F.C. Bulletin: City Manager Proposes FY'26 City Budget; Letter-to-the-Editor; F.C. Arts

City Manager Proposes Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and CIP

Following is based on a press release from the City of Falls Church's Office of Communications:

Monday, March 24, 2025 – During tonight's City Council meeting, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields proposed a Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) budget and six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The City Manager was joined by School Board Chair Tate Gould and Superintendent Peter Noonan in the budget presentation to the City Council.

The General Government operating budget (not including debt service) for FY2026 provides for operating expenditures of $57,706,605 — an increase of 6.5 percent over FY2025. The FY2026 transfer to schools from general tax revenues is $55.6 million — an increase of 5.6 percent over the FY2025 transfer. The total School Division operating budget including state and federal revenues is $69,546 — a 7.1 percent increase over the FY2025 budget. 

Due to decreasing use of capital reserves and decreasing debt service, the overall FY2026 General Fund budget, inclusive of Schools, General Government, and Capital Plan totals $133.9 million, a 2.8 percent decrease from the FY2025. 

The budget includes a proposal to reduce the real estate tax rate by two and a-half cents from $1.21 to $1.185 per $100 of assessed value. With this rate reduction, the median homeowner's real estate tax bill will increase by $400 —  or 3.4 percent, owing to rising assessed value of homes due to market appreciation.

"The region is in a challenging economic environment with changes to the federal government. At the same time, the City is growing, which means new revenue and new costs associated with growth. The proposed budget seeks to 'Sustain Momentum Together' with investments in people, safety, and core infrastructure. We propose a very short list of new initiatives, namely, more funding for road maintenance, and otherwise seek to sustain programs," said Shields. 

Putting People First — Highlights from this section of the proposed budget invest in the City’s workforce by funding a 5.0 percent merit increase for civilian employees, a 2.0 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and a 3.0 percent step increase for uniformed police officers. The proposed budget also includes a $150,000 investment in City financial systems for more convenient resident access for online payments and building permit processing. The $500,000 in local revenue for the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to expand affordable housing options for people who live and work in the City is the same funding amount as last year. The budget also proposes $500,000 in contingency to provide the City with a buffer against revenue declines due to federal government actions. 

Improving Core Infrastructure — The budget sustains progress in updating City infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population and maintain long-term sustainability and resilience. Highlights include: $2.2 million for road maintenance in the operating budget, an increase of $700,000 over FY2025. This is for street paving, bike lane and crosswalk markings, ADA curb ramps, traffic signal maintenance, sidewalk maintenance, and brick crosswalk maintenance. $59.2 million in transportation projects is proposed in the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to make streets and intersections more walkable and safe for all users. The CIP provides a six-year plan of $148.2 million for investment in City schools, parks and government facilities, transportation, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. 

Advancing Safety — The budget sustains the City’s long commitment to promoting safety in all aspects of City life — police, fire, and emergency services, building safety, and safe streets for people on foot, bike, transit, and in cars. This includes $133,000 for replacing body-worn cameras and in-car cameras for all uniformed police and sheriff personnel as well as $200,000 – the same funding level as last year – for Neighborhood Traffic Calming (NTC) solutions in response to resident requests for safety enhancements on neighborhood streets.

The CIP includes federal grants ($12.4 million) and state grants ($23.6 million) and the use of City capital reserves ($9.9 million) over the next six years to create long-term value for the City’s taxpayers. No new taxpayer-supported debt is anticipated until FY2028. 

The Council is scheduled to adopt a final budget on May 12, 2025. The 2026 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The complete text and charts included in the proposed budget can be viewed at fallschurchva.gov/Budget and at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.).

There will be two Town Hall meetings on the budget: Thursday, April 3 at noon and Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 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 14 and April 28. The City Council’s work sessions do not allow for public comment but are open to the public: April 7,  April 21, and May 5. The full budget meeting calendar is available online, fallschurchva.gov/BudgetCalendar. Public comments and questions may be sent via email to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.

Letter-to-the-Editor

Reduce Light Pollution to Protect Bird Migration

Dear Editor,

Spring is upon us. A new Lights Out for the Birds initiative for the Spring bird migration season was launched by the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance in partnership with a number of other organizations including DarkSky NOVA, the Northern Virginia chapter of DarkSky International.

We need the support of every resident, business and government entity in the region to protect the hundreds of millions of birds traversing our region now.

