Park Authority is considering budget cuts
A proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 under consideration by the Fairfax County Park Authority calls for major reductions in facilities, services, and maintenance.
The plan would cut $3.56 million from the $95.78 million budget adopted for FY 2026.
The following budget reductions are proposed:
- The Park Authority is reducing the number of shows in the Summer Entertainment Series from 120 to 73. Each magisterial district would have only eight shows per season. The shows in Mason District are held in two venues – Mason District Park and Ossian Hall Park. Children’s shows would not be affected.
- One nature center and one historic site would be closed for a savings of $644,000. This is raising alarm bells among Annandale residents concerned about the future of the Hidden Oaks Nature Center, although the document doesn’t identify the facilities that would be affected.
- $200,000 would be cut from the $1.27 million budgeted this year for forestry contract services. “This would impact the ability to address high-risk/high-priority trees threatening life and property,” the budget proposal states.
- The mowing of 200 athletic fields would be cut back from twice a week to once a week, for a savings of nearly $241,000.
- Reducing mowing at open spaces in parks would save more than $129,000.
- The cleaning of portable toilets would be reduced to pre-Covid levels – twice a week – which would save nearly $49,000.
- The budget proposal calls for reduced maintenance and renovations at its 412 athletic courts by 51 percent, saving $250,000. That includes courts for pickleball, tennis, futsal, and basketball. Just two courts would be renovated per year. “The public can expect to see court closings start to occur,” the Park Authority warns.
- Trail maintenance funding would be reduced by 50 percent, thus saving $250,000. “This would impact trail safety and usability for trail users and may require some trail closures.”
- The Park Authority would save $350,000 by reducing general park and facility maintenance funding by 37 percent. This would affect dugouts, picnic tables, benches, shelters, grills, playgrounds, dog parks, roads, and parking lots.
- The Park Foundation would be required to raise an additional $300,000 for park programs.
- Staff positions targeted for elimination include an ecologist in the invasive plant management program, a historic resource specialist, and a part-time photographic specialist.
- The parking lot at the Scotts Run Nature Preserve in McLean would be closed for a savings of $152,500.
- Funding for additional staff would be transferred from the park budget to the park bond, for a budget reduction of $714,000. This would decrease the amount of bond funding for the design and construction of projects.
The public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed budget at a meeting of the Park Authority Board’s Budget Committee on Sept. 11.
The Park Authority budget cuts portend big reductions in the general fund for Fairfax County for FY 2026, which is driven mainly by lower revenue projections due to soaring office vacancies. That is expected to fuel the board’s justification of a meals tax, a potential casino in the county, and the need for more data centers.
One of the few things that keeps me in Fairfax County, having both my children and myself been educated here, and in spite of the high property taxes and poorly managed infrastructure due to our growth over the last 60 years, are the parks! I regularly have contributed to Spotlight by Starlight and attend often. The many parks and paths throughout the county is a blessing. Reducing the budget as suggested will only force retirees and families to consider other location options for raising their families.
Find a way Board Supervisors…. keep the budget at a level to support current obligations.
Wow $100 million is an eye popping budget for parks and rec. not saying that isn’t what it may take just didn’t know
If budget cuts have to be made, these seem reasonable. Kudos to the people who had to make these difficult choices.
Closing any Nature Center in Fairfax County is tragic, but especially Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. The Annandale area is an extremely diverse area, both in ethnic make up and income.
Hidden Oaks is a place when everyone can come together to learn about nature and enjoy it.
For lower income families,Hidden Oaks makes a great family outing, without being too expensive. For others, it is a place that everyone can enjoy, from children up to grandparents. Plus, just a few years ago, Hidden Oaks had an addition built to their building to accommodate more people and programs.
The County needs to operate more effectively and cut more administrative costs, as opposed to closing Nature Centers.
The BofS gets plenty of money from us in taxes. They not only got huge assessment increases, but they also raised rates this year. No amount seems to be enough for them as now they are considering a meals tax. And to show us poor residents how poor they are, they propose reductions in parks which we all use. They don’t propose reductions in all their “special” give-away programs, special loan programs, etc. They want to make us hurt. I sincerely doubt that these reductions are actually necessary due to the huge increase in property taxes this year. This BofS cannot live withing their means, and with all the votes, apparently they don’t have to (unless residents finally rebel and make them).
Big deal, a 4% budget cut! Also, isn’t it illegal to use bond money to pay salaries? I bet many of the entertainment events are lightly attended and can be reduced with no impact.
Actually it’s a 10% cut from the 2025 FY General Fund. The FCPA has a General Fund and a Revenue and Operating Fund. The nature centers and the other cuts come under the General Fund.
In FY 2025, the General Fund was $36 million. In FY 2026, Fairfax County wants to cut $3.6 million from the General Fund budget.
Didn’t BofS raised their huge pay increase while they are reducing essential services, Does it make sense to everyone?
I strongly urge County Park Services to consider third party contract basis or privatize some of services with less, high level and more effcient way to operate & maintain. (i.e Typical HOA handles via contract basis).
Jai Cole for another win.
His about cleaning the homeless feces from the parks? I don’t even walk my dog through my local park anymore m, as it has been repurposed to a toilet.
I was always under the impression the funds used to pay the performers at the summer entertainment venues were raised privately (Dominion Power, Wegmans, Pulte Homes, etc….). Although the Mason District location accepts contributions from attendees. So why the cutbacks on the summer series?
Excellent question. And it worth noting, the military bands are free.
There are more than eight venues in the parks Mason is only one of them. All the others use mostly supported by the general fund. Mason does have three times as many concerts and though performers are covered by private funds the summer staff that manage the program by opening, closing and parking cars and the sound crew along with fans and other incidental stuff comes from the general fund. Nothing is free.
I guess if we want to keep the nice things which Fairfax County’s Government and Public Schools provide, we need to increase our property taxes and allow a wider range of government funding, such as a meals tax, many new casinos (not just one) that Fairfax can tax, and legal marijuana sales (also heavily taxed by Fairfax).
Because, if the Fairfax County Government or Public Schools start proposing (threatening) cuts, the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the public is overwhelming.
Too bad Fairfax County can’t just print its own money like the Federal government, or issue its own digital currency like Bitcoin.
Fairfax democrats who raise our taxes every year are now reducing the only good thing they do- provide parkland –
Bye-bye, Hidden Oaks Nature Center – has been nice knowing you:( On the bright side, the property will make a serene outdoor living area for the unhoused of Annandale.
Since our parks are no longer safe, so we might as well divest. This will give the unhoused somewhere to go. Why not let them have it? They are already there and have already ruined it for taxpayers.
This is sad. Access to nature and recreation are more and more important in a county that is overrun by automobiles, asphalt, and noise. As global warming brings more and more storms, damage, and invasive species to our trails and parks, we will need to prioritize and expand them, and access to them – instead we are cutting their funding. The county should do what it can to increase funding and not decrease it. The parks are one of the nicer things about the county.
This is how the BoS got their pay raise.