Tensions already are appearing among Falls Church’s elected and staff leadership, even before planning for a major affordable housing plan starts to take shape.
Council members voted 5-1 on April 27 to authorize spending up to $175,000 on a consultant to help guide potential redevelopment in portions of the Virginia Village community. Even then, however, leaders disagreed over how the process should move forward and how many potential development scenarios should be considered.
Falls Church leaders are considering a $175,000 contract with a consultant to help with an affordable housing project at Virginia Village.
That firm, whose name has not officially been announced, would develop a request for proposals sent out to housing providers that might be interested in partnering with the city on the project. The funding would also support evaluation of the proposals.
Tax rates on real estate and meals won’t increase, but the car tax rate might, as Falls Church City Council members work to finalize a $134.3 million budget package.
Council members voted 7-0 Monday night (April 13) to advertise a real estate tax rate of $1.185 per $100 assessed valuation, unchanged from the current rate. That becomes the highest rate that could be adopted when the budget package comes to a final vote on May 11, although a lower rate could be set.
Falls Church’s newest City Council member is suggesting an increase in the city’s meals tax to ease budget pressures.
“I think it should be something we’re considering,” Arthur Agin said at an April 6 Council work session that stretched well past midnight, focused largely on budget issues.
Falls Church City Council members are questioning a proposal to reduce the city’s budget for road paving.
City staff currently propose spending $700,000 on paving operations for the fiscal year beginning July 1. That’s down from $1.4 million in the current fiscal year, when Council members pumped additional funding into the paving budget to catch up as road conditions deteriorated.
Falls Church City Council members are hoping to have a new city manager ready to go just when their current one retires in just over five months.
Council members at a March 25 government-operations committee meeting outlined general plans and a hoped-for timetable in finding a successor to Wyatt Shields.
Plans to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with a July 3 “civic jam” celebration are solidifying in Falls Church.
Rather than attempt to compete with national celebrations the following day, the Falls Church event will focus on citizen involvement.
Higher fees for property owners pair with rising real estate assessments in the Falls Church budget proposal unveiled by City Manager Wyatt Shields Monday night.
Falls Church homeowners would pay an average $611 more — an increase of 5% — in real estate taxes under the $134.3 million fiscal year 2027 budget.
Falls Church has formally opened its doors to e-scooters. Now it just needs to find some takers.
City Council members voted 7-0 on Monday night for a one-year pilot program, hoping to entice companies to deploy up to 100 e-scooters and e-bicycles within the community’s 2.2 square miles.
Falls Church officials this week sketched out more details in what would be the largest affordable-housing effort in city history.
“What you’ve laid out today is really exciting,” said Jim Coyle, vice chair of the city’s Economic Development Commission, at a March 2 joint work session between that body, the City Council and Planning Commission.
Falls Church city leaders appear to have a little more budget breathing room over the coming months compared to surrounding jurisdictions.
At a Feb. 23 City Council meeting, finance officials estimated 4% revenue growth in fiscal year 2027 without increasing tax rates. It was a figure Mayor Letty Hardi called “very, very rosy” compared to the situations in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County.
Expiring affordability commitments and a large site where leaders could potentially expand affordable housing are presenting questions for Falls Church policymakers.
“There’s a policy decision: What are the choices before us?” Mayor Letty Hardi said at a Feb. 18 meeting to set the timetable for discussion of key upcoming issues.
