budget | FFXnow

Fairfax school board aims to improve collaboration with supervisors on next budget

Published September 12, 2025 at 10:00AM

School Board member Melanie Meren (screenshot via FCPS)

Some Fairfax County School Board members hope closer collaboration with their Board of Supervisors’ counterparts will make for smoother future budget processes than was experienced earlier this year.

Fairfax County Public Schools needs to convince local elected officials and the broader community that “we are being as strategic as possible with every dollar,” Mason District School Board member Ricardy Anderson said during a school board work session on Tuesday (Sept. 9) about budget planning and communications strategies.

News

Reston Association board split on proposed assessment increase

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 9, 2025 at 9:15AM

Reston Association's logo on its headquarters building (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston Association is weighing another increase in its annual membership fee, as staff hammer out a new budget for the coming year.

In an initial draft presented to the Board of Directors on Aug. 28, RA Chief Financial Officer Ed Vroom proposed raising the assessment to $923 in 2026 — an increase of $75 or 8.8% from the current rate of $848 — to keep up with rising capital project costs and inflation, among other challenges.

News

FCPS receives $13 million held up for a month by Trump administration

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 31, 2025 at 1:45PM

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid informs the school board about frozen federal grant funds at a July 10, 2025 meeting (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools has received millions in federal funding that was held up for nearly a month by the Trump administration.

FCPS spokesperson Julie Allen told FFXnow yesterday (Wednesday) that the school division has confirmed receipt of the $13.1 million in withheld funding.

Countywide

FCPD ends free child car seat inspection services due to budget cuts

By Jared Serre

Published July 3, 2025 at 10:00AM

Fairfax County Police Department vehicle (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Due to budget cuts, the Fairfax County Police Department is no longer offering free child car seat installations and inspections.

The department officially terminated its child safety seat program this past Tuesday (July 1), which marked the first day of fiscal year 2026.

News

Smithsonian committed to keeping space shuttle in Chantilly despite relocation proposal

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 3, 2025 at 8:30AM

Space Shuttle Discovery on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has no intention right now of shipping off a centerpiece of its Chantilly facility to Texas.

The federal budget bill that squeaked through the Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday (July 1) includes a provision directing NASA to transfer the Discovery space shuttle from its longtime home at the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, allocating $85 million toward transportation and construction costs.

Countywide

Fairfax school board blames communication failures for FY 2026 budget clashes

By Vernon Miles

Published June 25, 2025 at 11:45AM | Updated June 25, 2025 at 12:01PM

Fairfax County School Board logo (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Fairfax County School Board members faced the embarrassment earlier this year of having to reduce salary increases previously promised to staff under a landmark labor contract.

Moving forward, school board representatives said at a work session on June 17 that they need to drastically change how Fairfax County Public Schools’ needs and commitments are communicated throughout the budget process.

Countywide

Local leaders seek fresh evidence of Richmond shortchanging Fairfax on tax revenue

By Scott McCaffrey

Published June 25, 2025 at 10:00AM

Board Chairman Jeff McKay at FY26 budget-markup session (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County leaders hope to soon have a better gauge of how much they’re getting back from tax revenue sent to Richmond.

The Board of Supervisors voted yesterday (Tuesday) to direct County Executive Bryan Hill and staff to return before the end of the year with an analysis of how many local tax dollars flow to the state government, and how much comes back.

Countywide

Pay raises, staffing reduced as FCPS scrambles to balance budget

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 13, 2025 at 10:05AM

Superintendent Michelle Reid (staff file photo by James Jarvis)

Fairfax County Public Schools staff will receive most, but not all, of their planned salary increases under a revised fiscal year 2026 budget proposal shared last week by Superintendent Michelle Reid.

However, in order to preserve as much of the promised raises as possible, some positions and services will be cut after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors declined to approve Reid’s full funding request.

Countywide

Fairfax County teachers’ union blames supervisors after budget crushes labor agreement

By Vernon Miles

Published May 7, 2025 at 3:45PM | Updated May 7, 2025 at 8:01PM

Fairfax County Public Schools workers wear Fairfax Education Unions T-shirts after electing FEU as their collective bargaining representative (courtesy Fairfax County Federation of Teachers)

Fairfax County teachers’ elation at securing a collective bargaining agreement, the first of its kind in nearly 50 years for the district, has proven short-lived.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2026 that transfers $2.93 billion to Fairfax County Public Schools — up $119 million from the current fiscal year, but well short of the $248 million increase that Superintendent Michelle Reid requested primarily to cover employee pay raises promised by the union contract.

Countywide

Fairfax board to approve meals tax, real estate rate cut with FY 2026 budget

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 6, 2025 at 3:45PM | Updated May 7, 2025 at 3:24PM

Board Chairman Jeff McKay at FY26 budget-markup session (screenshot via Fairfax County)

A lower real estate tax rate, smaller transfer than school leaders sought and imposition of a meals tax are all part of Fairfax County’s $5.7 billion fiscal year 2026 budget slated for formal adoption next week.

“Our residents are worried” as they “prepare for the impact” of the Trump administration’s downsizing of the federal government and its related economic fallout, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at a budget markup session today (Tuesday).