One hundred million birds migrate over our heads at night in the Spring as we sleep, resting during the day and singing more to attract mates. After summering in their Northern homes, 160 million return on the Fall migration with their new families.

Hundreds of millions of birds die each year due to collisions with buildings and homes or simply of exhaustion from being attracted to artificial lights at night.  Birds use the stars and moon to navigate by. Too many lights confuses them and draws them off course. Too often the result is fatal.

The City of Falls Church’s neighbor, Fairfax County has undertaken measures to protect the migrating birds this season. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has been, and is, very supportive of the light pollution issue especially the deadly harm it causes the birds migrating through our Northern Virginia area.  

Fairfax County Board Supervisor Walkinshaw introduced a joint board matter with Supervisor Jimenez, Supervisor Stark, and Supervisor Alcorn to address the problem and to raise awareness among the citizens and businesses of the county.

These measures include providing more information to residents about the importance of lighting responsibly especially during this time of year and instructing county staff to evaluate county owned buildings to turn off unnecessary lights. Educational information at the county level is being distributed about the problem, what citizens can do to help, and each individual supervisor is including information in their district newsletters.

The Fairfax County Park Authority is doing the same and several years ago created a webpage about Dark Skies and light pollution.

While time ran a little short to reach out to more local jurisdictions, we are asking everyone in the City of Falls Church to participate in this program and to help share it with family, friends and colleagues. It would be great if your paper could help promote this campaign. 

I know the City of Falls Church is doing some wonderful work addressing this problem of light pollution. The City of Falls Church issued proclamations for International Dark Sky Week the past several years, demonstrating their support for this issue in addition to the outdoor lighting ordinances the city has enacted. 

International Dark Sky Week falls 21 through 28 April this year at the height of the Spring bird migration season which is a great way to learn more about the wide range of impacts artificial light has at night, including our own human health.

DarkSky International has a program to certify your home "dark sky friendly," which is neighbor and community friendly, and can be applied to businesses too.  We encourage everyone to take the time to assess your own home’s or business’s lighting, and to take the steps to make it dark sky friendly.  

Remember dark skies do not mean dark ground. Lighting responsibly enables humans to traverse their spaces safely without harming our shared environments around us. Light pollution is doubling every 8-10 years and in some places scientists predict no stars will be visible in 20 years unless we take action now. 

The lack of awareness among the public about this issue is a serious problem across the region, the country and the globe. 

Many organizations are working together to educate about this easily solved pollution. Simply following the 5 Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night will solve it. Is your lighting 1. Useful, 2. Targeted, 3. Low Level, 4. Controlled, and 5. Warm-Colored?

Please join us in being part of the solution to save the birds and to solve light pollution. And we invite you to join DarkSky NOVA. With all of us working together we can bring back the stars at night, protect our feathered friends as they travel through – the wildlife, nocturnal pollinators and plants too.

Thank you Falls Church Independent for all of the help you're giving to educate people around here! 

~ Eileen Kragie, Vienna, Virginia.

Eileen Kragie is the founder of Dark Sky Friends, a DarkSky NOVA Chapter Leader, and a DarkSky International Advocate.

Falls Church Arts: McAfee's 'Sunset Wires' Wins People's Choice Award in 'Light & Dark: Contrast' Show

In the current "Light & Dark: Contrast" photo show at Falls Church Arts, Alan McAfee has won the People’s Choice award for "Sunset Wires," an inkjet photography print on Noritsu luster paper.

For the show, photographers were invited to submit images that "explore light and dark in contrast, whether in black-and-white or color photography." Visitors to the exhibit voted McAfee's "Sunset Wires" the People's Choice winner out of 66 pieces by 44 local photographers in the show.

"I love smooth color and value gradients, and nothing produces a more beautiful gradient than a cloudless morning or evening sky," McAfee said about his winning photograph.

"When fine lines and larger shapes are viewed in silhouette against the gradient, it just enhances the effect," McAfee continued. "An evening walk on the streets of Birmingham, Alabama presented me with the perfect opportunity to capture these elements within a balanced frame. The goal was to combine the simple perfection of nature with the complexity of manmade objects to produce an image that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

McAfee's winning print "Sunset Wires" is available at the gallery for $350.

"Light & Dark: Contrast" runs at Falls Church Arts' gallery at 700-B W. Broad St., through April 6. The gallery is open Tuesdays–Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The images can also be viewed at https://www.fallschurcharts.org. Artworks in the show are available for purchase at the gallery or online. 

For more information, please email: info@fallschurcharts.org.

By Christopher Jones