News

County leaders have now joined School Board members in pushing for more early budget collaboration, to avoid repeating an impasse that soured relationships last spring.

At a Sept. 16 meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget Policy Committee, County Executive Bryan Hill said school leaders needed to develop a “budget of reality” for fiscal 2027.


News

Fairfax County again leads the region in the number of participants in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.

Those competitors are among a record contingent of 1,200 taking part in the 2025 event, which runs Sept. 13-Oct. 1 at venues across the region.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent (FCPS) Michelle Reid sent a message to the school community explaining more about the ongoing legal fight with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

Earlier this month, a federal judge in Alexandria dismissed a lawsuit the Fairfax and Arlington school boards filed against the DOE after the federal department froze their funding. The DOE put the schools on “high risk” status and restricted their access to federal funds after they refused to rescind policies allowing students to use bathrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff last Tuesday (Sept. 9) to take a six-month-long deep dive into current housing policies, hoping to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles hampering the creation of more affordable units across the community.

“This is absolutely an essential part of our economic strategy,” said Board Chairman Jeff McKay, who proposed the action. “It comes up in every conversation with the public.”


Countywide

On-time Metrobus performance declined in fiscal year 2025 from the previous two years, leading transit leaders to plan more aggressive moves to keep the buses on schedule.

“We’ll be focusing on things in our direct control,” said Jordan Holt, senior director of performance, benchmarking and customer service at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) at the Sept. 11 meeting of WMATA’s safety and operations committee.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) officials see a way to avoid considering any serious budget cuts for nearly a decade, but it hinges on a big gamble: construction projects starting on schedule.

For fiscal year 2027, which will begin on July 1, 2026, the public library system is seeking its current funding of $36.5 million after the county directed all agencies stick to their existing service levels, according to a memo submitted by FCPL Director Eric Carzon to Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget Director Phil Hagen on Friday (Sept. 12).


News

Herndon may be getting bus rapid transit, but plans presented to the Herndon Town Council show it might look a little different from the rest of the region.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) involves some form of dedicated bus lanes and other systems designed to prioritize transit on major roadways with the goal of making bus transportation more appealing.


Countywide

The number of days on the market for homes that sold across Fairfax County in August was up 50% from a year before, according to new data.

The average of 24 days between listing and ratified sales contract — up from 16 in August 2024 — is a more modest jump than what D.C.’s closer-in suburbs have seen, but it still suggests prospective buyers are taking their time.


Countywide

Ikea Considering Full-Service Restaurant in Chantilly— “The Swedish home goods retailer recently filed an application to open a full-service facility in Northern Virginia, reports say.” [Patch]

Traffic Shift for Route 29 Widening — “On Tue 9/16, 9:30a-7p, NB Rt 29 from Clifton Rd/Stringfellow Rd to Hampton Forest Way/Meadow Estates Dr will have lane closures to implement a traffic shift as part of the Route 29 Widening Project. #VaTraffic” [VDOT]


Countywide

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Sept. 9) adopted a package of new guidelines for relocating tenants when affordable apartments are slated for redevelopment, acquisition or condominium conversion.

“The overarching goal is to assist displaced tenants in moving to safe and affordable replacement housing convenient to their employment or school, while facilitating tenants’ return to preserved affordable units to the greatest extent possible,” county staff said in the report’s overview.


View More Stories