The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is preparing for the possibility of significant service reductions as part of a countywide effort to close an expected budget shortfall.
During a Park Authority Board budget committee meeting last Wednesday (Aug. 28, park officials outlined proposed cuts that could include shorter hours and fewer services at rec centers, less frequent grounds maintenance, cancellation of seasonal programs, reduced staffing and postponed facility upgrades.
In total, staff identified over $3.5 million in possible cuts, or 10% of the agency’s general fund budget for the current fiscal year 2025, which started July 1.
Residents can provide feedback on the budget recommendations via email or mail through Sept. 11. They may also attend the Park Authority Board’s budget committee meeting on the 9th floor of the Herrity Building (12055 Government Center Parkway) or through Zoom on Sept. 11 at 5:45 p.m.
Fairfax County is bracing for another tough budget year due to declining revenue from commercial real estate, rising costs, and what county leaders contend has been inadequate state funding, particularly for schools.
Because of that economic uncertainty, the Board of Supervisors directed County Executive Bryan Hill to review all existing taxing authorities and recommend strategies to diversify the county’s revenue base, reduce reliance on real estate taxes, and prepare for potential budget adjustments in fiscal year 2026.
Hill subsequently asked all departments, including the park authority, to identify potential cuts to help balance the budget. A similar request made during the last budget cycle resulted in $36 million in net savings and 84 eliminated positions.
According to a press release, about 35% of FCPA funding comes from Fairfax County’s General Fund, which functions like a primary checking account for day-to-day expenses. The Park Authority got about $36 million from the adopted FY 2025 General Fund budget, allocating nearly two-thirds to personnel costs.
“This is the first time the board is seeing the proposal from staff for potential budget cuts,” FCPA Chair Kiel Stone said during the board’s Aug. 28 meeting. “The county executive has asked every agency to provide him with a 10% reduction list, and unfortunately, this year, everything is on the table.”
Board members expressed concern that the proposed cuts could significantly undermine the quality and accessibility of park services, leading to long-term negative effects on community engagement, park maintenance, and overall public satisfaction.
The proposed cuts
Among the most notable is a proposed downsizing of the annual Summer Entertainment Series from 120 shows to 73 (not including the children series), limiting each magisterial district to a maximum of eight shows. The savings would be approximately $109,000.
The FCPA may also reduce its forestry maintenance budget by about $200,000. Highlighting past struggles to keep up with tree maintenance, park authority staff warned that further reductions could lead to safety concerns, such as fallen trees and overgrown branches.
“It would limit our ability to continue to address those high-risk trees,” FCPA Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Sarah Baldwin told board members. “We feel like we will be okay with the budget unless we have big storm events, which are very unpredictable. There have been years when we’ve spent close to $1.2 million, if not more, and we are still at the point of only addressing high-risk trees; we are not doing any preventative work.”
The proposal could reduce the mowing frequency for athletic fields and general park areas. Currently, athletic fields are mowed twice a week, but under the new proposal, they would be mowed only once a week.
The general mowing schedule would drop from once a month to once every other month in some areas.
Also on the table are closures of a nature center and a historic site, which would save the county $644,000.
While park authority staff haven’t identified which nature center and historic site would be on the chopping block, they said closing facilities would significantly affect the FCPA’s ability to fulfill its environmental education and historic preservation mission.
“This would impact engagements with over 100,000 visitors annually, mostly children, and would eliminate popular field trips for thousands of public, private, and home-schooled students,” one staff member said.
In addition to presenting the reductions, the park authority staff requested just over $4.5 million in new funds for fiscal year 2026 to support key priorities, including $2.86 million to fully implement a Zero Waste Trash and Recycling program and about $1.6 million for new facilities.
The budget process is still in its early stages, and final decisions will depend on the county’s financial outlook as the year progresses. The county executive’s advertised budget is expected to be released in February, which will provide more clarity on the extent of the cuts that will be necessary.
