The Town of Vienna intends to lower its real estate tax rate for a third consecutive year, as home values continue to soar.
Released on Monday (March 6), the town’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 — which will begin on July 1 — cuts the real estate tax rate by a quarter of a cent, decreasing it to 20 cents per $100 of a property’s assessed value.
If the proposal is approved, the town will have reduced its property tax rate by 2.25 cents — or 11% — during the pandemic. Cuts were also approved last year and in 2021, which had represented the first rate decrease since 2013.
Even with the quarter-cent rate reduction, however, Vienna homeowners should brace for a big jump in their tax bills.
“The average residential tax bill is estimated at $2,041, an 8.6 percent increase over last year, due to a 10.0 percent increase in assessed value of existing…properties,” Town Manager Mercury Payton said in his budget proposal. “The increase in commercial and residential assessments generates a revenue increase of $884,000 after the real estate tax rate reduction.”
Calculated annually by Fairfax County, this year’s real estate assessments found that the average value of residential properties in Vienna is now slightly over $1 million, with the biggest group falling in the $500,000 to $800,000 range. Residential properties valued at over $1 million, including a few that exceeded $3 million, make up 29.9% of the town’s properties.
With increased revenue also reported from business licenses and the meals and sales taxes, the proposed budget totals $50.1 million — an increase of $1.4 million or 2.9% from the current budget.
Those funds will be used to increase compensation for town employees by 5%, with sworn public safety workers getting an additional 0.5% step increase. The increases are partly intended to assist with rising costs due to inflation, which hit a 40-year high last fiscal year.
Payton has also proposed continuing to offer a $2,000 signing bonus to commercial licensed drivers, an incentive introduced last year to address staffing shortages in the public works department.
“The program is budgeted at $65,000 in the general fund, and has already had a positive impact in recruiting and retaining qualified drivers,” Payton wrote.
The budget adds two full-time staff positions: a senior compliance officer in planning and zoning, and a civil and capital project engineer, who will help manage infrastructure and sidewalk projects while also reviewing single-family housing and commercial redevelopment applications.
To cover some of the salary increases and increased water purchase and sewer treatment costs, the budget proposes increasing water and sewer rates by 10%, raising service charges for residents from $32.80 per quarter to $35.00 per quarter.
The average customer’s bill would go up by $20.25 per quarter, or $80 a year.
“This proposed budget is based on direction from the Town Council early in the process and recommendations from the staff budget committee over the course of the last few months,” Payton said in a news release. “The result is a legally balanced proposed budget that addresses priority operational concerns, and provides continued support for day-to-day operations in all Town departments.”
The Vienna Town Council will discuss the proposed budget in conference sessions on Saturday (March 11) and Monday (March 13) before advertising the package, including tax rates, on March 23. Public hearings are set for April 10 and 24, with a final vote coming on May 15.
High School Students Will Get Free Virtual Mental Health Services — “Fairfax County Public Schools has partnered with Hazel Health, giving some 61,000 students access to the service, according to the county’s contract…A pilot program was expected to launch by the beginning of January but was delayed. Access to Hazel Health’s services is expected to be available later this spring” [WTOP]
Doctor Gets Prison Time for Prescribing Drugs in Fatal Overdose — A federal judge sentenced Dr. Robert Cao, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, to 15 months for “illegally prescribing controlled substances to a man who died of an overdose” in Fairfax in May 2021. A former Falls Church resident, Cao wrote prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone to the victim at least five times despite not being his doctor. [NBC4]
Health Clinic in Groveton Plans Expansion — “Thanks to an $800,000 federal grant, Neighborhood Health is in the process of renovating and expanding its medical facilities at 6677 Richmond Highway, according to Dr. Basim Khan, the nonprofit’s executive director and a primary care physician.” The project is expected to finish by the end of the year. [On the MoVe]
Traffic Change Coming to Baron Cameron — Starting around next Wednesday (March 15), the “two right-turn lanes from Baron Cameron Avenue to eastbound Route 7 will convert from a stop condition to a single free-flow right-turn lane while crews continue reconstruction of the intersection. After turning right onto eastbound Route 7, drivers will use a 1,000-foot acceleration lane to merge with eastbound traffic.” [VDOT]
Parking Still an Issue With Justice HS Expansion — “Justice High School staff expressed strong concerns about the lack of parking during the construction of a new addition and beyond…FCPS has worked out a temporary arrangement with the Church of Christ, located a quarter of a mile from the school, to share their parking lot with Justice staff and students, said Heather Dietz…at a March 7 community meeting.” [Annandale Today]
County No Longer in Proposal to Lift Emissions Rules — “After opposition during a public hearing and comment period, Virginia regulators are scaling back a proposal to allow data centers in Northern Virginia counties to run diesel generators over a three-month period to alleviate potential electric grid strains…On Monday, DEQ restricted the variance to facilities in Loudoun.” [Virginia Mercury/Inside NoVA]
Peraton Leases Office Space in Springfield — “The privately held Reston government contractor, which won a deal in December worth up to $342.7 million over five years to provide IT services to the Transportation Security Administration, has inked a 6,000-square-foot lease at 6700 Springfield Center Drive. The new TSA headquarters is just steps away” [Washington Business Journal]
Mount Vernon Ice Skating Classes Relocate — “When the Mount Vernon Rec Center closed for renovation, the Fairfax County Park Authority remained committed to finding opportunities to offer ice skating programs. The exact same classes, with the same coaches are now available at The Ice House, located within the St. James in Springfield.” [FCPA]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 53 and low of 31. Sunrise at 6:30 am and sunset at 6:10 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 12:10 p.m. on 3/9/2023) A plan to reconfigure the West Falls Church Metro station’s parking and bus facilities in anticipation of redevelopment will soon be finalized.
