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Falls Church leaders unanimously approved a $133.3 million fiscal 2026 budget May 12 after a weaker revenue forecast forced late reductions in city and school spending.

The plan lowers the real estate tax rate by one cent, to $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, while funding road maintenance, employee compensation, housing, public education and a contingency intended to cushion the city against possible regional economic disruption tied to federal actions.

Mayor Letty Hardi described the decision as a difficult balance between maintaining services in a rapidly developing city and easing the burden on taxpayers.

Falls Church has recorded annual revenue growth of roughly 6 to 7 percent during much of the past decade, outpacing nearby jurisdictions as commercial development and rising property values strengthened the tax base. Hardi warned that such growth is not guaranteed, particularly if the region enters a downturn.

“I think, as we’ve all acknowledged, there may be a lot of uncertainty ahead and we’re trying to prepare for that,” she said before the vote.

Lower forecast prompts reductions

The city revised its revenue projection downward by $1.2 million after third-quarter fiscal 2025 figures showed local tax collections below expectations. The City Council then asked both the general government and the school division to reduce their proposed spending.

General government cuts totaling $261,000 include leaving a vacant director position unfilled and eliminating the city’s Watch Night New Year’s celebration. The planned transfer to Falls Church City Public Schools was reduced by $145,000.

The adopted General Fund budget, including schools, general government and the capital plan, totals $133,259,318. It provides $57,706,605 for general government, an increase of 6.3 percent, and $69,402,486 for city schools, an increase of 6.9 percent.

Despite those increases, the overall budget is 3.2 percent smaller than the current plan because of reduced debt service and the use of capital reserves.

Hardi, who has two children in the city school system, acknowledged public appeals to preserve the existing tax rate and send the resulting revenue to schools. She nevertheless said reducing taxes remains one of her central budget priorities.

“I personally start every budget season with the desire to, frankly, lower the tax burden and reduce the tax rate because of the economic development we’ve invested in over the years,” Hardi said. Affordability, she added, includes not only the availability of homes but also the bills residents must pay.

The mayor argued that the city should begin controlling expenditures before conditions worsen. Revenue increases of 6 or 8 percent are unusual, she said, and anticipated growth of only 2 to 3 percent makes early budget trimming prudent.

Hardi also defended the council’s responsibility to weigh school needs alongside transportation, climate, housing and other citywide priorities. She said full revenue-sharing with schools has worked during strong economic periods but may need reconsideration if Falls Church faces disruption.

She called for less heated budget rhetoric and urged city and school officials to collaborate on a list of possible revenue and spending adjustments. If financial data deteriorate by September and existing contingencies prove insufficient, she said, officials should be ready to make further changes.

Schools preserve raises and classroom positions

The Falls Church City School Board approved its revised fiscal 2026 operating budget on May 13. The $69,402,486 plan requires a city appropriation of $55,380,284, reflecting the requested $145,000 reduction.

School officials said the division met the City Council’s original financial guidance for a seventh consecutive year while responding to enrollment growth and protecting core instruction.

“This budget reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring we meet the needs of our growing population of students and staff,” School Board Chair Tate Gould said.

The plan includes a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase for all employees and step increases for eligible staff. It also makes permanent several jobs previously supported with temporary money, including a math specialist, a school counselor and an English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher.

The budget adds 4.5 general education classroom teachers to address enrollment growth, along with one special education teacher and three paraprofessionals. It funds a full-time assistant director of athletics and student activities and continues psychology services previously paid for with pandemic-era funds.

To absorb the reduction, the division cut its planned textbook allocation and postponed hiring an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme coordinator for the elementary school.

The board separately approved a $1,621,448 Food Service budget and a $2,663,200 Community Services Fund budget, the latter requiring a $107,500 city appropriation.

Solid-waste funding faces review

Solid-waste service became another major issue during budget discussions. Some residents asked Falls Church to remove curbside trash collection costs from the general tax rate and pay for the service through a separate fee.

The city is assembling a Solid Waste Task Force to examine how such a change could work. Its recommendations are due to the council by August, with public-engagement opportunities expected to be announced.

Ten public meetings were held between the budget’s March 24 introduction and its May 12 adoption. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2025.

Ice Cream Jubilee draws students to West Falls

As city officials wrestled with the budget, a sweeter addition opened beside two Falls Church schools.

Ice Cream Jubilee celebrated the May 9 opening of its West Falls shop at 151 West Falls Station, one block from Meridian High School and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. The shipping-container-style location offers indoor and outdoor seating on the development’s Commons.

It joins the company’s locations in Navy Yard, Ballston, College Park, Georgetown and Reston.

Cold, windy weather did not keep customers away on opening day. Former Falls Church City Council member Phil Duncan wrote that the shop offered a wide selection of flavors and pledged to try them all.

Students, parents and school employees said the location could quickly become an after-school gathering place.

Meridian ninth-grader Charles Griffith had not yet visited but said classmates were giving the shop strong reviews. He predicted business would improve as warmer weather arrived and students looked for somewhere to go after class.

Brooke Northrip, whose husband teaches theater at Meridian, said she had visited the Ballston location with her children. Although she considered its prices somewhat high, she praised the flavor selection and said the West Falls shop could become popular for end-of-year celebrations and gatherings after football or basketball games.

Northrip also welcomed the broader transformation of the former school property, noting the mix of businesses that includes an ice cream shop, music school and dance studio.

Elizabeth McCarthy, a special education transition coordinator at Meridian, saw another potential benefit: jobs for teenagers. Its proximity could make the shop a convenient workplace for students as well as a place to get a treat after school, she said.

Freshmen and football teammates Jacob Mattoon and Parker Duval had heard favorable reports from friends and family. Mattoon imagined students stopping for ice cream on dates before walking to a planned nearby movie theater.

Sophomores Sagar Nangia and Christian Brooks also predicted strong after-school traffic because the shop sits prominently in the middle of West Falls.

Students Riley Abrenio, Allie Fergie and Madelyn Denny were already putting that theory into practice. The three sophomores relaxed on the large swings in the Commons after each ordered a cookies-and-cookie-dough ice cream.

They said the swings and open space made the development an appealing place to spend time with friends. After watching years of construction—including the site’s long period as a large excavation—they were struck by finally seeing the new destination take shape.