Updating urgent request for immediate action

For the future of Fairfax County, now is the time for dialogue with our governor-elect, state delegates, senators and county board of supervisors. Now is the time to listen and to speak out about what we think about the quality of life projected for Fairfax County under the current budget projections. Now is the time to talk with neighbors, friends, and community groups about the future of Fairfax County.

This week, we participated in:
•Reston Chamber of Commerce Pre Virginia General Assembly Legislative Reception 1/5/10
•Town Hall with Del Plum and Senator Howell 1/6/10
•House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees Regional Public Hearings on the Governor’s Proposed 2010-12 Biennial State Budget. Fairfax County 1/8/10
•Public Hearing held by Fairfax County's Delegation to the General Assembly, 1/9/10

Last month we participated in:
•Fairfax County Community Dialogue at Herndon H.S. on 12/2/09

We have spoken with Chair of the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County Bulova, Virginia Delegates Rust and Plum, and Senator Howell, and School Board Members Gibson and Brasheer. We have listened to each of them present testimony and they all have listened to our testimony (as many as three times), thanked us, and encouraged others to speak out as well. Del. Plum personally invited us to visit him in Richmond.

When we spoke on Saturday, listening were over twenty representatives, including several senators and delegates across Fairfax county, and Fairfax County Chair Bulova.

We listened to constituents representing dire needs in mental health and human services, passionately present their case to the state for relief from the devastating cuts in the Governor’s budget. We heard testimony that the transportation budget (separate from the General Fund) is in danger of being unable to have sufficient funds to meet the federal match.

We heard testimony at the community dialogue, town forum and public hearings, from constituents who would prefer increases in revenue over the quality of life projected in the current budget.

The clear, consistent message is that our projected shortfalls are so severe that increases in revenue are required to protect core services in education, public safety, human services and transportation. At the same time, our governor-elect has stated that the revenue increases currently in the budget are dead-on-arrival and any additional revenues will be vetoed. This will require the state to cut an additional $2 billion from the state budget. The state must balance the budget.

Governor-elect McDonnell’s priority in the first 90 days is to reopen rest areas that were closed to save the state revenue. One of those rest stops is just twenty miles down the road from Pimmit Hills Alternative High School, a school serving among the most vulnerable of our population, which will be closed under the budget submitted by Dr. Dale this week.

An excerpt from Chair Bulova’s testimony follows:

“Because we understand that the Commonwealth’s fiscal situation is so dire, I would like to share with you again the three budget principles I expressed at our legislative work session:
•Don’t shift responsibilities to localities – we cannot absorb the burden of additional state responsibilities being shifted to the local level.
•Don’t make structural changes – structural changes to funding formulas often become permanent cuts, which hurt localities long after economic recovery takes place.
•Don’t disproportionately target or affect Northern Virginia – localities throughout the state have benefited and continue to benefit from the contributions of Northern Virginia to state revenues.
•Unfortunately, the recently proposed executive budget does not meet these principles in many key areas – shifting state costs for Constitutional officers, jails, K-12 education and others onto localities…
•Regrettably, it has increasingly become the practice of the Commonwealth to underfund core services, and what was once a partnership between the state and localities is changing dramatically.
•It is in this context that I ask you to consider the need for equal taxing authority for counties and cities. If the state cannot, and will not, ensure the quality of life that Fairfax County is known for … then at least allow us to diversify our revenues, so that we are not so dependent on fluctuations in the real estate market.
•For example, if Fairfax County had the taxing authority of the City of Fairfax, we would generate an additional $94 million in revenue per year. While I am not advocating for all of these revenue sources, that additional authority would be a useful tool in diversifying taxes so that we are not so dependant of the real estate tax, which makes up 64% of the revenue that we use to provide County services.
•Already, Fairfax County, based on our own declining revenues, is projecting a shortfall for FY2011 of $316 million. The Governor’s budget proposals, as outlined in the budget memo you received this morning, would add an additional revenue loss of more than $10 million on the general county side of the budget.
•While K-12 was protected in the past, this is not the case in the Governor’s 2010-2012 biennium budget proposal. We are particularly concerned about the Governor’s proposal to delay implementation of the composite index.
•This single action penalizes Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia localities – this delay will cost the County approximately $61 million, and will cost Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William Counties a total of over $118 million…
•While we are discussing significant reductions in state aid to localities, I feel it is important to also mention the car tax.
•While the executive budget eliminates the $950 million per year car tax subsidy, the incoming Governor, as well as leaders in the House of Delegates have made it clear that proposal will not stand. If the State Reimbursement were eliminated, it would mean a loss of over $200 million to Fairfax County.”

Now is the time to speak out to our delegates and senators in support of the principles expressed by Chair Bulova.

Now is the time to ask questions and to speak out to our governor-elect, state delegates and senators. Let them know what we think about the quality of life projected under this budget. Now is the time to let them know we will support them if they call for a revenue increase.

Without additional revenue, and with projected additional cuts in state revenue, we are in crisis. At the county level, it will be hard to justify additional resources for education at the expense of public safety and human services. At the school board level, it will be hard to justify saving any of the at-risk programs and services, however worthy, in the Superintendent’s budget by adding additional students to our already-overburdened classrooms.

Our elected officials at every level are making efforts to explain the budget process to us. There are ongoing town halls from our state representatives. Our school board members and board of supervisors are visiting schools and community groups. Now is the time to pay attention to what they are saying and to speak out.

Voters Fighting for Fairfax is organizing a rally for Monday, Feb 1, in Richmond. (Note the date change to collaborate with Virginia PTA Day at the General Assembly)