The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors could soon receive a staff proposal on potentially consolidating “placemaking groups” that promote either the county as a whole or specific communities in it.
County Executive Bryan Hill said he expects to detail his proposals to elected officials later this spring.
“I actually have a plan now,” Hill said at the March 24 meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget Policy Committee. He estimated it would be delivered to supervisors “in the next two to three weeks.”
In early February, supervisors directed the county executive to study potential consolidations of promotional organizations, including tourism marketing agency Visit Fairfax, Volunteer Fairfax and the Tysons Community Alliance.
He was tasked with coming back by summer with proposals.
“It looks like Mr. Hill is ahead of schedule, as usual,” said Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who crafted the directive adopted by her colleagues.
Consolidating various groups could “make them more spry and deal with some of the overhead costs,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said at the committee meeting.
“They’re all doing good and important work,” he said. “The question is, can they be more efficient?”
The March 24 remarks were McKay’s first in public on the situation, as he was not at the Feb. 3 meeting when the board unanimously adopted its directive to Hill.
The organizations work autonomously, but rely in part on local government funding to support operations. Palchik’s request to study the issue said other organizations that perform similar duties across the county using tax dollars should be reviewed as well.
At the committee meeting, McKay acknowledged that consolidating multiple organizations, each with its own leadership, might ruffle feathers. But given the county’s tight budget, he said changes should be seriously considered.
“Change is hard, but so are a lot of things we’re facing,” he said.
Other supervisors agreed that at least looking at the possibilities was a step forward.
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said the county needs to be “thinking more strategically” about organizations that might have overlapping responsibilities, while Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said the county needs “a better outcome” for the dollars it spends.
Supervisors likely will have the spring and summer to consider recommendations. A tentative discussion of options has been slated for September, leading into preparation of the county’s fiscal year 2028 budget.
At the March 24 meeting, staff proposed using leftover money identified through a fiscal year 2026 budget review to provide an additional $100,000 in funding to support operations of Volunteer Fairfax.
The nonprofit organization’s fundraising efforts have fallen short of expectations, staff said, and the proposed funding would help fill the gap.
Among those concerned about the situation was Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith, who noted Volunteer Fairfax has reported fundraising shortfalls two years in a row, suggesting the issue needs closer review.
The proposed $100,000 in additional funding will be considered on April 28, along with other proposals made by staff to spend money available following the county government’s third-quarter review of its finances.
The county brought in over $51 million more in revenue than predicted when the FY 2026 budget was adopted last May. The surplus was attributed by county staff to a combination of personal property tax collections, interest on investments and a cautious approach to forecasting.
The advertised FY 2027 budget proposed by Hill on Feb. 17 already includes a reduction of $750,000 for Celebrate Fairfax, which will be merged into Visit Fairfax. The nonprofit was previously known for organizing the county’s annual Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, but since that was discontinued following the pandemic, it has focused on smaller-scale events, including local programs to celebrate the U.S.’s 250th anniversary.
