Falls Church Homeowners To See Tax Increase Under Budget Proposal

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields on Monday presented a proposed fiscal year 2022 budget of $106 million to the city council. The proposed budget calls for a 2.3 percent increase in general operating expenditures and a 2.5 percent increase in local funding for public schools.

The city manager’s proposed budget includes a one-cent reduction in the real estate tax to $1.345 per $100 dollars of assessed value from the current tax rate of $1.355. But due to rising assessed values of homes in Falls Church, the average homeowner would see a $291 increase in their tax bill next year.

The city’s general operating expenditures would increase by $946,567 and the school budget would increase by $1,068,894.

Falls Church City Public Schools Superintendent Peter Noonan and School Board Chair Shannon Litton joined Shields to provide a briefing on the school board budget.

The city council plans to hold two budget town hall meetings and three public hearings prior to the adoption of a final budget on April 26. The 2022 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.

The FY’22 proposed budget allocates $100,000 to the city’s Affordable Housing Fund. The money would supplement Amazon REACH grant funds of $3.75 million awarded to Falls Church.

At Monday's meeting, Shields said this is the first time that the city has built into the tax rate a contribution to the city's Affordable Housing Fund.

The budget also proposes funding for body-worn cameras for the Falls Church Police Department. The proposed funding also would add new positions inside the police department, which is a first step in addressing recommendations recently presented by the city’s Use of Force Review Committee.

An example of a new position in the police department would be a part-time police officer, preferably a retired police officer, who could review red light photo cameras, school bus cameras and soon-to-be-implemented school zone speed controls, Shields said.

Falls Church also is exploring the option of moving its 911 dispatch to Arlington County. "That's a major change to our operations," Shields said.

The transition across the nation to an upgraded digital or internet protocol-based 911 system, commonly referred to as Next Generation 911, is driving the potential move to a regional 911 system with Arlington County, he said.

"That has not yet been finalized with Arlington County," said Shields, adding that the city is reviewing the contract costs.

The proposed budget also funds six major flood mitigation projects that were recommended by the city’s Stormwater Task Force. A two-percent increase in the stormwater fee is also recommended to pay for the series of smaller stormwater projects completed this year.

A series of state grants for transportation improvements, including the Park Avenue “Great Streets” project, the Oak Street Bridge, and the Washington and Columbia intersection improvements are allocated through the Capital Improvements Program in the proposed budget.

The proposal also includes $200,000 in contingency funds to address uncertainties resulting from COVID-19. These funds are intended to address either revenue shortfalls or increased demand for services and assistance as the city recovers from the pandemic, Shields said.

Two virtual town hall meetings are scheduled for Thursday, March 11 at noon and April 15 at 7:30 p.m. The city manager and school superintendent will give presentations and answer questions on the proposed budget, capital improvement plan, the George Mason High School project and other topics.

The town halls can be viewed live through the link www.fallschurchva.gov/BudgetTownHall.

Public comment on the proposed budget is open at the city council’s regular meetings, including March 22 and April 12. Those who wish to provide public comment during those meetings should register at www.fallschurchva.gov/PublicComment. The city council’s work sessions do not allow for public comment but are open for the public to watch on March 15 and April 5.