Blog posts are the personal views of Letty Hardi and not official statements or records on behalf of the Falls Church City Council

Dear Friends,

As we wrap up a tumultuous February, there’s a lot to share. I have been hearing from many of you with concern and care for our federal workforce, which makes up 16% of our community. Northern Virginia is home to 178K civilian federal employees, not including contractors and fed-adjacent workers. There are real impacts to real people. You are not alone. I know that the changes are disruptive to your livelihoods, your families, our economy, and our mental health. I am in regular communication with my regional counterparts and representatives in Congress on how to support and protect our residents. Most notably – there will be a pop up resource fair next Saturday March 8, which will likely be the first in a series. In addition, we have been working on assessing impacts to us – projects, programs, and budgets – and contingency planning for the year ahead.

Read on for links to various resources including a new city webpage that will continue to be updated. Also, I’ll share the latest on the city’s finances and my thoughts as we head into budget season, including news from our neighbors’ budgets which I watch closely. Our quarterly review of the CIP (capital improvements program) – projects like parks, bridges, buildings, transportation improvements – is one of my favorite agenda topics as they’re one of the most visible ways to see your tax dollars at work. And while they can be disruptive, CIP projects are important, lasting upgrades to our public infrastructure, underscoring the importance of good government.

Take care,
Letty

PS – As spring (and a new Fitness Challenge) is coming, I’m bringing back Walking Office Hours this year – dates below. Join me for some sunshine, fresh air, and good conversation. (This was a good validation of the idea!)

What Happened This Week:

(1) Supporting Our Community

We have a new city page with links to resources to help our community members impacted by the federal workforce changes. We also have resources for residents who may need help with housing, food, tax deferral or payment plans.

NVRC (Northern Virginia Regional Commission) – our regional council of the 13 localities in Northern Virginia – has put together a good blog post, fact sheet, and maps with info on how the region is impacted. Just like during the pandemic, your local government is on the front lines and we rely on good data to be able to articulate the impact, respond to the needs of our community, and advocate for support.

It’s also important to stay informed through federal representatives. While we can’t provide you with specific advice, our federal delegation Representative Beyer, Senator Kaine, and Senator Warner offer newsletters and events (such as the Congress in our Community event that happened at the library this week) with up-to-date information on federal employment matters. I encourage you to sign up for their communications by following those links. 

(2) City Financial Update

In the Q2 Financial Update, uncertainty is the word. Revenues in the current fiscal year are coming in slightly over budget, mostly due to higher interest rates. Local taxes are coming in slightly under/close to budget and this is where we will need to monitor most closely as sales, meals, and hotel taxes are the best leading indicators of consumer sentiment. We are still expecting our new businesses and commercial activity to boost revenues, which is the good news.

In case you haven’t received it yet, our 2025 property assessments are out, with an overall 10% increase in value (half due to new construction and half due to market appreciation, as Falls Church continues to be a desirable place to live). The City Manager has indicated that he is building a budget with a 2.5 cent tax rate decrease, due to these higher assessments.

Letty’s Thoughts: there are two pieces of context that are important to set the stage for our budget season…

Economic development matters – as real estate taxes comprise of 65% of our overall revenues, it’s important to note that without new development started years ago, our revenue growth would be half of what it is. That said, the commercial real estate market is much different now with higher interest rates, higher construction costs, and tariffs coming so there is not much in the pipeline. I am cognizant that increased property assessments also mean higher tax bills for you, even if the tax rate stays flat. While we’ve been able to lower the tax rate 14.5 cents since 2021, I know many are struggling who are on fixed incomes, lost their jobs, or just worry about financial instability. As we start budget season – even with a 2.5 cents tax cut, I’m committed to minimizing the tax burden while funding essential priorities across the city. I’m also mindful that harder years may be ahead – we should always be forward-thinking and contingency planning when it comes to the city’s finances and not just react to what’s in front of us.

Regional context – in case you aren’t following, our regional neighbors (Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria) are facing much tougher budget seasons – with smaller budgets (job cuts, elimination of programs, cuts in services) paired with higher tax rates. I am cautious heading into our budget season and closely monitoring the regional and broader picture, especially to be able to benchmark competitive compensation for our employees in now a much tighter job market.

(3) CIP Updates

We get quarterly reports on the major capital projects (38 active and underway across the city) and Council priorities across the city. A few highlights based on the inquires I receive:

• The re-turfing at the Meridian stadium field finished this week, just in the nick of time for spring sports season. Per Rec and Parks, this project started in November and was supposed to be a 3 week project but just wrapped up due to uncooperative winter weather.
• Hillwood stormwater project has substantially completed
• New sidewalks on Wallace St are open
• Intersection upgrades at Hayock/Rt 7 should be finishing this spring
• Geothermal HVAC upgrade is underway at the Community Center and should complete in June
• Greening of Lincoln project will need to be phased due to higher costs
• New Sherrow Ave Bridge coming in 2026 (similar to the Oak St and Van Buren bridges that have been re-built in recent years) – funded by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021

Also – we voted this week to name the two new parklets initiated by the EDA on S Washington: Cavalier Trail Plaza and Civic Triangle. More to come as they officially get unveiled, but in the meantime, they are open to the public for use!

What’s Coming Up:

Monday, March 3 – City Council Work Session*

Wednesday, March 5 – Ask the Council Office Hours (City Hall, 9 am)

Monday, March 10 – City Council Meeting*

Monday, March 17 – City Council Work Session*

Monday, March 24 – City Council Meeting* (Budget Presentations)

Wednesday, April 2 – Ask the Council Office Hours (City Hall, 9 am)

Monday, April 7 – City Council Work Session*

Monday, April 14 – City Council Meeting* (final vote for Accessory Dwelling ordinance)

*Mondays (except 5th Mondays and holidays) at 7:30 pm. You can access the agenda and livestream here, including recordings of past meetings

Letty’s Office Hours:

Friday, March 21 – 12 pm (Lunch at Clare and Dons)

Friday, April 11 – 12 pm (Walking Office Hours – meet at Broad St entrance of Howard Herman Trail)

Wednesday, May 21 – 5 pm (Walking Office Hours – meet at Cherry Hill Park)