Legislative Priorities Set in Contentious Mtg

by Matt Mullin, President, president@mantua.org

In a joint meeting of the Fairfax delegation to Richmond, the School Board, and the Board of Supervisors

(BOS), county leaders laid out their priorities for the upcoming General Assembly session. The wide-ranging

and sometimes contentious meeting touched on the economy, homebuilding, and an analysis by UVA showing

that Fairfax contributes significantly more than it gets back from Richmond.

Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Jeff McKay laid out three top priorities: more affordable housing, sus-

tained funding for WMATA / Metro, and more money for FCPS. County leaders seemed skeptical that all

these asks would be fulfilled, however, as the General Assembly will have to plug holes from federal cuts to

programs like SNAP.

County staff reported that the Fairfax economy is facing significant headwinds. Unemployment ticked up to

3.7% for 2025, versus 2.9% a year prior. There was a 2% reduction in jobs in the professional/business catego-

ries, which tend to be higher paid. Most importantly, the county tracked a 7% reduction in federal government

jobs totaling 6,600 positions. County staff believe that the jobless number is likely conservative.

On housing, staff reported that one third of residences built over the past year sold for over $1.1M, highlight-

ing a need for more affordable housing. Businesses in Fairfax create 2.1 jobs for every new home, so demand

for housing remains high. However, the meeting presented few new ideas on how to create more housing. Del-

egate Karen Keys-Gamarra asked if a BOS goal to build more housing on the properties of houses of worship

meant that they would support legislation introduced last year to allow religious organizations to bypass some

local zoning laws. Supervisors responded that they would not support that legislation, as it would remove a de-

gree of local oversight. Housing Committee chair Supervisor Dalia Palchik responded that more housing was a

balancing act, but did not give further insight into what exactly the Board wants to change.

Staff also reported on a study commissioned by the Board of Supervisors by the Weldon Cooper Institute,

which showed that Fairfax represents 13% of the Commonwealth’s population, but accounts for 20.7% of

General Fund revenue. State revenues primarily derive from personal income tax, so high wage areas like

Fairfax make up a larger share of revenue. But those high wages are not evenly distributed, as others were

quick to point out. Mount Vernon Supervisor Daniel Storck reported that roughly a third of county students

qualify for and receive free or reduced school lunch, and that 8 out of 10 households earn less than the area

mean income.

Besides economic headwinds, the meeting seemed to show fractures among leaders. Only four out of roughly

twenty-five Delegates and Senators were in attendance, and Democratic leadership in Richmond expressed

frustrations with complaints from the BOS about underfunding. The Fairfax delegation were not the only ones

with complaints. The meeting ended with dissent from the legislative lead for the school board, Melanie

Meren, who said that the School Board’s views were not represented fully.

Chairman McKay ended the meeting on that note, as the Board needed to attend the swearing in of Braddock

District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore-Heizer.