County leaders explain budget priorities

Fairfax County’s advertised budget for FY 2027 “reflects sound financial management during a period of economic uncertainty,” County Executive Bryan Hill said during a virtual Mason District Budget Town Hall on March 2 hosted by Supervisor Andres Jimenez.

“We are making strategic investments while holding the real estate tax flat,” Hill said. While the advertised budget would maintain the current property tax rate of $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value, he said, “the average homeowner will see an increase of approximately $375 driven entirely by property values.”

Less money for schools

Support for the schools “is our highest priority,” Hill said. The budget proposal calls for a $118.1 million increase in funds transferred to Fairfax County Public Schools for operations, construction, and debt service, which is less than the $138.4 million requested in the FCPS advertised budget.

Fully funding FCPS’s transfer request “is not sustainable,” said Jimenez. “Every year we have a tight budget season. Every year we have difficult decisions to make.” To close that gap, he said, the county is pushing state lawmakers to increase funding for education.

Related story: FY 2027 budget would retain current tax rate

Hill said other priorities in the budget include funding the county’s compensation program (a $102.5 million increase), maintaining and renovating aging county and school facilities ($7.5 million), and modernizing IT systems ($11.9 million).

Funding for county priorities is offset by $32 million in agency reductions, including the elimination of 107 merit positions.

General fund revenue is expected to grow by 3.7 percent in FY 2027, driven primarily by real estate taxes, along with implementation of the new food and beverage tax. That’s down from 4.5 percent in 2026 and 5.5 percent in 2025.

“This budget positions Fairfax County to remain strong, operationally reliable, and focused on serving our residents,” Hill said. This budget reflects stability and discipline.”  

Budget priorities

The budget includes $3 million in operating support for parks, including $1.2 million to expand the zero-waste program and $520,000 to implement a new recreation system and sliding-fee scale.

The 2026 bond sale, which netted $32 million, “recognizes significant capital needs, including the Audrey Moore Recreation Center,” Hill said.

The budget also includes:

• $17 million to offset increases in contracts for personnel, human services, lease escalations, and body-worn cameras for sheriff deputies. 

• $8.45 million to support the most vulnerable residents and the non-profits that serve them, including an increase for the Consolidated Community Funding Pool, emergency assistance for housing and food, and additional staff to support affordable housing.

• $4.55 million to cover increases in the cost of county operations, including collective bargaining support and fuel.

• $1.95 million to offset state and federal mandates and the expiration of grant funding, including additional staff for the tax exemption for disabled veterans, mandatory support for medically fragile children, and replacing Continuum of Care grant funding.

• $1.94 million for the operation of new facilities, such as the makeover of the original Mount Vernon High School as The Commons Mount Vernon and the expansion of the school health program at the new Skyview High School in Herndon.

When asked about the impact of actions at the federal and state levels on the county budget, Jimenez said the cuts in services to families and layoffs of federal employees and consultants are creating a “brain drain.”

“When people can’t find jobs, the bills keep coming, so people have to look elsewhere,” he said. “We’re working with our congressional partners, like Rep. Walkinshaw and Rep. Beyer, to put together job fairs to let folks know there are resources and that we are continuing to provide help,” Jimenez said.

FCPS is seeing a lot more job applicants, noted Mason school board member Ricardy Anderson. In one unintended consequence, the economic climate has strengthened the teacher retention rate, as employees are less inclined to leave.

The school budget

The advertised budget for the school system announced last week totals $4.1 billion.

Among the highlights cited by FCPS Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden:

• An increase of $178.4 million for employee compensation.
• $17.5 million for partial class size restoration.
• $9.5 million to restore special education department chairs.
• $6 million to restore advanced academic resource teachers.
• $1.9 million for student athletics and activities, including JV boys volleyball.
• $1.1 million to expand fine arts and performing arts.
• $300,000 to expand K-12 robotics.

In response to a question about the county-funded middle school after-school program, Hill said funding is included in the advertised budget as part of the county’s transfer to schools rather than as a separate line item.  

Last year, the program was proposed for elimination, but funding was restored following strong opposition from the community.

Burden noted, however, that there are discussions about the possibility of adding a fee structure to the middle school after-school program.

Budget timeline

• March 17 – Board of Supervisors advertises the FY 2027 tax rates.
• April 14-16 – Public hearings on the budget and the FY 2027-31 Capital Improvement Program.
• April 28 – The BoS marks up the FY 2027 budget and adopts the CIP.
• May 5 – The BoS adopts the FY 2027 budget.
• May 12 – School board hearings on the FY 2027 FCPS budget.
• May 21 – The School Board adopts a budget.
• July 1 – The FY 2027 budget year begins.