Jan. 31, 2024

Neighbors,

Tax season is underway and if you need help preparing your tax return, there are free resources available to assist you. 

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide in Northern Virginia 

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program offers free, individualized tax preparation for low to moderate income taxpayers – especially those 50 and older. Visit NovaTaxAide.org for information on locations (two nearby listed below) and to make an appointment.

Reston

Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods

2310 Colts Neck Rd, Reston

Open Feb. 1 to April 13

Tuesdays: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursdays: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Appointments and walk-ins.

Herndon

Herndon Fortnightly Library

768 Center St., Herndon

Open Feb. 3 to April 15

Mondays: 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Appointments recommended.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

If you or your family earned less than $64,000 in 2023, you may qualify for this free service. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps income-eligible families maximize their tax returns and avoid tax preparation fees. Since 2008, the county's Department of Family Services has provided operational support to coalition partners processing tax returns, bringing back over $100 million in refunds to the community. Walk-ins are welcome, no appointments are needed. More information: email DFSVITA@FairfaxCounty.gov or call 703-533-5320. Nearby locations: 

Reston

Reston Employment Resource Center 

11484 Washington Plaza W Suite 110, Reston

Open Jan. 30 to April 16

Tuesdays: 3:30 to 7 p.m.; Saturdays: 9 a.m. to noon

Herndon

Neighborhood Resource Center

1086 Elden St., Herndon

Open Jan. 27 to April 13

Thursdays: 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Additional locations and what to bring to your appointment.

Please note that you should carefully check the dates, hours and requirements for each program's location before you go.

DIY Tax Prep

If you want to do your taxes yourself, the federal and state governments offer free online tax preparation and filing for people within certain income limits.

Learn more:

• IRS Free File
• Virginia Free File

I hope you find these resources helpful!

Regards,

Walter

As I noted in last week's newsletter, the General Assembly legislation on SB 675 (to authorize a casino in Tysons) continues to move and is expected to come before the full Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee next week – subject to change by Senate and committee leadership. I joined several Hunter Mill District and other Fairfax County residents last week who traveled to Richmond on Monday to voice their opposition to a casino (photo). Thank you to Senator Jennifer Boysko for recognizing us in the Senate gallery at the beginning of session early Monday afternoon. We did hear from many Senate offices about the hundreds of emails and dozens of phone calls coming in daily from organizations and residents opposing a casino in Tysons and in most cases, the county. A reminder that you can contact your General Assembly representatives here.

SB 675 was vigorously discussed at last week's Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee Meeting. During my remarks, I shared a map of possible locations for the proposed casino authorized in the bill – with about 1/3 of the possible locations located in the Hunter Mill District. Here is an updated map, which you can click on for a larger view (PDF).

The topic has received a considerable amount of media coverage and I've included the latest here.

The Board of Supervisors held several committee meetings yesterday, Jan. 30. You can

watch the meetings here and review the agenda and meeting materials by clicking the links below:

• Health and Human Services Committee
• Land Use Policy Committee
• Safety and Security Committee

The next full meeting of the Board of Supervisors is Feb. 6, learn more.

Library Board of Trustees to Consider Renaming of Patrick Henry Library on Feb. 14 at George Mason Regional Library

The Patrick Henry Library, located on Maple Avenue in Vienna, was bond-funded in 2020 for a new facility. Fairfax County entered into an agreement with the Town of Vienna to develop the site of the current library for both a new library and a shared parking structure for county and town usage. In 2023, community advocates engaged with the Library Board of Trustees requesting that the new facility, which is likely to open in late 2026, be renamed in support of William and Lillian McKinley Carter. The McKinley Carter family was part of the first Vienna Friends of the Library nonprofit group and was instrumental in getting a county library facility in Vienna accessible to all members of the public with no exceptions based on race. 

The Library Board will be considering the name change for the new facility at their Feb. 14, 7 p.m. meeting. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the George Mason Regional Library at 7001 Little River Turnpike in Annandale. Members of the public can sign up for public speaker spots by calling Library Administration at 703-324-3100; questions in advance of the meeting can be directed to wwwlib@fairfaxcounty.gov. 

From Fairfax County Police Department Reston District Station:

Each of the Fairfax County Police Department’s eight district stations has a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) comprised of an Executive Board. The Reston District Station is in the process of establishing a Nominating Committee comprised of active CAC members in support of forthcoming CAC Executive Board election. The Nominating Committee will solicit eligible CAC members to run for the following positions:

• Executive Chair
• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer

If you are interested in being on the Nominating Committe please email restondistrictcac@gmail.com

National Opioid (Fentanyl) Crisis and Fairfax County’s Response Strategy

At yesterday's Board of Supervisors Safety and Security Committee meeting, my colleagues and I received very sobering information about the opioid/Fentanyl crisis that is impacting our communities. The county is putting a lot of resources into our response but one of the biggest challenges is to get vital information to residents. Most of us think it wouldn't happen in our families or friend groups. I encourage you to take a few minutes to review the presentation (PDF) that we received yesterday. If you have any questions, contact my office at huntermill@fairfaxcounty.gov.

How to Help Your Neighbors in Hunter Mill

A summary of local nonprofits in Hunter Mill District with links to needs, events and resources.

Early voting for the Democratic and Republican primaries is underway on weekdays at three locations in the county:

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

Voters do not register by political party in Virginia. You can cast a ballot in either primary, but you can only vote in one of the presidential primaries. Learn more