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September 16, 2026

Yesterday, the Board approved permanently restoring funding for crossing guards at high schools, including South Lakes.

We took this action as part of our budget carryover review. Nearly $708,000 in carryover funds were approved to bring back 11 crossing guards to all the high schools where they were previously stationed. Importantly, this money is now back in the baseline budget and will be included in future county budgets based on our action Tuesday.

I opposed cutting crossing guards from the start and co-sponsored the motion to get funding reinstated. I am truly sorry I was not able to get high school crossing guard funding into the original budget, but it now restored. .

Yesterday was a successful day. I especially want to thank all the Hunter Mill residents (including several South Lakes students) who came out and and helped convince my colleagues to do the right thing.

The Board of Supervisors also decided to establish a joint task force with the School Board to address pedestrian and traffic safety around schools countywide.

This effort provides an opportunity to collaborate with FCPS on critical infrastructure improvements to make our crosswalks, sidewalks, trails, and roads safer for all — starting with our kids. It also calls for collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation that controls most roads in Fairfax County.

During the Board’s discussion yesterday, I raised the important issue of funding. It was a funding cut supported by a majority of the Board last spring that cut high school crossing guards, and it was found funding at the carryover budget yesterday that restored the program. And according to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority the cost for upgrading Northern Virginia’s pedestrian/bike infrastructure to the level of our auto infrastructure will cost more than $14 billion. So funding is the elephant in the room, and it’s a big one.

In 2021, the Board committed to invest $100 million for projects to make walking and biking safer, and yesterday, we dedicated another nearly $9 million in carryover funding for this purpose. But most of this $100 million is tapped out, and clearly we need more. In Hunter Mill alone, the list of unfunded crosswalk, sidewalk, trail, flashing signage, and similar safety projects is north of 250 and counting.  

This continues to be a priority of mine. For example, six years ago, I moved to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety through the ActiveFairfax Plan to consolidate our bike and trails plans, and to more effectively use money and technology. I also sponsored the effort that ultimately led the county to place speed cameras in school zones, install stop-arm cameras on school buses and create the Take a Moment public education campaign. All of these required collaboration across local, state, and federal partners, and one helpful result is speed cameras near South Lakes High School, Langston Hughes Middle School, and Terraset Elementary, along with school bus stop-arm cameras.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but with support from the Fairfax County Public Schools and our state partners, we have a shot at making our streets safer for all, and well beyond the flag pole entrance at South Lakes High School.

Regards,

Walter

• AKA Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter's Museum Exhibit
• Early Voting for Congressional Midterms Begins Friday
• Donate to Stuff the Bus on Saturday
• Board of Supervisors Update
• Free Level Up Program Sept. 26
• Upcoming Land Use Meetings
• What's News in Vienna
• Events and Activities

I was honored to join the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter, for the grand opening of their 50th Anniversary exhibition at the Reston Museum! 💗💚

Lambda Kappa Omega’s story is deeply interwoven with Reston’s history. Established in Reston in 1975 and officially chartered in 1976 by 23 trailblazing African American women, the chapter’s roots run deep in our community. Among those distinguished founders was my predecessor, the late Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who played a pivotal role in the chapter's founding and early growth.

Check out the exhibit that’s on display until Oct. 12. I also invite you to join me at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 29 when I’ll present the sorority with a proclamation to recognize their extraordinary half-century.

Early Voting Begins This Friday in Reston

What’s happening: Early voting begins this Friday for the congressional midterm elections, plus three Virginia constitutional amendments and county parks and health and human services bonds. You may cast your ballot early through Saturday, Oct. 31.

What’s on the ballot: The following will be on the Nov. 3 ballot:

• U.S. Senate
• U.S. House (8th, 10th and 11th Districts)
• Virginia constitutional amendments (reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, civil rights restoration for felons)
• Herndon Mayor and Town Council
• Fairfax County Parks Bond ($180 million)
• Fairfax County Health and Human Services Bond ($75 million)

Where to vote: Starting Friday, three early voting locations will be open on weekdays during these times:

• North County Governmental Center: 1-7 p.m.
• Fairfax County Government Center: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Mount Vernon Governmental Center: 1-7 p.m.

Please note that these three sites will be closed on Monday, Oct. 12 for the Columbus Day holiday.

On the following Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll be able to cast your ballot at any early voting location:

• Saturday, Sept. 19: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 18: noon to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, noon to 5 p.m.

