Jimenez vows to fight for continuing vacuum leaf service

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez told the audience at the Budget Town Hall he hosted on March 28 that he is working to ensure the county will continue vacuum leaf service.

Fairfax County collects leaves for only about 25,000 households, but the vast majority of them are in Mason District.

Last July, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services called for the Board of Supervisors to end the vacuum leaf collection service after the 2023-24 season but then agreed to hold off for at least another year.

Jimenez said he will “fight strongly to keep the leaf collection.” He expressed concerns about illegal leaf burning and pedestrian safety when people are forced to walk in the street to avoid leaf piles on the curb, and said, “I plan to be very vocal on this.”

Related story: County backs off plan to eliminate vacuum leaf service next year

In a briefing on the advertised budget for FY 2025, Phil Hagen, director of the Department of Management and Budget, said the biggest funding increases would go to the schools and to county employee compensation.

Surprisingly, no one at the town hall complained about increased taxes.

A proposed 4-cent increase in the real estate tax rate would bring in about $225 million. If approved, homeowners would be charged $1.135 per $100 of assessed values, resulting in an increase in the average tax bill of just over $542. Average assessments, meanwhile, rose by 2.6 percent in Mason District.

When the Board of Supervisors adopts a final budget for 2025, it can approve a lower tax rate but cannot go higher.

Due to budgetary challenges, Hagen said, the budget would provide a $165 million increase in operating funds for Fairfax County Public Schools, which is much less than the $254 million increase requested by FCPS. There is a chance an increase in state funding could make up for at least part of the balance.  

Even though enrollment is holding steady, more funds are needed because there’s a big increase in students needing more expensive special services.

Related story: Proposed county budget would raise taxes

The budget would increase funds for county employee compensation by $148 million, which takes into account increased retirement contribution rates and the need to accommodate collective bargaining agreements.

A proposed $12 million increase for transportation includes $10 million to support Metro operations and $2 million to accommodate the agreement following the strike by Fairfax County Connector employees.

Among the additional costs, the advertised budget would add four Park Authority positions, five new positions for managing affordable housing, two positions in the Office of Elections, and four new probation counselors. It would preserve 72 early childhood slots.

In addition to the increase in the tax rate, the budget proposes additional revenue increases by raising the cigarette tax (generating $1.3 million) raising building and other fees ($2.7 million). Another $36 million would be saved by eliminating 34 positions and improving efficiencies.

In response to a question from a teacher about options for diversifying revenue sources, particularly by imposing a tax on restaurant meals, Jimenez said, the Board of Supervisors should look at a meals tax and a hotel tax.

“I agree we need to look at different revenue streams. We need to lobby for more state funds, and we need to brainstorm on ways to diversify,” he said.

Susan Goncarovs of the Lincolnia Senior Center Advisory Council asked why the budget would raise the annual fee from $48 to $75 for county residents and from $100 to $150 for non-county residents.

For some people who come to the center, $50 is a week’s worth of groceries, Goncarovs said, and because the Lincolnia Senior Center is close to the Alexandria border, a large number of users are from outside the county. As most of the instructors are volunteers, there’s no justification for raising the fees, she said.

Jimenez agreed that the membership increase is “not fair” and promised to look into it, noting that seniors have fixed incomes. “All the voices in Mason District are extremely important to me,” he said.

In response to a question about the need to improve transportation and pedestrian safety, County Executive Bryan Hill encouraged residents to explore the new Mobility and Transportation Data Dashboard to see statistics on crashes, pedestrian improvements, and related issues.

Jimenez noted that his next town hall, to be scheduled in May, will focus on transportation and pedestrian safety projects.

Related story: Big increases proposed for building and zoning fees

One member of the audience called for increasing compensation for teachers, while another pointed out the big disparity between the salaries of entry-level teachers (less than $60,000) and highly paid administrators, some of whom earn more than $250,000 a year.

Jimenez said compensation is also a big issue for police and fire department personnel, many of whom can’t afford to live in Fairfax County. He met one employee at the Annandale Fire Station who commutes from Delaware. “It’s a quality-of-life issue, if people are worried about paying rent and traveling an hour and a-half to get to work,” he said.

Other residents urged the county to fund tree rescue and tree planting efforts and do a better job enforcing signage and other code violations, noting that it’s currently a complaint-driven process. Code compliance staff can’t do anything unless a resident files a complaint.

Hill noted that the county’s Operation Stream Shield program uses residents of homeless shelters to remove illegal signs from roadways.

Jimenez urged residents to reach out to his office with additional feedback on budget priorities, adding, “We’re here to listen.”

Residents can submit comments on the budget by texting FY25Budget to 73224; sending an email to [email protected]; calling 703-890-5898, code 1379; and testifying at a public hearing in person, by phone, or by video. To speak at the hearing, sign up online.

Hearings on the budget are scheduled for April 16-18. The Board of Supervisors will mark up a budget on April 30 and adopt a final budget on May 7. The School Board will adopt a budget on May 23. The budget year begins July 1.