Wednesday, May 15, 2013
How many children will be allowed at home day care providers? The board now won't decide until June.
Fairfax County home day care providers will find out June 18 exactly how many children they’re legally allowed to care for under county regulations. The Board of Supervisors deferred a decision Tuesday night on whether to increase the number of children providers can care for with a special permit from 10 to 12. After hearing emotional testimony from both providers and stakeholders, supervisors decided they needed more time. With a license from the Commonwealth of Virginia, a provider can care for up to 12 children. But Fairfax County ordinances only allow for seven children, unless the provider applies for the special permit for 10 children. The county rarely enforced the law and many providers took on a dozen children, arguing they were …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
But some officials say more funding for job placement, independent living services should come from the state.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) is working to secure more federal funding for employment services that will help county residents with intellectual disabilities. The idea comes after months of work with TansCen, a consulting firm hired last summer to help the organization with ongoing budget problems. The cost of enrolling residents in the CSB's employment and day services program, which helps high school graduates with intellectual disabilities find career opportunities and become independent, has become too high for the county to sustain long term. CSB officials are working on short-term solutions to reduce county costs, which would take effect in Fiscal Year 2015. But four recommendations offered this week by …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Fairfax Chamber of Commerce won't support a possible 4 percent tax on meals and beverages in Fairfax County. But some leaders say it's a good way to bring in extra revenue.
A potential meals tax in Fairfax County is already leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some members of the business community. During a meeting of the county’s top economic officials Tuesday, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) said it was opposed to the tax. Christian Deschauer, the FCCC’s vice president of government relations, said the chamber would not support a referendum — a position shared by many restaurant owners, he said. “We’ve never supported state legislation or board action that specifically targets a single industry,” Deschauer said. “I’ve talked to a bunch of restaurants in the past week … and the message has not changed from them – they remain adamantly opposed. That’s just the initial feedback.” Last week …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
With prom and graduation fast approaching, Fairfax County officials launch campaign to raise awareness of what legal consequences await parents who let kids drink on their watch.
With high school proms and graduations right around the corner, Fairfax County has a message for parents: if you host parties and give teenagers alcohol, you will be prosecuted. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, in partnership with the Fairfax County School Board, proclaimed May 2013 Parents Who Host, Lose the Most month this week. Parents Who Host, Lose the Most is a campaign to raise public awareness for parents and other adults about the legal consequences of providing alcohol to minors. For the seventh year in a row, Fairfax County officials are taking part. Supervisor Jeff McKay stressed the importance of the campaign and its message. Prom and graduation should be a joyous time, but underage drinking can too often lead to …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Officials will likely attempt to put a meals tax referendum to voters in future elections, though the proposal has had little success in the past.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is once again considering a meals tax — but the proposal has a long way to go before it is put to voters in a future election. For the eighth time during his tenure, Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) proposed this week that a meals tax referendum appear on ballots during the election. In his resolution, Hyland estimated the tax could generate between $80 and $100 million annually. Such revenue, which Hyland calculated with a hypothetical 4 percent meals tax, might allow the Board to alleviate stress on the county’s real estate base, which just saw an increase in tax this budget cycle. “As was clearly evidenced during our budget discussions, the county is still over reliant on the real estate …
Officials will sit down soon to discuss how to get kids early education -- and fast.
With more than 800 children on the waiting list for pre-kindergarten services, Fairfax County’s School Board and Board of Supervisors are committed to formulating a plan to solve the problem, they said Tuesday. Head Start provides early education and pre-kindergarten classes to kids from low income families, better preparing them to enter Fairfax County Public Schools. The program is funded by a mix of federal, state and county sources, but sequestration has the Board of Supervisors on edge and the Fiscal Year 2014 budget doesn’t include any funding for expansion of the program. For this reason, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) has formally requested the two Boards sit down and find a solution. “High quality early education that …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
In final FY 2014 spending plan, homeowners will pay $216 more on average; public safety positions will be restored.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors formally adopted a $7 billion budget Tuesday for Fiscal Year 2014, a plan they called conservative thanks to sequestration and other uncertainties. The plan will hike the average county homeowner’s real estate taxes by more than $200 on average, increasing the real estate tax rate from $1.075 per $100 of assessed value to $1.085. Read: Fairfax County 1-Cent Tax Increase: Penny for Your Thoughts Though the board approved the budget during a markup session last week, it finalized the plan with a 9-1 vote Tuesday morning. Supervisor Pat Herrity was the sole vote against the budget. With the slow recovery from the recession and the impacts of sequestration hurting the commercial real estate tax base, …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Fairfax County's pre-kindergarten program will likely go another year without the funding it needs to shorten a wait list with hundreds of kids.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is ready to adopt the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget package, but some officials are unsettled by the lack of funding for the expansion of the Head Start program, which currently has hundreds of students on the waiting list. Through a mix of county, state and federal funding, Head Start provides free pre-kindergarten classes to students from low-income families, giving them the extra attention they need to be on par with their peers when they enter the Fairfax County Public School system. Roughly 1,500 kids are currently enrolled in the program — but more than 800 others are waiting. The program won’t receive any additional funding in this year’s budget because of worries that more funds will be lost in …
Monday, April 22, 2013
Employee pay an issue as the Board of Supervisors drafts amendments to the FY2014 budget.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have begun adjusting the Fiscal Year 2014 budget package by lowering the proposed tax rate by a penny. But supervisors still didn't back increases in funding to public schools and employee compensation. During a meeting of the Board of Supervisors Budget Committee on Friday, Chairman Sharon Bulova presented a list of amendments to spending plan. The Board will vote on a proposed real estate tax rate of $1.085 per $100 of assessed value — a penny lower than the $1.095 rate proposed by County Executive Ed Long in his original plan. The adjustment is expected to cut the county revenue by about $20 million. County employees advocated for higher pay during public hearings earlier this month, but a lack of…
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Hunter Mill Bridge among projects getting funding.
Thanks to a reallocation of some funds and savings on two big county projects , the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has identified about $11 million to complete planned improvements to pedestrian and road projects across the county. The money became available when two other large transportation projects were unexpectedly completed under budget. Burke Centre’s Virginia Railway Express parking was finished with $3.9 million to spare in federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds; another $7 million in federal Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) money was left over after the widening of Route 29 and Gallows Road to three lanes. Supervisors also approved the use of $1.65 million in commercial and industrial (C&I) …
harry lehman
11:12 am on Friday, May 24, 2013
wqaaaweq.............what's this about?? Is it FREE adversing for your favorite sites OR does it really have anything to do with the MOST FAIR tax possible!! Take this Meals Tax to the voters and see what the rational and smart voters say about it. When was the last time a resident had even a CHANCE to vote on a new tax!!!!! more ›