Author: Scott McCaffrey

A Northern Virginia native, Scott McCaffrey has four decades of reporting, editing and newsroom experience in the local area plus Florida, South Carolina and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. He spent 26 years as editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper chain. For Local News Now, he covers government and civic issues in Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church.

Countywide

Fairfax County leaders expect more ‘trying times’ as new budget discussion kicks off

By Scott McCaffrey
Man in a dark suit and striped tie speaks into a microphone while gesturing with his right hand, seated at a table with papers in front of him.
Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay at budget carryover meeting (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County officials have started making preparations for what they anticipate will be another challenging budget season next spring.

“The low-hanging fruit is gone,” Philip Hagen, director of the county’s Department of Management and Budget, told the Board of Supervisors at its Budget Policy Committee meeting on Sept. 1.

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Countywide

Fairfax’s jobless numbers remain elevated but are stabilizing, state data suggests

By Scott McCaffrey
Virginia Career Works advertises job transition resources on a Metro train (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County in July recorded its largest number of residents employed since September 2025, but jobless totals remained higher than at the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term.

With 616,156 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 21,819 looking for jobs, Fairfax’s July 2026 jobless rate was 3.4%, according to figures reported Sept. 2 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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News

County may add $300,000 for Royal Lake Park cleanup efforts after microburst

By Scott McCaffrey
Calm lake bordered by dense green trees with a rocky shore and a gravel path on the left where two people walk under a blue, cloudy sky.
Royal Lake in Kings Park West on June 22, 2026 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County staff have proposed using $300,000 in unspent funds to support ongoing cleanup of Royal Lake Park in Burke following a devastating microburst in June.

The neighborhood was the hardest hit by a June 22 thunderstorm that knocked out power to more than 25,000 people across the county.

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News

Supervisor Storck seeks funding for two more 24-hour ballot drop boxes

By Scott McCaffrey
A ballot dropbox at the Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by James Cullum)

A Fairfax County supervisor is pressing his colleagues to add funding for additional ballot drop boxes to support future elections.

Currently, the county operates a single permanent voter dropbox at the Fairfax County Government Center, for a community of about 1.1 million people spread across approximately 400 square miles.

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Countywide

Fairfax County board considers tightening rules for contributions to local nonprofits

By Scott McCaffrey
Man in a gray suit and blue plaid tie speaks into a microphone at a formal meeting or hearing, seated at a desk with a laptop nearby
County Director of Management and Budget director Philip Hagen (screenshot via Fairfax County)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering tightening rules around funding awarded to nonprofit and regional organizations.

Each year, supervisors distribute about $26 million to the organizations through what is known as the Contributory Fund.

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Countywide

Hiring sluggish in Va., with Fairfax employment down 2.1% since Trump’s return to office

By Scott McCaffrey
Employment and jobs picture (via Creative Campalgn/Unsplash)

Fairfax County has seen a drop in countywide employment since the start of the second Trump administration.

A total of 622,800 jobs were reported across Fairfax in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures reported Aug. 28 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s down 2.1% from the first quarter of 2025.

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Countywide

Fairfax County revamping lobbying tactics as General Assembly session nears

By Scott McCaffrey
Woman in a red blazer speaks into a microphone at a conference table a panel setting.
Fairfax County legislative director Jennifer Van Ee (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County elected officials and staff are trying a new approach as the 2027 General Assembly session nears.

Among their goals: Get information and local positions to legislators sooner, don’t overburden them with too much information, and build strategic relationships with downstate lawmakers.

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Countywide

Fairfax County apartment rents down slightly compared to summer 2025

By Scott McCaffrey
Modern mid-rise apartment building with multiple balconies and a large 'LEASE NOW' banner across the top.
A leasing banner for The Ian Apartments in the Woodland Park area of Herndon (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Median apartment rents across Fairfax County in August were down 1% from a year before, but remained well above pre-Covid levels.

Median rents for the month stood at $2,073 for one-bedroom units, $2,401 for two bedrooms and $2,419 overall, according to figures reported Aug. 28 by Apartment List.

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News

United Airlines will add more service from Dulles to France, Italy in 2027

By Scott McCaffrey
Red brick street scene with a green-domed historic building in the background, framed by trees and a pedestrian walkway with cyclists and walkers in the foreground.
United Airlines will add service to Milan, Italy from Dulles in 2027 (courtesy United Airlines)

United Airlines has announced two new international destinations to be served from Dulles International Airport next year.

Daily service to Toulouse, France, is slated to begin on April 26, 2027 before three-days-per-week service to Milan, Italy commences on May 28.

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News

Owner of local ice cream, popcorn shops honored for inclusive hiring practices

By Scott McCaffrey
Group of five smiling staff posing behind an ice cream counter in a shop, one wearing a red apron that says 'Jake's Ice Cream'.
Robin Rinearson, center, and some of the staff at Jake's Ice Cream (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Fairfax County supervisors on Aug. 25 recognized the founder and owner of Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn and Jake’s Ice Cream, who recently was honored by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS).

The organization earlier this summer presented Robin Rinearson with its Ability Transcends Challenges Award for her efforts to integrate individuals with disabilities into the Fairfax County workforce.

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