Budget

CITY OF FAIRFAX, VA - The City of Fairfax is considering a resolution to request a Fairfax Circuit Court order for a special election on a 1% retail sales tax increase. Revenue would be dedicated exclusively to public school capital projects, such as school construction, facility expansions, and infrastructure upgrades.

To start, don’t change the City Charter. The Mayor-Council form of government has proven to be an effective way of balancing the needs of the community with strong leadership, when needed, from the Mayor’s chair. Unfortunately, we have already seen unfiltered partisanship and a shift from May to November elections, making City elections less about the issues and more about a party. And that’s really sad. We shouldn’t be voting based on the color of a sample ballot. Modifying the Charter, as some have suggested, will only make the situation worse.

Summer travel is heating up in 2026, but travelers are approaching vacations differently than in years past. While Americans remain eager to explore, rising costs, crowded airports, and limited flexibility across the travel industry are reshaping how—and where—they spend their vacation dollars.

City of Fairfax, VA - The Fiscal Year 2027 (FY2027) budget for City of Fairfax outlines a broad financial plan that increases funding for schools, infrastructure, and public services while relying on a diversified set of revenue sources. Rather than a single large tax hike, the city spreads revenue adjustments across property taxes, business taxes, meals tax, hotel tax, and utility fees, creating a gradual but noticeable increase in overall costs for residents and businesses.

Fairfax County, VA - Fairfax County officials adopted a roughly $5.7 billion FY 2027 General Fund budget, maintaining spending across schools, public safety, transportation, health services, and infrastructure while navigating rising costs in staffing, healthcare, and long-term capital needs. The Board of Supervisors approved the plan in May, along with a quarter-cent reduction in the real estate tax rate to about $1.12 per $100 of assessed value.

City officials have introduced a proposed FY2027 budget of approximately $207.5 million, representing about a 4.5% increase over the current year. The proposal is driven largely by rising costs in education, debt service, and employee compensation.