Article Text

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields proposed a $133.9 million fiscal 2026 General Fund budget that would lower the real estate tax rate while raising the median homeowner’s annual bill by about $400.

Shields presented the proposal and a six-year Capital Improvements Program to the City Council on March 24, 2025, alongside School Board Chair Tate Gould and Superintendent Peter Noonan.

The proposed tax rate would fall by 2.5 cents, from $1.21 to $1.185 per $100 of assessed value. Rising home assessments, however, would leave the median homeowner paying 3.4 percent more.

The overall General Fund plan, including schools, general government and capital spending, is 2.8 percent smaller than the fiscal 2025 budget because of declining debt service and reduced use of capital reserves.

General government operating expenses, excluding debt service, would rise 6.5 percent to $57,706,605. The transfer to schools from general tax revenue would increase 5.6 percent to $55.6 million. The total School Division operating budget, including state and federal revenue, is listed at $69,546, a 7.1 percent increase.

Shields said uncertainty surrounding the federal government is creating a difficult regional economic environment as Falls Church simultaneously faces new revenue and expenses associated with growth. The proposal largely maintains current programs while directing additional money toward road maintenance, employees, public safety and essential infrastructure.

Civilian city employees would receive funding for a 5 percent merit increase and a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment. Uniformed police officers would receive a 3 percent step increase.

The plan includes $150,000 to improve city financial systems, including online payments and building-permit processing. It would maintain a $500,000 local contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund and establish another $500,000 as a contingency against potential revenue losses tied to federal actions.

Road maintenance would receive $2.2 million, an increase of $700,000. The money would support paving, traffic signals, sidewalks, ADA curb ramps, bike-lane and crosswalk markings, and brick crosswalk upkeep.

The six-year capital plan calls for $59.2 million in transportation projects intended to make streets and intersections safer and more accessible. Its full $148.2 million program covers schools, parks, government buildings, transportation, sewer systems and stormwater infrastructure.

Public-safety spending includes $133,000 to replace body-worn and vehicle cameras used by uniformed police and sheriff’s personnel. The proposal also continues $200,000 for neighborhood traffic-calming projects requested by residents.

The capital plan relies in part on $12.4 million in federal grants, $23.6 million in state grants and $9.9 million from city capital reserves. No new taxpayer-supported borrowing is expected before fiscal 2028.

The council is scheduled to adopt the final budget May 12. Fiscal 2026 runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

Budget town halls are scheduled for noon April 3 and 7 p.m. April 24, with in-person and virtual attendance available. Public comment will be accepted during regular council meetings April 14 and April 28. Work sessions on April 7, April 21 and May 5 will be open to the public but will not include public-comment periods.

Bird Advocates Urge Residents to Dim Outdoor Lights

A Northern Virginia campaign is asking Falls Church residents, businesses and government offices to reduce unnecessary nighttime lighting during the spring bird migration.

The Northern Virginia Bird Alliance launched the seasonal initiative with partner organizations including DarkSky NOVA. Advocate Eileen Kragie said about 100 million birds migrate over the region at night during spring, while roughly 160 million make the return trip in fall.

Birds use the moon and stars to navigate, but artificial lighting can pull them off course. Collisions with buildings and exhaustion contribute to hundreds of millions of bird deaths nationwide each year.

Fairfax County supervisors have backed efforts to increase awareness and evaluate whether unnecessary lights can be switched off at county-owned buildings. Educational material is also being shared through county and district communications, while the Fairfax County Park Authority maintains information about dark skies and light pollution.

Falls Church has previously issued proclamations recognizing International Dark Sky Week and has adopted outdoor-lighting rules. In 2025, the observance runs from April 21 through April 28, during the height of spring migration.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to check whether outdoor lighting is useful, properly directed, low-level, controlled and warm-colored. Responsible lighting can keep pathways safe while limiting harm to birds, insects, plants and other wildlife.

“Sunset Wires” Takes Falls Church Arts Honor

Alan McAfee’s “Sunset Wires” won the People’s Choice award in the “Light & Dark: Contrast” photography exhibition at Falls Church Arts.

Visitors selected the inkjet print on Noritsu luster paper from 66 works created by 44 local photographers. The exhibition invited artists to explore contrasts between light and darkness in color or black-and-white images.

McAfee captured the photograph during an evening walk in Birmingham, Alabama. He described using silhouetted lines and larger human-made shapes against the smooth color gradient of a cloudless sky to balance natural simplicity with structural complexity.

The winning print is offered for $350. The exhibition runs through April 6 at the Falls Church Arts gallery, 700-B W. Broad St. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.