After a relatively brisk 25 minutes of speeches followed by the snip of a red ribbon, the new Franconia Governmental Center opened to the public Saturday morning (April 11).
That moment represented the culmination of “two and a half — plus — decades of planning,” said Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk at the dedication ceremony, which attracted hundreds to the facility at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd, located south of Manchester Blvd and east of Beulah Street.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has rejected legislation that would’ve opened the door for a casino in Fairfax County.
The governor vetoed SB 756 from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell today (Thursday) ahead of an April 13 deadline for her to take action on all of the bills passed by the General Assembly during its 2026 session.
Despite weeks of debate and revisions, the Senate Bill 756 that the Virginia General Assembly sent to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk before adjourning on Saturday (March 14) wound up being exactly the same as the one introduced when the legislative session began in January.
After requesting a second conference to some groans from his colleagues, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) reverted to his original language for a new substitute bill to allow casino gaming in Fairfax County, limiting potential sites to a 1.5-million-square-foot mixed-use development in Tysons but otherwise treating Fairfax the same as the five cities in Virginia already eligible to host a casino.
Fairfax County officials are seeking input on how to allocate millions of dollars in funding for improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) unveiled a list of proposed projects last month and is now actively accepting survey responses until 4:30 p.m. on March 31.
While the Fairfax County has worked on boosting affordable housing, local officials are wary of state bills that would reduce local zoning authority over residential development in commercial zones.
HB 816 by Del. Dan Helmer (D-10) and SB 454 by state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-16) would require local zoning ordinances to permit by-right multifamily and mixed-use residential development on a portion of commercial or business zoning district land.
Oakton’s public library could soon bear the name of one of the most vocal advocates for its construction.
A request to rename the library in honor of the late Gerry Connolly has been submitted to the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees by two members of the county’s Board of Supervisors: Chairman Jeff McKay and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
Fairfax County supervisors have directed staff to return in coming weeks with information on the physical conditions of the local government’s more than 200 buildings.
The request for information was made Tuesday (Feb. 17) by Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, who contends maintenance of older buildings constructed between the 1960s and 1980s has been “consistently deferred in favor of new projects.”
Fairfax County needs to take a more hands-on approach to helping owners repurpose aging commercial properties, one local government leader says.
“We know where they are. We have this information. Let’s identify the top 10, 15 opportunities and let’s go to them,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at an Economic Initiatives Committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 10).
County supervisors on Tuesday (Feb. 13) honored Fairfax County Police Department personnel for providing support at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We can’t forget the people who were wearing the uniform that day, defending democracy,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said at the presentation, which honored the police personnel from the county who responded when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Fairfax County elected officials seem in alignment on their top priority for the 2026 Virginia General Assembly session.
“Number one is always K-12 education funding,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at the annual legislative public hearing, held Saturday (Jan. 10) at the Fairfax County Government Center.
