The state government needs to step up and take some of the burden for funding core services off the backs of Northern Virginia residents and localities, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay told members of the county’s legislative delegation.
“The exhaustion level is getting real,” McKay said of the state pushing off its funding responsibilities to the local level.
His remarks came during a work session on Oct. 6 that convened members of the Board of Supervisors and the county’s General Assembly delegation. During the meeting, county leaders laid out six priority areas in their draft program for the 2027 legislative session, which begins Jan. 13 and is slated to run for 45 days.
They include, in the order mentioned by McKay:
- K-12 education, including revisions to funding formulas to better reflect actual costs for schools and balance local versus state funding
- Transit/transportation, including dedicated Metro funding
- Housing
- Safety net funding, including support for Medicaid and other benefits being reduced at the federal level
- Expansion of collective bargaining
- Tax reform
Making up for lost federal safety net funding will challenge both the state government and localities, McKay said, particularly with Fairfax County already facing revenue challenges.
“In a tough economy, that’s going to be stretched as thin as thin gets,” McKay said. “We are not situated to cover every shortfall.”
During the roundtable discussion, a number of state lawmakers acknowledged that while Fairfax County and its leadership may not be beloved in all areas of the Commonwealth, the county’s economic success is vital to all parts of Virginia.
“Fairfax County really is the engine that drives the rest of the commonwealth,” said state Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-38).
As they have in past years, county leaders are looking for taxation authority that would enable them to ease a reliance on property taxes to fund local government and schools.
“We need to have a real conversation about tax reform,” McKay said.
The county implemented a meals tax at the start of 2026, but the Board of Supervisors didn’t consider a referendum to increase sales taxes to fund school construction and public transportation for the upcoming general election ballot. The option was granted to dozens of localities by the General Assembly as part of the current state budget.
On housing, county leaders face a challenge: supervisors want to see more affordable units constructed, but also do not want local zoning authority curtailed.
Del. Laura Jane Cohen (D-15) said there could be middle-ground approaches.
“We want to carry bills that are helpful to Fairfax” on housing, she said.
Operating under what’s known as the Dillon Rule, Virginia concentrates political power at the state level. Even a locality like Fairfax County, which boasts a population greater than that of seven states, has no inherent powers; it relies on authority passed down from the state level.
As a result, sometimes a single vote at a subcommittee hearing in Richmond can be the difference between success or failure for key legislative priorities.
The county’s legislative delegation includes 22 members — seven senators and 15 delegates. All are Democrats, as are nine of the 10 county supervisors.
The annual gathering between supervisors and legislators was held about two months earlier than similar past events, as county staff seek to take a more proactive and strategic approach to lobbying.
Gathering earlier won praise from the likes of Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D-7), who represents the Reston area. She said starting discussions earlier will help state and local elected officials work through issues before most legislation is introduced.
McKay said the earlier date was a chance to engage “in a little more casual conversation.”
Next year’s legislative session will be the second in a row with Democrats in control of the governorship and both houses of the General Assembly. For the Democratic supermajority on the Board of Supervisors, that could bode well for progress on at least some of its priorities.
“We’re certainly looking forward to the next session,” McKay said.
As was the case in the 2026 session, Fairfax’s lobbying efforts will be led by legislative director Jennifer Van Ee.
