Tag: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Virginia County Board Members Give Themselves Massive Raise amid Inflation, Tax Hikes, Cop Shortage

Just the News

The majority of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors formally voted to give members of the board salary increases of up to 38%, while residents of the county, located just outside of Washington, D.C., grapple with rising real estate and vehicle personal property tax assessments, resulting in higher tax bills.

The county is also dealing with a shortage of about 200 police officers in the midst of a crime surge. According to WJLA, a Washington, D.C. area local ABC station, there has been an increase of major crime incidents throughout the county. 

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Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria Approve Plastic Bag Taxes

Eric Burk

Five-cent taxes on single-use plastic bags are spreading across Virginia’s more urban localities. On Saturday, Arlington County and the City of Alexandria adopted the local tax ordinances, while Fairfax County adopted a similar ordinance on September 14. The taxes take effect on January 1, 2022.

“Arlington is proud to take this step to reduce plastic bag waste in our community and to do so with our regional partners,” Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said in a press release. “We have long sought the legal authority for this small fee as a way to protect our environment and become a more sustainable community. We look forward to working with residents and neighbors on implementation.”

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Fairfax County to Consider Five-Cent Single-Use Plastic Bag Tax

Eric Burk

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted nine to one to ask staff to draft an ordinance for a five-cent single-use plastic bag tax for presentation to the board in September; part of the drafting process includes a period of public outreach.

Supervisor James Walkinshaw introduced the proposal on Tuesday. He said, “There was an environmental survey of the Chesapeake Bay done several years ago and they discovered that the floor of the Chesapeake Bay is littered with plastic bags which is disrupting the habitat and ecosystem of the floor of the Chesapeake Bay, not to mention the micro-particles that come from torn plastic bags that unfortunately make their way into the food supply and the water supply and that all of us are ingesting.”

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Northern Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorneys Seek Big Budget Increases

Eric Burk

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s (D) office is getting more funding, after the Board of Supervisors adopted a budget for 2022 on Tuesday, according to the Tysons Reporter. The budget includes $8 million for Descano’s office, about 27 percent more than $6.3 million for fiscal year 2021. But that’s far less than the $19.1 million budget Descano has said his office needs.

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Stand Up Virginia Launches Petition to Recall Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Descano

Eric Burk

Stand Up Virginia held a rally outside the Fairfax County Government Center on Tuesday evening announcing the launch of an effort to recall Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. About 75 people attended the event, according to Stand Up Virginia President Brenda Tillett, who said she had also heard from supporters who couldn’t attend due to government jobs.

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