In the heat of a northern Virginia summer, it’s a stretch to be thinking about the County’s fiscal year 2010 budget that’s almost a year away.  While we are fortunate to live in one of the most economically advantaged counties in the United States, we are not immune to the economic storms that are shaking the country.  Foreclosures, rapidly rising fuel and electricity costs, and increases in the costs of goods and services are hitting us hard. 

On July 18, the Board of Supervisors and the School Board were briefed on the County’s current and future fiscal outlook. While not unexpected, the news was sobering.  For the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2009, we are looking at a projected county and school combined deficit of $430 million. 

Our challenge will be to close the budget gap without doing serious and lasting harm to the quality of life and the excellent school system that Fairfax County residents expect and deserve.  Toward that end, both County and School boards have undertaken a detailed review of County lines of business and school programs.  We’re looking for multi-year opportunities for cost reductions and savings, how we deliver programs and services, and where we can consolidate or eliminate duplication of services.  Our goal is to manage the economic realities that we’ve been warned are coming over the next several years.

Both the County and the School Board are actively soliciting input from residents and 20 public meetings have been scheduled from September 20 through November 13.  You can find more detailed information about the date, time, and location of these meetings, as well as other budget details at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/budget/ and I encourage you to be involved in this process. 

In the last fiscal year, we overcame a $175 million deficit by nibbling around the edges of our budget.  We won’t have that luxury this time.  The same budget pressures on the County budget are affecting our residents and huge tax increases are not the solution.

I would welcome your thoughts and recommendations as we navigate this economic storm.  What’s important to you and your family? What’s nice-to-have and what’s have- to-have?  How do you think Fairfax County should balance the services it provides and the property taxes that fund those services?   You can reach me at 703-971-6262 or at leedist@fairfaxcounty.gov.