The finance and capital committee of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of Directors is set to vote tomorrow (Thursday) on whether to accept a staff report recommending the proposed changes, which would significantly reduce the number of parking spaces and bus bays at the station in Idylwood.
Based on feedback from an online survey and a public hearing in October, staff concluded that no revisions to Metro’s original plan are needed, according to the report, which was posted on WMATA’s website in February.
“Staff recommends approval of the proposed changes to the West Falls Church Metro Station needed to facilitate joint development adjacent to the Curtis Memorial Parkway (I-66),” the report says. “Staff finds that there should be no revisions to the proposed transit facility changes as a result of the Compact Public Hearing and staff report analysis.”
The developer group FGCP-Metro LLC intends to replace the station parking lots at 7040 Haycock Road with over 1 million square feet of residential, office and retail space, a project that supporters hope will bolster ridership and revitalize the community with new amenities.
To accommodate the development, Metro has proposed:
- Eliminating the south parking lot, which will drop the park-and-ride capacity from 2,009 to 1,350 spots
- Replacing the kiss-and-ride lot, reducing its capacity from 64 to about 20 spaces
- Reducing bus capacity from eight bays to four bays
- Eliminating 68 paid on-street metered parking spaces
The station’s 1,200-space parking garage will stay. A future phase of development will replace the north parking lot with office and residential buildings, but that construction isn’t expected for another decade.
According to the staff report, WMATA received a total of 170 public comments on the proposal, all but two of them through its online survey or comment portal. Those two comments came at the Oct. 19 public hearing.
Echoing testimony shared at a Fairfax County Planning Commission public hearing on Feb. 8, about half of the comments (51%) were in favor of the redevelopment, saying it will benefit the neighborhood more than the existing, “underutilized” parking lots.
An environmental evaluation commissioned by Metro found that the West Falls Church station has seen a 35% drop in utilization of its park-and-ride facilities since the Silver Line’s first phase opened in 2014.
Other commenters expressed concern about the parking and bus bay reductions. Some opposed eliminating any parking spaces, while others advocated for keeping more kiss-and-ride spots or suggested building a garage so parking can be retained without taking up as much land. Read More
Though they won’t appear among the best director nominees at the Oscars this Sunday (March 12), female and gender non-conforming filmmakers will be celebrated tonight (Wednesday) at the Mosaic District.
The Merrifield neighborhood’s Angelika Film Center (2911 District Avenue) is hosting Lunafest — a traveling film festival that showcases movies by and about women — to mark International Women’s Day.
With doors opening at 6 p.m., the festival will screen seven short films from 7-9 p.m. The screenings will be preceded by a “social hour” with light hors d’oeuvres, drinks and a raffle, according to the event page.
All proceeds will go to Girls on the Run Northern Virginia (GOTR NOVA), a nonprofit based in Fairfax that offers running programs designed to teach girls life skills like teamwork and self-confidence.
“We love hosting Lunafest each year because it allows us to bring our community together to celebrate new perspectives and be inspired by the ideas of what our program participants could become and achieve,” GOTR NOVA Development Manager Catherine Reeves Keller said. “All of the proceeds from the event go back to GOTR NOVA to fund our programming and empower our participants.”
Lunafest was created in 2001 by Luna, a brand of Clif Bar & Company that makes a nutrition bar targeted toward women. Since then, the festival says it has raised over $7 million for nonprofits, featured 175 filmmakers, and hosted over 2,900 screenings in the U.S. and Canada.
