Fairfax City Council members voted unanimously Oct. 28 to ask the General Assembly to remove the existing cap on taxes levied on hotel stays in the city.
The City Charter currently caps the rate at 4%, below most jurisdictions across Virginia. In Fairfax County, the occupancy tax rate increased from 7% to 9% on Oct. 1, with different portions of the revenue going toward general county funds, tourism and regional transportation.
The lone speaker at a public hearing preceding the vote supported removing the cap from the charter, but with conditions.
Kristin Feenstra, general manager of Fairfax City’s Residence Inn by Marriott, suggested advocating for a new rate of 6% — but only if the additional revenue is devoted to tourism promotion, not the city’s general budget.
Having a dedicated funding stream would allow the city to partner with Visit Fairfax, the tourism-marketing organization affiliated with the Fairfax County government, she said.
“It’s about making a targeted investment in Fairfax City’s visibility, competitiveness and future prosperity,” said Feenstra, a member of the city’s Economic Development Commission.
The only council member to address the topic was Stacy Hall, who asked staff to eventually come back with options for how the funds could be used.
The hotel tax currently brings in approximately $500,000 in revenue out of a total General Fund budget of just under $200 million. If the General Assembly and incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger approve removing the 4% cap, a new rate could be imposed by the Fairfax City Council at the start of the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2026.
State legislators would have the option of eliminating the cap entirely — allowing city officials to set a rate as high as they choose — or setting a new upper limit.
At their Oct. 28 meeting, council members requested two additional charter changes:
- Formally amending timing of the city’s mayoral and council elections from May to November, a housekeeping item as the timing change took place in 2021 after a mandate from the state government
- Increasing or removing the current compensation cap of $50 per meeting for members of city advisory bodies
With the Oct. 28 vote, the three requests will be sent to state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37) and Del. David Bulova (D-11), who represent Fairfax City in the General Assembly. The 2026 state legislative session starts Jan. 14 and is expected to last 60 days.
When seeking to amend the charter, city council members have two options: send the issues to voters in a referendum or, as is more typical, seek General Assembly approval.
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