Monday, April 1, 2024 — At tonight’s City Council meeting, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields proposed a Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) budget and six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
The FY2025 General Fund budget, inclusive of Schools and General Government, totals $138.3 million. This budget proposes a 7.9 percent increase in General Government expenditures, not including the debt service, and a 7.6 percent increase to local funding for the public schools. The City Manager was joined by School Board Chair Laura Downs and Superintendent Peter Noonan in the budget presentation to the City Council.
The budget includes a proposal to reduce the real estate tax rate by 1 penny, from $1.23 to $1.22 per $100 of assessed value. The median homeowner’s real estate tax bill will increase $271 or 2.4 percent with rising assessed value of homes in the City due to market appreciation.
“The organizing principle behind this budget is ‘Strengthening Our Foundations to Support a Growing Community,’ and addresses the City Council’s recently adopted Strategic Priorities with investment in people, infrastructure, and process improvements,” said Shields.
The proposed budget invests in the City’s workforce by funding a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 3 percent step increase for police, a 6 percent merit increase for all other employees, and increased funding for training and professional development opportunities.
New initiatives in the proposed budget stem from the opportunities and challenges that come with growth. Examples include funds for enhancements to public safety, the Affordable Housing Fund, neighborhood traffic calming, new sidewalks, technology for improved processes, and opening the Library for two additional weekend hours.
The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) provides a plan for investment in City schools, parks and fields, library, government facilities, transportation, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. The six-year CIP totals $191 million, and provides funding for transportation ($83 million), facilities and parks ($57 million), sanitary sewer ($37 million), and stormwater improvements ($14 million).
The CIP relies heavily on federal and state grants and proposes the responsible use of $20 million in Capital Reserves over the next six years to create long term value for the City’s taxpayers. No new taxpayer-supported debt is anticipated until FY2028. Debt service will decrease 3.4 percent in FY2025 due to normal amortization of outstanding debt. Debt issuance is planned only for the Sanitary Sewer Utility Fund in FY2025.
The Council is expected to adopt a final budget on May 13. The 2025 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. The complete text and charts included in the proposed budget can be viewed at fallschurchva.gov/Budget and at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.).
There will be two Town Hall meetings on the budget: Thursday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, April 24 at 12:00 p.m. Links are available at fallschurchva.gov/Budget. Both are open to in-person and virtual attendees.
Public comment is open at the City Council ’s regular meetings, including April 8, April 29, and May 13. The City Council’s work sessions do not allow for public comment but are open to the public: April 1, April 15, and May 6. The full budget meeting calendar is available online at fallschurchva.gov/BudgetCalendar. Public comments and questions may be sent via email to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.
