To the Fairfax County Community,
Today, the Board met with a full agenda. We covered the County Executive's FY22 budget proposal and heard the recommendations from my Task Force on Equity and Opportunity. I also want to share some good news on the vaccine front - I am pleased to announce that Giant Pharmacy has agreed to partner formally with the Fairfax Health Department. They will be vaccinating people registered in our system, using our scheduler starting tomorrow.
Vaccinations will begin with four locations, with more locations to be announced later this week. These stores will serve as alternatives to County facility sites. Residents in our existing queue who are being offered an appointment by the County when their turn comes up, will have the option of choosing which Giant location. Below are the addresses of the stores that will come on line. Again, Giant will be working off the County's registration list, please do not show up at these locations without an appointment and we hope to soon add more locations.
- 7501 Huntsman Boulevard, Springfield, VA
- 6364A Springfield Plaza, Springfield, VA
- 5740 Union Mill Road, Clifton, VA
- 5870 Kingstowne Boulevard, Alexandria, VA
This partnership will improve access for our residents and help expedite our vaccination process. There is still a nationwide shortage of vaccine that has slowed our ability to vaccinate. That said, I am hopeful supply is starting to pick up (we got 16,000 vaccine doses this week, up from 13,500). We need your patience, we are getting through the queue as fast as possible.
The agenda for today's Board meeting is available for your review here.
For COVID-19 resources mentioned in past newsletters, visit my website. If you have a friend who would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can do so here.
|
|
What happened? The County Executive presented his proposal for the FY2022 budget to the Board.
When is the budget final? The final vote on the budget will be May 4.
Proposal highlights?
- The Real Estate Tax rate is proposed to decrease by 1-cent. With real estate assessments on the rise however, this means a tax increase in some cases and decreases in others, depending on your property value.
- Below are a few new initiatives, that are in addition to our preserved programs:
- Police body-worn cameras.
- Support for our Commonwealth's Attorney Office.
-
Diversion First (A program that works to treat mental illness and substance abuse instead of criminalizing it. It is designed to prevent repeat encounters with the criminal justice system, improve public safety, and promote a healthier community.)
-
Support of the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan (Strategies that help the County, residents, and community members prepare and respond to direct climate threats.)
- New community centers in the Lee and Sully Districts.
- Fairfax County Public Schools would receive $2.16 billion for the School Operating Fund in the County Executive's recommendation, which is an increase of $14.13 million from last year’s transfer. This is the eleventh consecutive year that has seen a budgeted increase in the transfer to the FCPS Operating Fund, highlighting the Board’s commitment to education.
- COVID-19 recovery and response: The proposal creates a one-time $20 million reserve to continue to assist with economic recovery and preserves necessary positions added to the Health Department as a result of the COVID pandemic.
What's next? On March 2, the Board of Supervisors will meet with the School Board to discuss both the County Executives and FCPS's budgets and changes we want to consider. Residents will be able to comment in district meetings starting March 1 and during public hearings in April. See the timeline below.
Anything else? I know that many homeowners have struggled due to a loss of income during the pandemic. I appreciate that the County Executive has created a budget that reflects these uncertain financial times, and is a responsible starting point for discussion. Next year’s proposed budget does not meet every community need, but shows our commitment to preserving County programs and working to protect our residents in these uncertain times.
|
|
My Task Force on Equity and Opportunity |
|
What happened? After four months of work, my Task Force on Equity and Opportunity presented its recommendations to the Board. You can see those recommendations here, the presentation here, and a list of members here. The report presented today was the work of the Task Force and the report and the recommendations were written by them.
What's the background? Following events across the country and the ensuing protests over racial justice, I convened the Task Force to examine the systemic drivers of inequity in Fairfax County. It was also charged to provide recommendations with the goal of moving the County closer to being a place in which everyone can thrive. The Task Force was created to complement and further advance the existing One Fairfax policy, which I co-wrote with Supervisor Hudgins and was adopted in 2017 to ensure policy decisions are made with an equity lens.
Why? There is no question that inequities, forged over decades of policy decisions on every level of government, exist today. It’s our job to do better, re-examine policies, and intentionally make decisions under an equity lens, building on our One Fairfax policy.
What's next? Following the presentation by the Task Force, the Board voted to send the recommendations to County Executive Bryan Hill for review and evaluation. It also directed staff to schedule a Board discussion at a future Budget Committee meeting.
|
|
What happened? Today, the Board held a public hearing to prohibit the use of plastic bags for the collection of yard waste.
Why? Licensed waste collectors operating in Fairfax County must send collected yard waste to commercial composting facilities in the region. When plastic bags are introduced into the compost process, it is very difficult to remove plastic shreds from the final product entirely, resulting in compost contaminated with plastic. Plastic in the compost, even in small amounts, reduces overall product quality and provides a pathway for the plastic to get into our environment. Removing this plastic from our yard waste process is one step towards reducing the impact of microplastics on our natural environment.
Anything else? Strategies for managing and bagging yard waste without the use of plastic bags can be found here.
|
|
Workforce Dwelling Unit Policy |
|
WDU? The Countywide and Tysons WDU Policies incentivize residential developers to include affordable units for households with low- to moderate-incomes in their new developments. This is key to meeting our affordable housing needs. This allows developers to receive a "density bonus" on their development project of up to 20% in exchange for a commitment of WDUs across a variety of income levels. As a result, more affordable housing throughout the County is made available for residents who may otherwise be housing cost-burdened. This also creates affordable housing units near transit stations, where the cost of new housing is usually substantially higher than the median but offers easy access to public transit, which many of our low- to moderate- income families rely on to get to work and other obligations.
|
|
Common Health Questions:
- People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. You might experience:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Follow mitigation practices:
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
- Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
- Don't touch your face
- Social distance
-
Wear a mask (Which is required in Virginia.)
- What it means to social distance, self-isolate, and quarantine.
- If interacting with others outside of your household, being outside is safer than inside. You can make your home safer by increasing ventilation and filtration.
-
The New York Times (access to COVID-19 content is free) speaks with infectious disease experts, aerosol scientists, and microbiologists to find out if COVID-19 can land on your clothing, hair, shoes, and mail.
COVID-19 Resources:
- Fairfax County Health Department
-
To view the number of cases in Fairfax County this page is updated at noon daily.
-
Visit the County site on COVID-19, Health Department Website, and see their FAQs.
-
To view multilingual health materials visit the County's Language Portal.
- Sign up for text message alerts: text FFXCOVID to 888777. Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
- Call the Health Department from 9am-7pm weekdays and 9:30am-5pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
-
Email: [email protected]. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
-
Inova has a helpful FAQ.
Vaccine Resources:
|
|
We recognize that we are in very trying times, but I hope this newsletter helps you track the progress we are making.
As I often say, we are truly lucky to live in Fairfax County where we have the resources to overcome challenges and a community who rises to the occasion.
Jeffrey C. McKay
Chairman
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
