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By Nick Minock

FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 to move forward with massive pay increases for themselves.

Before the raises take effect next year, there will be a public hearing on March 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center on 12000 Government Center Parkway Fairfax, Va. 22035. You can sign up to speak in person or virtually, according to a county spokesperson.

Chairman Jeff McKay and other supervisors explained why they felt taxpayers should give them upwards of a 45% raise.

“Some may have been born into a political dynasty and have wealth and have part-time jobs that allow this work to happen,” said McKay. “Others don’t come from that background.”

County taxpayers already compensate McKay $100,000 a year. McKay’s salary may now increase to $145,000 which would also give a big boost to his county pension. Other Fairfax County Supervisors make about $90,000 a year and their salary may increase up to $130,000.

Pat Herrity, who was one of two supervisors to vote against the raises, mentioned how the role of a supervisor is technically a part-time job.

“This is public service,” said Herrity. “This is a board position. This isn’t ten mini-county executives trying to run the county.”

McKay and Supervisor John Foust disagreed.

“I personally consider this a full-time job,” said Foust.

Herrity brought up how McKay drives a county car, which was first reported by 7News. We confirmed McKay drives a Ford Fusion Hybrid which is paid for by McKay’s office budget.

On Tuesday, 7News Reporter Nick Minock asked McKay’s office if McKay is reporting the use of the county Ford Fusion Hybrid as income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and asked if McKay is personally paying for the annual county property tax on the Ford Fusion Hybrid or is he paying the vehicle property taxes from his office budget. 7News will update this story when McKay’s office responds.

“I understand that there are some supervisors that have county take-home vehicles,” Herrity said during Tuesday’s meeting. “I don’t remember that coming before the Board [of Supervisors] but it would be useful to have that information and take that into account when we’re looking at compensation because compensation is bigger than just a paycheck.”

But, McKay changed the topic and brought up how only supervisors who vote ‘yes’ on the proposal would get raises and supervisors who disagree would have to give the raise back to the county.

Critics of supervisors’ and McKay’s massive pay raise said it is a slap in the face for county workers who may only get 2% raises from the Board of Supervisors this year and critics also argue the huge raise is tone-deaf as property taxes and car taxes are rising in Fairfax County –– something the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors could fix if they wanted to.

“Our residents are struggling with inflation, high inflation, they’re struggling with a 50% increase in their taxes in the last 10 years,” said Herrity. “We got a budget in front of us that doesn’t even address public safety and some of the other critical positions.”

But Supervisor Dalia Palchik called the raise a “slight change” and Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the current county salary is a barrier for people to run for the Board of Supervisors.

“When I had to deliberate on running for the Board of Supervisors, this issue was a very significant one,” said Lusk said during Tuesday’s meeting. “From conversations with my wife. She was trying to understand how I could take a salary cut is how she described it because of the compensation that we make on this board. I have two daughters, one that’s in college, she will be graduating this year. And the only reason I could run is because I had spent 30 years working in this county prior and I retired and then I became able to meet the financial requirements that I would have as a parent, father, husband.”

“I look forward to hearing from the community and hopefully we are able to make that slight change so that when we come around to another four years, we have a very representative body and candidates who are able to make that choice,” said Palchik.

The supervisors who voted for pay increases for next year’s Board of Supervisors include Penelope Gross, James Walkinshaw, John Foust, Rodney Lusk, Daniel Storck, Dalia Palchik, Kathy Smith, and Chair McKay.

The supervisors who voted against the pay increases were Pat Herrity and Walter Alcorn.

The Washington Post

By Antonio Olivio

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering raising the board’s salaries by as much as 45 percent for the chairman’s office and as much as 37 percent for individual supervisors — a move aimed at broadening the pool of applicants who seek a seat on the board, but one that has angered county employees seeking higher salaries.

A March 21 public hearing set by the board Tuesday will kick off a process to consider the board’s first pay raise since 2016, when the chairman’s salary was increased to $100,000 per year and supervisors began annually making $95,000.All of the positions are part time, although most board members treat them as full-time jobs, involving weekend events and time spent on regional boards.

If the plan is approved, the chairman’s salary would go up to between $140,000 and $145,000 per year, and supervisors’ salaries would increase to between $125,000 and $130,000 per year — starting in January, after county elections on board seats are held in November.

The median household income in Fairfax County is just below $128,000 per year.

