New payment options, from 24-hour kiosks to cryptocurrency, could be on the way for those paying taxes and fees to the Fairfax County government.
If one county leader has his way, there also could be lower surcharges for those paying by credit and debit cards.
Vienna leaders are warming up to the idea of a public swimming pool, a decade after throwing cold water on the idea when planning community center renovations.
Consultants hired to research possible long-term uses of the former Faith Baptist Church property at 301 Center Street South — now known as the Annex — shared their final recommendation of an indoor aquatics and fitness facility with the Vienna Town Council at a work session on Monday (Sept. 30).
Fairfax County leaders want Gov. Glenn Youngkin to boost state funding for critical services, such as schools, transportation and health care.
The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 on Tuesday (Sept. 24) to send a letter to Youngkin arguing that chronic underfunding by the state has forced localities like Fairfax County to lean heavily on local tax revenue to maintain “core services” like public education, public safety and transportation infrastructure, straining local budgets and taxpayers.
The Fairfax County County Board of Supervisors is exploring its taxing options, including possible taxes on meals and event admissions, in the hopes of reducing its reliance on property taxes.
Supervisors discussed new revenue diversification proposals at Tuesday’s (Sept. 17) budget policy committee meeting after calling on County Executive Bryan Hill to identify ways to ease the tax burden on homeowners and fill reported shortfalls in state funding for public schools.
The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is preparing for the possibility of significant service reductions as part of a countywide effort to close an expected budget shortfall.
During a Park Authority Board budget committee meeting last Wednesday (Aug. 28, park officials outlined proposed cuts that could include shorter hours and fewer services at rec centers, less frequent grounds maintenance, cancellation of seasonal programs, reduced staffing and postponed facility upgrades.
As Fairfax County leaders explore adding new sources of revenue, an advocacy campaign has emerged in opposition to a potential tax on prepared food.
Though many Northern Virginia localities already have meals taxes, a nonprofit called Fairfax Families and Workers Against the Food Tax that publicly launched last week argues the tax would be unpopular with Fairfax County residents, who narrowly rejected the idea at the ballot box twice before.
Fairfax County is looking at Reston’s Lake Anne area and the Huntington Metro station as the next candidates for a program that offers tax breaks and other incentives to jumpstart revitalization efforts.
Both areas have proven difficult to redevelop and are seeing stagnant real estate values, despite their prime locations and the county’s overall economic growth, according to Elizabeth Hagg, director of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development’s community revitalization section.
Fairfax County is once again chewing on the possibility of a meals tax — and this time, it won’t need a public vote for approval.
The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 yesterday (Tuesday) to instruct County Executive Bryan Hill and his staff to develop strategies for broadening the county’s revenue sources as it seeks to reduce the growing tax burden on homeowners. One option could be a tax on food and drink sales.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has signed off on a 3-cent bump in its real estate tax rate, a move it said was partly forced by insufficient state funding.
The board approved the new rate yesterday (Tuesday) as part of a mark-up session on the fiscal year 2025 budget, which will be formally adopted next Tuesday, May 7. The 3-cent hike is expected to generate about $97 million in additional revenue for the county — about $32.3 million less compared to the 4-cent increase initially proposed.
Real estate taxes will likely go up for Fairfax County homeowners in the coming year, but perhaps not by as much as they could.
The Board of Supervisors plans to approve a 3-cent tax rate increase, down from the four cents that was advertised. That will reduce the average tax bill hike from about $524 to just over $450.
