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Fairfax County residents packed an April 22 budget hearing to confront a stark choice: accept higher taxes or risk cuts to emergency response, youth programs, addiction treatment and other public services.

More than 300 people were expected to testify over three days as the Board of Supervisors considered how to address a prospective $300 million deficit. The county faces employee pay and benefit costs that are rising faster than revenue, continued dependence on property taxes and a proposed budget that does not fully fund Fairfax County Public Schools’ request.

Tuesday’s line of speakers continued for nearly eight hours. Testimony began during hearings on proposed tax changes and carried into the formal review of the fiscal 2026 budget, capital improvement program and fiscal 2025 third-quarter revisions.

Programs facing possible cuts

Some of the most urgent testimony concerned four threatened emergency medical transport units serving Gunston, Clifton, Cross Point and North Point.

Robert Young, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2068, warned that eliminating the units would lengthen response times and delay medical transportation, particularly in less densely populated areas. He urged the county to maintain consistent emergency service throughout Fairfax.

Volunteer Fire Commission Chairman Shawn P. Stokes raised a related concern about reducing the apparatus stipend from $35,000 to $25,000. He said the cut could force volunteer departments to postpone vehicle purchases.

Residents also defended the Middle School After-School Program, a free county-funded service offered five days a week at every FCPS middle school. Maria Posey said the program was established in the early 2000s as Fairfax confronted increasing gang recruitment among middle school students.

Posey opposed charging families on a sliding scale, arguing that even a modest fee could exclude children who most need a safe and engaging place after school.

Eva May, who identified herself as an addict in recovery at New Generations, asked supervisors to preserve the residential program operated through the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board. The program allows mothers to receive treatment while caring for their children, and May said its loss would affect families across generations.

Multiple speakers also urged the county to keep operating the Fairfax County Employees’ Child Care Center instead of privatizing it. Frank Woodruff said direct county management allows the board and its agencies to retain control of the center, which is part of the county’s Health and Human Services System.

Meals tax divides residents and restaurants

Supervisors were considering a food and beverage tax of up to 6%, including a proposed 4% rate that county estimates said could raise $65.1 million. That money could offset real estate tax increases or pay for other priorities.

Supporters described the levy as a way to diversify county revenue and preserve services.

Kimberly Adams, who also advocated for a meals tax in 2016, said it would help close funding gaps for schools and county employees. She argued that the tax would reach nonresidents who dine in Fairfax as well as county residents who can afford prepared food.

Kyle Stern of the Fairfax County Park Authority supported using a meals tax to generate money for park maintenance.

Restaurant representatives and other opponents warned that the proposal would raise costs for working families and strain businesses already operating on narrow margins.

Thomas Cranmer said Great Falls restaurants had joined a petition opposing the tax. Che Ruddell-Tabisola, vice president of government affairs for the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, said higher dining costs could put restaurant meals further beyond the reach of working families.

Eric Terry of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association said restaurants could lose customers as prices rise. He also argued that lower-income households spend a larger share of their disposable income on meals prepared outside the home.

Property tax proposal draws another fight

The board advertised a real estate tax rate of $1.14 per $100 of assessed value, 1.5 cents above the current rate, according to Department of Management and Budget Director Phil Hagen.

Existing property assessments were expected to rise by 4.68% overall, including a 6.17% increase for residential real estate.

Rod Dyke of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance said the combined changes would produce an average 7.5% increase in real estate taxes, taking the average bill from $8,659 to $9,312. He said the average increase would still be 6.2% if the county adopted the proposed meals tax.

Charles McAndrew told supervisors his annual real estate taxes had climbed from $7,609 in 2015 to an estimated $11,770 in 2025, an increase of 65%. Nicole Miller also described the pressure that higher assessments and rates place on her family and asked the board to consider residents with low incomes.

Jeffrey Leach called for a balanced budget without tax increases and accused county leaders of overspending. Citing his own figures, he said FCPS enrollment grew 44% from 1985 to 2025 while total employment rose 94%, the teacher count increased 186% and the number of assistant principals grew 306%.

Other speakers supported higher taxes to protect schools and public services. Molly Sullivan, an FCPS teacher and Sully District resident, backed the real estate tax increase. She said Fairfax might face fewer budget problems if Virginia returned a more equitable share of the money the county sends to the state, though she considered that outcome unlikely.

Residents offer alternatives

Representing the McLean Citizens Association, James Kulikowski proposed using surplus funds to limit tax increases while restoring proposed reductions to Fire and Rescue, middle school after-school programming and Park Authority trail maintenance.

He suggested returning the carryover surplus from more than 2% to its historic level of 1% of the general fund budget, making additional money available at the beginning of fiscal 2026. He also proposed using fiscal 2025 funds to add $8.5 million for affordable housing and foregoing a $6 million unallocated reserve to avoid a rate increase.

Kulikowski supported active transportation projects but opposed $80 million in funding for Dunn Loring Elementary School, pointing to enrollment projections and what he described as a conflict with the Tysons Comprehensive Plan.

Rob Whitfield called for broader tax reform and the creation of a business community group to help address Fairfax County’s financial challenges.

Michelle Jefferson of the Community Action Advisory Board supported dedicating half a penny to the housing production fund. She emphasized affordable housing for seniors, families and essential workers, along with wider access to healthy, affordable and culturally relevant food.

Fellow board member Josiah Zalalum sought an additional $239,541 for Pathway Homes, which helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure housing. He also requested more support for the Victims of Crime Act Victim Services Program.

Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority highlighted its work to assist displaced federal employees and bring new businesses to the county.

The budget hearings continued April 23 and 24. The public record remained open through May 6 while supervisors prepared for the budget markup process.