back to both boards for consideration in the FY 2027 budget.
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