Countywide

Fairfax County’s budget season is in full swing.

The Board of Supervisors will hold public hearings at 3 p.m. today through Thursday (April 12-14), giving residents, community groups, and other stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their concerns and priorities for the spending plan that will take effect on July 1.


Countywide

The Fairfax County School Board is set to require recess at the middle school level for the first time starting next school year.

Under a health and wellness policy revision to be voted on this month, middle schools would be required to have a 15-minute supervised recess break, and elementary school students will get two recess breaks per day, totaling at least 30 minutes.


Countywide

Fairfax County’s running bamboo ordinance won’t start until 2023, but its implications are spreading almost as rapidly as the plant it seeks to contain.

On Tuesday (March 22), the county’s Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that takes effect on Jan. 1, prohibiting people from letting running bamboo spread to someone else’s property.


Countywide

As part of an ongoing review of off-street parking rules, Fairfax County is considering an overhaul of its parking requirements for new development.

Under the proposed tiered system, the number of parking spaces required for a particular development would vary depending on the density of the surrounding area.


Countywide

Traffic congestion is no longer the top concern for residents here: It’s now housing affordability, according to a new survey.

A Reston-based research consultant, Heart & Mind Strategies, conducted a survey in December, gathering input from over 600 adults in Northern Virginia, extending research from previous years.


Countywide

Fairfax County government leaders are debating changes to property tax bills amid tensions with soaring home values.

During a regular meeting tomorrow (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors will likely advertise a property tax rate of $1.14 per $100 of assessed value. That is the same as last year’s rate, but bills are still expected to go up, due to soaring real estate assessments.


Opinion

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill yesterday (Wednesday) making masks optional in schools by March 1.

Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia school systems have continued to require students to wear masks, even after Youngkin issued an executive order that gave parents the choice whether their children wore a mask.


Opinion

Fairfax County students have already gotten a couple extra days of winter break, thanks to yesterday’s snowstorm, but some community members are calling on Fairfax County Public Schools to extend its closure further, citing concerns about rising COVID-19 cases.

A Change.org petition started over the weekend urges FCPS to utilize some of its built-in snow days to either delay an in-person return in the hopes of mitigating a post-holiday surge or establish an online option for students who would prefer to remain at home.


Opinion

The Fairfax Health District is doing well when it comes to getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of yesterday (Monday), 65.5% of residents are fully vaccinated, outpacing the 59.1% national rate, according to Fairfax County Health Department data.


Opinion

November is on the horizon, and in Virginia, that means it’s almost time for another Election Day.

This year, voters will determine the Commonwealth’s future for the next four years, casting ballots for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates.


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