Storck, McKay hosting town halls on county budget proposal this week

Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay, left, and Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck are holding town hall meetings this week to discuss the county’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal.

Update: Due to the weather, the Lee District budget town hall has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 3. It will start at 7 p.m. and be held at the Franconia Governmental Center. 

Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay and Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck will each be holding town hall meetings this week on Fairfax County’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal.

Storck’s town hall is Monday night at 7 p.m. at Walt Whitman Middle School (see map). Storck and Mount Vernon school board representative Karen Corbett Sanders will give details on what’s in the budget and will take questions from those in attendance.

Storck and Corbett Sanders will also be joined by Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill and Fairfax County Chief Financial Officer Joseph Mondoro. 

The Lee District town hall will be Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Franconia Governmental Center (see map). The meeting will be hosted by the Lee District Association of Civic Organizations, and McKay will be joined by Lee District school board representative Tamara Derenak Kaufax. 

The county’s proposed $4.29 billion budget for FY 2019 includes $2.26 billion for Fairfax County Public schools — an increase of 4.38 percent over the FY 2018 budget.  The county says the budget proposal includes salary increases for teachers and other county employees, and  would create 77 new positions. 

The proposal recommends raising the residential property tax rate from $1.13 to $1.155 per $100 of assessed value. County officials say that without the increase in the real estate tax, the school funding request could not be met, and compensation would be partially funded. Officials also say less funding would be available for programs such as Diversion First, anti-gang initiatives, and measures to combat the opioid epidemic.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to approve the final budget on May 1, and the school board will adopt the final FCPS budget on May 24. More information on the budget can be found on the county’s website. 

Members of the public will also be able to speak at the Board of Supervisors’ public hearings on April 11 and April 12 at the Fairfax County Government Center. If you are unable to make it in person, you may also submit video testimony.