The festival lineup includes a mix of live-action and animated films:
Reclaim Your Water: Natasha Smith — As a member of the Ebony Beach Club, Natasha Smith surfs, skates, and makes her own waves.
Miss Chelove: From Java to the Streets of D.C. — As she paints a mural, artist Cita Sadeli (aka Miss Chelove) opens up about her life, her cultural heritage, and how she fell in love with grafti in the 1980s.
Pete — The true story of Pete Barma explores gender identity, Little League Baseball, the people who inspire change by being themselves, and the superheroes who champion that change.
This Is Beth — As celebrated rock climber Beth Rodden grapples with her body image, she rediscovers the love of her sport… and herself.
More Than I Want to Remember — After her southeastern Congo village is bombed, 14-year-old Mugeni sets out on a remarkable solo journey across the globe, determined to reunite with her lost loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people.
Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night — All cards are on the table when Noor, a queer Pakistani Muslim woman, brings her Puerto Rican girlfriend, Luz, home for the rst time on the family’s annual game night.
Swimming Through — Amid a brutal Chicago winter and the global pandemic, Deirdre, Helen, and Jennefer’s friendship grows as they commit to a daily sunrise plunge together in Lake Michigan.
Tickets to the festival cost $30 and can be purchased online.
County Advertises Flat Real Estate Tax Rate — “The advertised real estate tax rate is $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. That is the county’s current rate and was proposed to remain the same under County Executive Bryan Hill’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal. The same rate or a lower rate can be adopted during the budget process, but a higher rate can not be considered.” [Patch]
Eight Displaced by Pimmit Hills House Fire — Fairfax and Arlington county firefighters were dispatched to the 2000 block of Griffith Road at 9:02 p.m. on Monday (March 6) after an unattended candle ignited a fire in the one-story house. No one was injured, but eight people were displaced and the fire caused about $30,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
No Reelection Bid for Fairfax County Delegate — “Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax), the first woman and first person of Jewish faith to serve as speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates, said she will not seek reelection this fall, adding to a historic loss of senior lawmakers ahead of next year’s legislative session. Filler-Corn said she plans to work to get other Democrats elected” and may run for governor in 2025. [The Washington Post]
Archaeologists Start Digging in Vienna — “An archaeological dig is taking place on our grounds! It’ll be fascinating to learn what the archaeologists uncover. The public is invited to stop by and observe the dig, see the excavation in action and talk to the archaeologists. Please visit on March 8, 11, 14, 17 during the hours of 1-3pm.” [Freeman Store & Museum/Instagram]
Majority Oppose Co-Ed Sex-Ed in Survey — “About 85% of people who responded to a Fairfax County Public Schools survey oppose proposed changes that would put boys and girls in the same classroom for certain sex education lessons…[FCPS] discussed proposed changes to its family and life education curriculum last spring, but opted in May to delay a vote on the recommendations.” [WTOP/Inside NoVA]
Search Continues for Suspect in Kingstowne Murder — “Monday marks one year since Fairfax County woman Hannah Choi vanished…Fairfax County police continue to look for [suspect Joel Mosso] Merino, who was charged in Choi’s murder. He is being charged with second-degree murder and the disposal of a body.” [ABC7]
Metro Regulator Questions Plan to Auto-Pilot Trains — “Metro announced Monday it is aiming to convert the system to a self-piloting system…by December, with the possibility of Red Line automation weeks sooner. The nearly 50-year-old rail system was designed to operate automatically and did so until a deadly train crash in 2009 prompted Metro to disable the system.” [The Washington Post]
Springfield Town Center Hops Into Spring Events — “Springfield Town Center will be celebrating the start of spring with the Bunny, the Mad Hatter and other special guests. Family photos with the Bunny and a Mad Hatter Tea Party will be held at Springfield Town Center starting later this month.” [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 49 and low of 30. Sunrise at 6:32 am and sunset at 6:09 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Over the past two years, salaries have ticked up for local elected officials across Northern Virginia, and Fairfax County doesn’t want to get left out.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 today (Tuesday) to consider raising the annual pay to somewhere in the $125,000 to $130,000 range for board members and up to $140,000 to $145,000 for the chairman at a public hearing later this month.
Current Board Chair Jeff McKay earns $100,000 per year, while the supervisors earn $95,000 a year.
“I recognize all the challenges we have with compensation,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, who introduced the motion. “We’re all committed to addressing them as best we can, but I just think we should be able to move forward with this and ensure future board are adequately compensated.”