Supervisor John W. Foust (D-Dranesville) — who introduced the motion and would not be affected because he is leaving the board after his term expires in January — said the proposed pay raises are a way to attract more people of modest incomes to run for the county board in a community where many residents struggle to pay mortgages or to find affordable child care.

“Compensation should not be a barrier to run for or serve in public office,” Foust said before the board voted 8-2 to schedule the public hearing. Supervisors Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Walter L. Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) opposed setting the public hearing.

But the idea may generate some controversy at a time when Northern Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction is still dealing with the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Taxpayer groups are unhappy about County Executive Bryan Hill’s proposed budget, which is based on a residential property tax rate freeze that nonetheless means homeowners would pay an average of $520 more in their annual tax bills because of higher property assessments.

The county’s more than 12,000 employees are also angry about what they called insufficient pay raises proposed under that budget, which included a 2 percent pay increase, plus raises based on performance and longevity, instead of a 5.44 increase that was initially calculated.

“Despite our calls for wage fairness for county employees, it appears the county has another priority — raises for politicians,” Tammie Wondong, president of the Service Employees International Union local that represents Fairfax County employees, said in a statement.

Foust’s proposal is based on two calculations made by county staff. First, the percentage increase is roughly equivalent to how much county employee salaries have risen since the board last approved a salary hike for supervisors in 2015.

Also, the proposed amount is about as much as what full-time board members in some other large jurisdictions make, according to the county.

In Montgomery County, the council’s president is paid $171,912.46 per year. The other members receive a salary of $156,284.05, according to that county’s website. The D.C. Council chairman makes $210,000 per year, and council members are paid $154,437.

However, neighboring Prince William County’s board chair earns $49,452 per year for that part-time position, and supervisors make $43,422. Loudoun County recently increased pay for its part-time board by regular increments over the next four years, with the chair’s position going up by 6 percent in January to $91,064.

Herrity argued that Fairfax’s compensation should be more akin to its closest neighbors in Northern Virginia since the supervisor’s position is still technically part time. He also said hiking the board’s salary now sends the wrong message to county employees who are also struggling with the region’s high cost of living.

“This is public service,” said Herrity, who earns a second salary as part-time chief financial officer to a computer security company. “What we’re forgetting here is that our county, our police officers, they’re not even at the average starting salary. We’ve got some work to do there.”

Supervisor Dalia A. Palchik (D-Providence) talked about how hard it’s been to serve her constituents while scrambling to find affordable child care for her 1-year-old daughter.

“My scheduling meeting every single week is a struggle,” she said. “We are trying to figure out how to make child care, which is so unaffordable, work.”

Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk (D-Franconia) said he wouldn’t have been able to get elected as the board’s first African American man if he didn’t already have a stable retirement income from his previous work in economic development.

“I would not be sitting here if I did not have the opportunity that I had,” he said. “And there are many that don’t.”

Fairfax County Times

By Taneika Duhaney

At two months into the new year, crimes against person and crimes against property in Fairfax County are on track to outpace 2022. 

The two types of crime are those against persons and those against property. Crimes against a person include assault offenses, homicide, human trafficking, kidnapping, and sex offenses. Crimes against property cover a broader range of offenses, including arson, bribery, burglary, vandalism, embezzlement, fraud, and theft.

In 2022, there were 936 crimes against person cases across the county compared to 1,187 as of Feb. 15. This trend parallels crimes against property, totaling 2,952 for 2022 compared to 3,176 as of Feb. 15, according to data provided by the Fairfax County Police Department.

This data builds on an upward trend in which crimes against person and crimes against property jumped by 10.5 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively, from 2021 to 2022. 

“Our officers, commanders, and Crime Analysis Unit constantly monitor trends within our community to ensure we allocate resources and implement strategies appropriately. Each week, commanders gather at our headquarters to discuss these trends. Commanders share their strategies and collaborate to identify solutions,” said an FCPD spokesperson. 

As the department works to combat the five-year high crime trend, residents continue to post on social media platforms and apps like Neighbors to raise awareness and increase vigilance across the county.  

In addition to residents, county leaders have taken note of this unsettling trend and have sounded the alarm. 

“I recently asked for the preliminary crime rates for 2022 as I was having difficulty reconciling statements by some elected officials that crime in Fairfax County is down with what I’m hearing from residents. It looks like the residents are correct,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity in his Jan. 26 newsletter.

