Sunday, May 12, 2013
Presented by Patch, the theme is 'Fairfax Is Beautiful.'
UPDATE: The deadline for the first annual Celebrate Fairfax Photo Contest has been extended to May 15. Enter today! Your photo could be on display at Celebrate Fairfax! --- Are you a natural photographer or just enjoy capturing snapshots of the world around you? Celebrate Fairfax is looking for the best photographs of the natural beauty of Fairfax County and announces their 1st annual Photo Contest! In order to enter, you must submit a photo of something beautiful you see in nature around Fairfax County. You have until May 1 to get your entry in! Let the county be your inspiration — the top 75 entries submitted will be displayed during the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, which will be held June 7-9. Individuals will compete in one of two …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Fairfax County's median income puts it on top 10 list nationwide; third in Virginia.
Feeling wealthy? With a median household income of more than $105,000, Fairfax County is one of the wealthiest in the United States, according to a new report from Forbes. That places Fairfax County among America’s 10 richest counties in the United States. The list is from Census median household income numbers compiled by the U. S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates from 2011, the most recent year for which is available. Are there other top lists where you'd expect to find Fairfax County? Tell us in the comments! The wealthiest county in the United States is Virginia's own Loudoun County, with a median income of close to $120,000. Other Virginia counties (or cities) on the list: Falls Church City, Arlington County …
Monday, April 15, 2013
Fairfax County wants your input on revised bus routes for Silver Line service.
Fairfax County will hold more meetings this week to discuss a revised plan for changes to Fairfax Connector bus routes when Metro's Silver Line opens in December. The plan includes the creation of 12 new routes, the restructuring of 24 existing routes and the elimination of six routes, says the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. The revised plan incorporates changes suggested by riders and the community, since the original service proposal was released in January 2013. The complete bus service plan will be discussed at each meeting, with special emphasis placed on area service changes for the general vicinity of each meeting location. Meeting schedule: Click here to see the full list of county route changes. Stay up to date …
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Fairfax County human services officials say more funds are needed for housing and other programs.
Fairfax County officials have said the impacts of sequestration are largely unknown, but for some of the county's low-income residents that's no longer true: Last week, the cuts forced the county to stop issuing Section 8 vouchers for affordable housing to families in need. Officials say that up to 150 families in the county might not be getting housing vouchers that will help them pay their rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funding to the county for the program, but the budget sequester has put that in jeopardy. The county stopped issuing vouchers earlier this month and while some residents were able to get help at the last minute, others might not be so fortunate. These cuts directly impact organizations…
Monday, April 8, 2013
The first of three public hearings on FY 2014 plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday. Speakers can sign up in advance.
A series of public hearings on Fairfax County’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget package will kick off Tuesday evening, giving residents a chance to advocate for changes to funding allocations and other issues. County Executive Ed Long’s advertised $7 billion budget, unveiled in late February, proposes raising the county's real estate tax rate and making cuts to some county programs and services in an effort to close shortfalls. The 2-cent increase in the real estate tax rate, from $1.075 per $100 of assessed value to $1.095, is expected to raise approximately $42 million in revenues. But on top of new, higher real estate assessments, the increase would burden the average resident with approximately $262 more in taxes each year. Some officials have…
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Sequestration's impacts on the Fairfax County FY2014 budget plan become a bit clearer at Dranesville District meeting in Herndon.
Parks, libraries, police positions and sequestration were among topics discussed at a Fairfax County Budget meeting in Herndon on Wednesday night. Residents gathered in the Herndon Town Council chambers for a presentation on the county’s proposed $7 billion budget package for Fiscal Year 2014. As currently advertised, County Executive Ed Long’s budget would raise the real estate tax rate from $1.075 per $100 of assessed value to $1.095, as well as cut funding from parks, libraries and other county services. Like most of this season’s budget meetings, Wednesday’s began with talk of sequestration and its impact on the county. “We think there will be direct county program impact,” said Chief Financial Officer Susan Datta. “There will probably…
Thursday, March 28, 2013
District residents will get a chance to ask questions about the budget process and county spending Wednesday.
Dranesville district Supervisor John Foust will host a meeting on the Fairfax County budget at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. The meeting will give Dranesville district area residents the opportunity to learn more about the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, as well as discuss it and ask questions. County management and budget staff will be on hand to present a summary presentation of the budget and respond to questions. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 3 in the Herndon Town Council Chambers, 765 Lynn St. in downtown Herndon. For more details on the budget, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb For more information on the Dranesville budget meeting, contact Jane Edmondson in Supervisor Foust’s Dranesville district office at 703-356-0551 or email …
Friday, March 22, 2013
A new tool from Supervisor John Cook's office will allow residents to design their own budget package.
Residents who think they can balance a budget better than their elected officials will get the chance to prove it thanks to a new tool introduced by a Fairfax County supervisor Tuesday. Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) is launching a program over the next two weeks that allows residents to build their own Fiscal Year 2014 budget plan based on the current package proposed by County Executive Ed Long. [Learn more about the county budget. Attend Dranesville representative John Foust's budget town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on April 3 at the Herndon Council Chambers, 765 Lynn St.] Long has proposed a $7 billion budget that raises the real estate tax rate and eliminates about 90 county jobs. Long has also released a list of reductions to agencies…
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
School Board member Jane Strauss says the increasing number of students are a blessing: "I would much rather be in a community that is expanding because we have more children than be Detroit."
Fairfax County is facing its own budget woes for Fiscal Year 2014: Property taxes could rise as much as 2 cents per $100 of assessed value, bumping the average homeowner's tax bill, and County Executive Ed Long has said raises for employees aren't likely. But the county's struggles could also make Fairfax County Public Schools come up short on its own $2.5 billion advertised budget, officials said Tuesday as they met to discuss budget issues and priorities. It doesn't appear the county, which gives an annual transfer to the school board, can afford to give the board as much as it asked for this winter. In order to close a $169 million shortfall and prepare for the still-unknown effects of sequestration, County Executive Ed Long has …
Friday, March 8, 2013
The Senior Resource Fair will be on March 15.
The Herndon Senior Center will host a Senior Resource Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 15. The event will provide information on both county and private resources for seniors and mature adults, including free services, low-cost services and for-a-fee services. Featured topics include transportation, housing options, leisure enrichment classes, elder law legal service, health and wellness promotion, volunteer opportunities, and home care services. Representatives will attend the event to discuss the needs of seniors and the variety of services and options available in the northwest Fairfax County area. The Herndon Senior Center is located at 873 Grace St. The event is free and open to the public, and is cosponsored by the …
Savannah was
2:57 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013
That's doesn't mean much. I am In food stamps more ›