In accordance with Virginia law, the new salaries would go into effect when a new board takes office on Jan. 1, 2024, if they’re approved. The Board of Supervisors last got a pay raise in 2015.
According to data collected by staff, Fairfax County pays its board chair and supervisors more than any other locality in Northern Virginia, where the next highest salaries can be found in Loudoun County. On the low end of the scale, Alexandria City Council members receive just $37,500, and its chair gets $40,000.
The proposed ranges would bring Fairfax County closer to D.C. and Maryland, where legislators are compensated as full-time employees. In Virginia, even state lawmakers officially work part-time, an approach that some argue is outdated and untenable.
Foust, who is retiring after this year, said he views his position as a full-time job, noting that supervisors participate in regional groups like the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and are “rightly” expected to be responsive around the clock, thanks to the availability of email, texting and social media.
From Foust’s board matter:
A reasonable compensation increase recognizes the growing responsibilities and expectations of this job and will help Fairfax County attract Board members who are able to meet those demands, reflect the age, gender, and racial diversity of our County, and who do not need to rely on outside employment or personal wealth to do so. Compensation should not be a barrier to run for, or serve in, public office.
However, some board members balked at the idea of raising their own salaries at a time when the county is grappling with high real estate taxes and inflation.
While agreeing that the life of a supervisor is busy, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity lamented that board raises are being considered when the county’s starting pay for police officers is reportedly the lowest in the D.C. region, according to ABC7.
He also noted that the budget for fiscal year 2023, which began on July 1, allocated an additional $1.1 million to cover personnel and operating expenses for the chair and district superviors offices. Read More
A 26-year-old man from Vienna died on Saturday (March 3) after crashing in the Rosslyn tunnel on I-66.
Virginia State Police are now investigating the single-vehicle crash in Arlington County, including to determine whether “excessive speed” was a contributing factor, according to a news release.
The driver, Talaat Hamooh, died while being transported to a hospital. A passenger identified as Hussain Aljahdali sustained minor injuries.
The full VSP news release is below.
At 3:37 a.m. on Saturday (March 3), Virginia State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on westbound I-66 at the Rosslyn Tunnel.
A 2018 Range Rover was traveling west on I-66 when it ran off the right side of the road and struck a jersey wall just before the tunnel. It then traveled into the tunnel and overturned.
The driver, Talaat B. Hamooh, 26, of Vienna, Va., died during transport. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.
A passenger, Hussain A. Aljahdali, 29, of Arlington, Va., sustained minor injuries in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt.
Excessive speed is being investigated as a contributing factor in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
An expansion of the criminal charges eligible for record-sealing in Virginia has led to a surge in petitions for expungement to Fairfax County’s courts.
Faced with that increased caseload, the courts have moved to streamline the process by no longer requiring those petitioning for an expungement to attend a hearing, the Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney announced last week.
As of March 1, a court hearing is only required if a petition is rejected.
“Previously, individuals would have to come to court for a one-minute hearing, which is a considerable burden if you’re unable to take off work, get childcare, or have other barriers to attending,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. “Now, individuals can petition for an expungement by filing paperwork, which will be reviewed weekly.”
The process change was initiated by the Fairfax County Circuit Court judges, according to Court Clerk John Frey. It was implemented in a partnership between the judges, the clerk’s office and county prosecutors.
In Virginia, expungement removes criminal records from public view and prohibits access to them without a court order.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court received 701 expungement petitions between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023 — about three times more than the 211 petitions taken up the preceding year, according to data provided by Frey.
The court has taken in a total of 1,438 expungements over the past five years, including 168 petitions from March 1, 2018 to March 1, 2019, 200 in 2019-2020 and 158 in 2020-2021.
Frey attributes the increase over the past year directly to new laws adopted by the General Assembly in 2021 that introduced automatic sealing and significantly expanded the kinds of charges that can be sealed with a petition.
“The General Assembly made it much easier to obtain an expungement,” he said.
Currently, Virginia only expunges records if the petitioner is found not guilty, has the charges dropped or dismissed, or gets pardoned. In other words, a conviction will be public forever, regardless of how much time passes or the type of crime.
Under the 2021 law, which will take full effect in 2025, the state will automatically seal dismissed charges, acquittals, certain misdemeanor convictions, and cases where the person completes a “deferred disposition program,” such as Fairfax County’s specialized drug and mental health dockets.
Misdemeanors eligible for automatic sealing include simple marijuana possession, underage drinking, shoplifting, trespassing and disorderly conduct. The person must wait seven years since the conviction and have no new convictions during that time to have their record sealed.