Like Herrity, residents are concerned about the FCPD staffing shortages. A March 2020 to August 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau analysis found that law enforcement employees decreased by 4 percent nationwide.

“Our police department has had to eliminate many of its specialty units (neighborhood policing, speed enforcement teams, etc.) in order to staff patrol positions due to the staffing crisis that the Board [of Supervisors] has been slow to address despite my continued advocacy,” said Herrity. However, FCPD contends that “despite staffing challenges in law enforcement agencies across the country, the FCPD remains dedicated to keeping our county one of the safest jurisdictions of its size. As of Feb. 9, we have an authorized strength of 1,492 police officers and 186 vacancies. Last fall, our department moved to two 12.5-hour shifts and increased our minimum staffing levels. Patrol areas have not been consolidated and remain the same as they have been.” 

As residents and county leaders look to FCPD to stem the uptick in crimes, the department continues to explore various avenues to keep residents safe. 

“Our Crime Prevention and Community Outreach Officers are constantly working to inform the community about the latest trends and ways to help reduce crime. From handing out locks to reduce the Kia and Hyundai thefts, VIN etching events, neighborhood watch programs, Hidden in Plain Sight, home security surveys, and more, we’re working with our community every day to reduce crime,” FCPD said in a statement.

These actions may prove effective. In 2022, research firm SmartAsset ranked Alexandria the sixth safest city out of 200 of the largest cities across the country. 

FCPD continues to encourage community members to report suspicious persons and crimes to help the department identify trends and collect data so resources can be appropriately allocated across the county.

Fairfax County Times

By Richard H. Hronik III

The Fairfax County Executive revealed the advertised fiscal year 2024 budget at a Board of Supervisors meeting Feb. 21.

This proposed budget assumes no change in the property tax rate, the personal property tax rate, or the McLean Community Center tax rate. It includes an enhanced tax relief program for the elderly and disabled, approved by the board last year, to include the new 75 percent tax relief bracket and tax deferral program.

Also included is a fully-funded recurring school operating request, as included in the superintendent’s proposed budget, compensation for county employees including performance, merit, and longevity increases, a 2% market rate adjustment, and benchmark adjustments. In addition, the proposed budget includes funding to address the impacts of inflation and funding for new facilities.

Revenue projections for this budget are partially based on the existing real estate tax of $1.11 per $100 of asserted value. However, recently released 2023 real estate assessments show an average residential property value increase of 6.97 percent. These increases in value would still result in increased property tax bills across Fairfax County.

“It is no surprise a tax increase on the average homeowner is still on the table with this Board’s unrestrained spending, a declining commercial real estate tax base, and the end of federal pandemic aid,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity. “Surrounding jurisdictions, not to mention prior Fairfax County Boards, have been doing what I have been proposing: looking at ways to cut spending and find efficiencies. This Board has refused and our residents, who are already suffering due to the pandemic and inflation, are paying for it.”

To offset lower-than-expected returns on county retirement pensions for police officers, and uniformed, and non-uniformed employees, the proposed budget includes additions to these pensions. Provisions for other limited, targeted investments are also included to address various needs across the county. All new positions are offset by reductions, with a net impact of no new positions.

Projected revenue growth also includes an increase of almost $2 million in emergency medical services transport fees. 

“This stands in stark contrast to what our state leaders accomplished last year and are trying to accomplish this year,” said Herrity. “Reducing tax burdens on residents and businesses.”

“We are deeply disappointed with the Fairfax County Executive for proposing a budget that undervalues the officers and employees within the Fairfax County Police Department,” said Steve Monahan, president of the Fairfax County Chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. “This proposed budget will ultimately compromise the safety of our community…Officers within the Fairfax County Police Department feel like they are burning the candle at both ends. They are undervalued, overworked, unappreciated, and increasingly underpaid.”

In total, the advertised budget’s revenue proposals yielded $346 million of additional tax revenues. This leaves a balance of just more than $90 million to be used at the Board of Supervisors’ discretion. This would allow the board to vote for increased spending, slightly lower tax rates, or both.

The McLean Citizens Association and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust will host a virtual public meeting on the proposed FY 2024 county budget on March 9 at 7 p.m. The meeting will feature Fairfax County budget director Phil Hagen who will present information on, and answer questions about, the proposed budget. Similarly, other county supervisors will hold town hall meetings for their districts. The county board of supervisors will hold public hearings on the FY 2024 budget from April 11 – 13. The FY 2024 budget will be adopted on May 9.