Constitutional amendments and bonds: Three amendments to the Virginia Constitution are on the ballot:

• Question 1: This amendment proposes to add reproductive rights to the Virginia Constitution's Bill of Rights. It would “protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care” and “protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions.” However, the proposed amendment specifically allows the state government to pass laws to regulate abortion care in the third trimester of pregnancy, but requires any such law to allow for abortion care when it is medically needed to protect the life and health of the pregnant person or because the fetus is not viable. Read the ballot question and explanation.
• Question 2: The amendment proposes to remove the ban on same-sex marriage that remains in Virginia’s Constitution despite being unconstitutional and unenforceable. Called the Marshall-Newman Amendment, voters passed this prohibition 20 years ago that defines marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman. (Marriage equality is the law of the land as a result of the Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges). Read the ballot question and explanation.
• Question 3: The amendment proposes to automatically restore voting rights for felons after their incarceration without needing to apply for restoration by the governor. Under current law, convicted felons lose their right to vote for life unless the governor takes administrative action to restore this right. Read the ballot question and explanation.

Two county bond referendums are also on the ballot:

• Health & Human Services: This $75 million bond is intended for the renovation of the Joanne Jorgenson Public Health Laboratory and Tim Harmon Campus. As the sole local public health lab in Virginia, the Jorgenson facility performs over 200,000 analytical tests a year, and it includes a 1,500-square-foot modular Biosafety Level 2 space added during the pandemic. The Tim Harmon Campus provides residential substance use and behavioral health services.
• Parks: This $180 million park bond is planned to support the Park Authority’s five core operational categories as determined by its strategy, including purchasing land, preserving open space, stabilizing historic structures, building new parks, and constructing new amenities or facilities in existing parks. Since my service on the Park Authority Board in 2016-17, however, the renovation/rebuild needs of existing facilities and infrastructure have grown to be a far larger share of the Park Authority's capital program — and for this referendum that means more than $140 million of the total bond. 

The Board of Supervisors met yesterday on Sept. 15. You can watch the meeting and review the agenda and package.

We proclaimed Hunger Action Month yesterday (see photo above) as we prepare for the Stuff the Bus food drive. The needs are only growing. The Capital Area Food Bank says that one in three of the region’s residents have reported that they didn’t always know where their next meal would come from at some point last year. In Fairfax County, the rates of food insecurity have climbed by 3% since 2022.

Reston Town Center North Rezoning Approved

What’s happening: The Board approved the rezoning application to redevelop Reston Town Center North. This is a major accomplishment following many years of effort, and it moves us forward with developing a long-awaited new Reston Library and Embry Rucker Shelter with permanent supportive housing.

Fairfax County and Inova are jointly redeveloping the 47-acre site that lays between Baron Cameron Drive, Fountain Drive, Town Center Parkway and New Dominion Parkway. Fairfax County owns a little more than half of the land on the overall site with Inova holding the rest. The county will build new public facilities while Inova plans to create housing and medical, office and retail space.

Why it matters: The approved rezoning sets the framework for the grid of streets, 11 blocks and the 3.5-acre Central Green at the heart of the redevelopment plan. With this framework in place, the county will now begin designing the new library and shelter that are expected to be built by 2030. The rezoning also allows the Central Green to be developed to its interim condition. Future development applications will still be required when individual buildings are ready to be built, however.

Tell me more: Fairfax County plans to build public facilities across its five blocks:

• Block 1 (along Town Center Parkway south of Baron Cameron Avenue) is the location for a future elementary school.
• Block 3 (along Town Center Parkway) is the site for the new Reston Regional Library, facing the central green.
• Block 5 is planned for the new Embry Rucker Shelter and the relocated North County Human Services building.
• Block 7 and 8 (south of Bowman Town Drive) will include a future recreation center and athletic field.

In 2023, I convened a community task force of surrounding residents that developed these agreed-upon locations for these facilities.

What’s next: The county will hire architecture firms to design the new library and shelter, and I’ll share more information about proposed building designs when they’re ready. The rezoning also sets the stage for a separate land exchange between Fairfax County and Inova. Both own a patchwork of properties across the 47-acre site, and the exchange will allow for a more coordinated redevelopment plan.

Carryover Funding

What’s happening: Yesterday, the Board also approved the FY 2026 Carryover Package. We approved the $171 million balance (including federal funds) to use for a variety of county priorities. This included $707,908 in recurring funding to restore crossing guards as I discussed at the top of this newsletter.