The law also allows individuals convicted of other misdemeanors and Class 5 or 6 felonies to petition for expungement.
While automatic sealing won’t begin until 2025, the law has simplified the petitioning process by eliminating a fingerprint requirement, according to the Legal Aid Justice Center, which says expunging a criminal record typically takes at least nine months.
“A person’s criminal record can follow them around for a lifetime — even if they haven’t been convicted of the charges — potentially limiting their ability to get a job, benefits, or housing,” Descano said. “For people who want to start fresh, old criminal charges can prevent them from stabilizing their lives.”
Mezeh is ready to open its doors at Tysons Corner Center.
A grand opening for the fast-casual Mediterranean chain’s new location at the mall will be held tomorrow (Wednesday). The restaurant is in the former Le Pain Quotidien next to Bloomingdale’s.
“We knew that Tysons Corner would be a great place to have a mezeh, but we didn’t know when it would happen,” Mezeh Managing Partner Patrick Mika said by email. “With this free-standing location outside of Bloomingdale’s, we expect to gain a lot more exposure for the mezeh brand at this mall location compared to our other mall locations.”
Mezeh has over 30 locations across the mid-Atlantic region, including spots in Reston, Fair Oaks and Springfield. It serves build-your-own pita pockets, flatbread wraps and rice, salad or pilaf bowls.
The 3,134-square-foot Tysons restaurant will have the unique twist of serving as a test kitchen, where the company will try out new recipes and entrees, according to Mika.
“[That] will be very exciting for both us and our customers,” he said.
To celebrate, the eatery will give customers at the grand opening a free bowl with the purchase of a drink and a $10 credit that can be used during a future visit. The promotion will be available for purchases made in the store that day from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30-8:30 p.m.
The free bowl will still carry a $2 charge if the order includes steak or lamb.
Other recent changes at Tysons Corner Center include a Peachwave frozen yogurt stall that opened in the third-floor food court last week. In addition, two interactive pop-ups centered around candy and Dr. Seuss are on their way to the mall.
FCPD Uses Tech to Track Guns Used in Crimes — “A computer technology that can match the unique marks a gun makes on cartridge casings is helping detectives in Fairfax County, Virginia, to track down people suspected of violent crimes more quickly…Fairfax County is the only local department in the region with the system.” [NBC4]
County Highlights Women’s Stories — “In honor and recognition of Women’s History Month, we are sharing a few stories of amazing women leaders throughout Fairfax County, as well as events in March that highlight compelling stories about women’s contributions to society.” [Fairfax County]
McLean Woman to Plead Insanity in Murder Trial — “Potential jurors were told Monday that a Fairfax County, Virginia, woman charged with killing her 5- and 15-year-old daughters in their McLean apartment in 2018 will use an insanity defense…Youngblood is accused of shooting her daughters, 5-year-old Brooklynn Youngblood and 15-year-old Sharon Castro, in their home in August 2018.” [WTOP]
Independent Joins School Board Race — “Saundra Davis…announced her candidacy Monday for one of the three at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board. Davis, who lives in Burke with her family, said she is running for the school board partly in response to the county school system’s policy of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.” [Patch]
Dunn Loring Fire Caused by Smoking Materials — “On Saturday, March 4, at 6:02 p.m., units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Arlington County Fire Department were dispatched for a house fire in the 2100 block of Tysons Executive Court.” There were no injuries, but three people have been displaced, and the fire caused approximately $100,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
Open Strollers Now Allowed on Metrobus — “Effective immediately, open strollers are welcome on Metrobus, replacing a policy that required strollers to be folded before boarding. The public is invited to learn more about the policy and enjoy kid-friendly giveaways…March 7, from 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. near Eastern Market Station” [WMATA]
Former Herndon Delegate Will Seek Senate Seat — “[Ibraheem] Samirah originally planned to run for the 26th House District this year but decided to run for the 32nd Senate District after its incumbent, John Bell, announced last week that he would not run for reelection while he seeks treatment for prostrate cancer.” [Washingtonian]
Overnight Lane Closures on Maple Avenue — “Commuter Alert! Due to utility work, lane closures on Maple Avenue, between Glyndon Street and Branch Road, will begin at 9 p.m. [Monday]. The utility work and lane closures will occur from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday, March 9. Please use caution when driving in the area.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Route 1 Widening Requires Bank to Relocate — “The Wells Fargo branch located in the Colonial Revival-style building at 8770 Richmond Highway in Woodlawn will relocate to the opposite side of the highway later this spring as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements project.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 37. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 6:08 pm. [Weather.gov]
