Fairfax County finds itself sitting on quite a sum of money this year, $240+ million.
By Lynn Norusis
Aug. 2024
During the FY 2024 Carryover Review, numbers were crunched and the excess money has been proposed for new allocation for FY 2025. In a memo from County Executive Bryan Hill, dated July 29, he proposed how he sees the money would do the most good. But first, where did it all come from?
Fairfax County saw an increase of $71.66 million over what was expected from FY 2024 General Fund Revenues and Transfers In. Hill says this comes from increased revenue collected and being more frugal in county spending. “The increase is primarily the result of higher than-expected Property Tax receipts, Other Local Taxes, Revenue from the Use of Money and Property, and Revenue from the Federal Government,” Hill states in the memo. “The Federal Reserve has kept the Fed funds rate unchanged since August 2023, which continued to impact the amount of interest revenue the County earned on its investment portfolio, generating almost $156 million more than FY 2022 and almost $58 million more than FY 2023.”
“In addition, County agencies realized disbursement balances as a result of continuing close management of agency spending and as many agencies continued to experience prolonged vacancy levels. Total disbursements were below FY 2024 Revised Budget Plan projections by $168.94 million, or 3.09 percent,” he continues in the memo. “When looking solely at agency direct expenditures, the FY 2024 variance was $109.72 million, or 5.55 percent.”
The other big portion of monies is from leftover COVID funds—$59.22 million.
“The County received $222.89 million in funding through the ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in 2021 and 2022. Of the total, $163.67 million was allocated and used through 2024, with a remaining balance of $59.22 million that will be carried forward into 2025,” Hill stated in the memo. Add this with the $109.72 million surplus from the general funds and the $5.22 million in revenue, the county is looking at how to best use the monies for the county and its residents.
While the below is just a proposal, the County wanting input from residents. There is a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 24, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at that Fairfax County Government Center.
Proposals include the following, a breakdown done by FFXNow:
- $38.14 million for future infrastructure projects, including schools, parks, walkways, roads, and revitalization efforts:
- $17.16 million for Facilities Management Department
- $9.53 million for FCPS
- $5.72 million for parks
- $2.67 million for walkways
- $1.91 million for county-owned roads
- $1.14 million for revitalization
- $25.43 million for bicycle and pedestrian access throughout the county
- $8 million to emergency repairs on aging facilities
- $5 million to construction cost increases
- $2.5 million for resurfacing and enhancing outdoor basketball and tennis courts at Lower Potomac Field in Mason Neck
- $5 million for park authority capital projects
- $1.86 million for furnishing the Franconia Governmental Center and Kingstowne Regional Library complex (currently under construction)
- $1 million for improvements at the Workhouse Campus in Lorton.
- $5.36 million to establish a pharmacy within the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department to comply with new federal regulations
- $3 million for replacing emergency vehicles like ambulances
- $1.13 million to enhance public safety radio services
- $960,000 for victim services programs
- $420,000 for security upgrades across county facilities
- $4 million for energy improvements, split between county and park facilities
- $2.7 million to install electric vehicle charging stations at 10 sites
- $1.35 million to implement programs to support the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan and Resilient Fairfax initiative
- $1.39 million to support the temporary overnight shelter at the North County Human Services Building in Reston
- $13 million to the county’s information technology needs