The vast majority of the carryover funds were allocated to county reserve funds, county facility and infrastructure projects, and major IT projects. However, $45,000 was also approved to install secure drop boxes for mail-in ballots at the North County and Mount Vernon Governmental Centers.

These boxes will allow voters to return their vote-by-mail ballots at these locations 24/7, not just when the early voting sites at these two locations are open. This marks the county’s first expansion for permanent drop boxes beyond the existing one at the Fairfax County Government Center.

Carryover explained: Carryover is the process by which unspent or unencumbered funds for commitments from the previous fiscal year (i.e. FY 2026) are reappropriated to the current fiscal year (i.e. FY 2027). It’s worth noting that this year’s carryover represents just a 1.1% variance from our adopted budget. 

Reston Planning & Zoning Meeting Rescheduled to Sept. 28

Due to the Yom Kippur holiday, the committee’s previously scheduled Sept. 21 meeting has now been moved to Sept. 28.

Join this virtual meeting on Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Click here to join on Microsoft Teams. To attend by phone, dial 571-429-5982 and enter meeting ID 488 711 780#

Agenda:

• Commerce Metro Center: RZ-2022-HM-00004
• Lake Fairfax Business Center: RZ-2025-HM-00002 

Questions? Contact Mark Goldberg-Foss by email or call my office at 703-478-0283, TTY 711.

Chillin’ on Church This Friday

It’s the hottest block party in town. Attend Chillin’ on Church this Friday, Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Enjoy food, local beer and wine, music, and family-friendly activities.

Native Plant Sale Sept. 19

Stop by the Town of Vienna Fall Native Plant Sale on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center. Find a variety of natives for purchase, including flowering perennials, shrubs and small trees. These plants are grown and sold by the Hill House Farm and Nursery, and the sale is sponsored by the Town’s Conservation and Sustainability Commission. For more information, email the commission or call 703 255-6300, TTY 711.

Southside Park Habitat Restoration September 21

Help remove invasive plants at Southside Park on Monday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. The park is located at 1317 Ross Drive, SW, and meet up at the Ware-Walker entrance. Advance sign-up is appreciated but not required. To sign up or for more information, email Jeremy Edwards or call 571-722-7005. 

🏛️📐Attend the lecture Reston: Exemplar of Urban Design on Sept. 16 at Reston Museum.

🧑‍🎨View renowned artist Janet Echelman’s exhibit Radical Softness at Tephra ICA starting Sept. 17.

🎸 Fleetwood Mac tribute band Night of Nicks plays Sept. 18 at Reston Station.

📄Free paper shredding and food collection event on Sept. 19 at Burke Presbyterian Church.

🎪Attend the 25^th Reston Multicultural Festival on Sept. 19 at Reston Town Center. I'll be there too!

🖼️Celebrate the Arts at this festival on Sept. 19 at the Capital One Center.

💃Watch Noli Timere (Be Not Afraid), an aerial performance in which dancers move within, on, under, and around one of Janet Echelman's net sculptures, on Sept. 19 at Capital One Hall.

🍃Enjoy autumn equinox nature therapy and sound experience on Sept. 19 at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

📖 Author Bill Schweigart talks about his crime novel “Dirty 20” on Sept. 19 at Bards Alley in Vienna.

🕺🏻Experience an Elvis Presley tribute at the Shepherd’s Center’s Rock & Roll for Golden Souls on Sept. 20 at the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge.

🦊Learn how to help wild foxes suffering from sarcoptic mange on Sept. 20 at the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance.

🤸‍♂️Take a free Pilates class on Sept. 21 at Reston Town Center Pavillion.

🪈Instrumentalist Kenny G performs on Sept. 22 at Capital One Hall.

❤️Attend a free Heart Health Event on Sept. 22 with blood pressure screenings, CPR demos, Zumba, vendors and more at Reston Town Center.

🎬Watch a free screening of Reminders of Him on Senior Movie Day Sept. 23 at Reston Town Center.

🩸Give blood on Sept. 25 at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna.

🏷️Find your next treasure at Reston Association’s Community Yard Sale on Sept. 26.

🍁Attend the Fallfest on Sept. 26 at the Reston Farm Garden.

🎵Attend Live on the Lake on Sept. 26 at the South Lakes Village Shopping Center.

📚Attend talks by local authors Chuck Cascio and Jim Upperman on Sept. 26 at Bards Alley in Vienna.

Find all events for these local organizations: Reston Community Center, Reston Town Center Association, Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation Programs, Tephra ICA and Arts Fairfax. Find other community events in the Reston Letter.