Sunday, May 12, 2013
Presented by Patch, the theme is 'Fairfax Is Beautiful.'
UPDATE: The deadline for the first annual Celebrate Fairfax Photo Contest has been extended to May 15. Enter today! Your photo could be on display at Celebrate Fairfax! --- Are you a natural photographer or just enjoy capturing snapshots of the world around you? Celebrate Fairfax is looking for the best photographs of the natural beauty of Fairfax County and announces their 1st annual Photo Contest! In order to enter, you must submit a photo of something beautiful you see in nature around Fairfax County. You have until May 1 to get your entry in! Let the county be your inspiration — the top 75 entries submitted will be displayed during the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, which will be held June 7-9. Individuals will compete in one of two …
Friday, May 10, 2013
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority officials say despite high number, sequestration will cause job growth to slow down.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) helped bring more than 1,400 jobs from 27 different companies during the first quarter of 2013. Salient Federal Solutions, a company that provides information techonology support to government and commercial customers, created the most opportunity countywide, adding 530 jobs in Fairfax, FCEDA officials said Friday. “In today’s environment, any business growth is remarkable,” FCEDA President and CEO Jerry Gordon said in a statement. But the number of new jobs was still down from the first quarter of 2012, when the FCEDA worked with 46 different businesses to bring in nearly 2,000 jobs. Gordon told Patch the slowdown was caused by cold feet from business owners, who hesitated to grow…
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The federal loan program could save Fairfax County and Dulles Toll Road users millions, but the tight timeline is giving some supervisors pause.
Fairfax County transportation officials have asked the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to move on federal loans that could help pay for $1.9 billion of the total cost of the Silver Line. FCDOT representatives presented the Board with a series of recommendations Tuesday afternoon in order to file an application for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan from the federal government. Joe LaHait, the county’s debt coordinator, said if the funding partners secured such a loan, approximately $1.3 billion would be allocated to the Dulles Toll Road. Toll Road users are currently on the hook for 75 percent of the $5.9 billion rail project and toll prices are expected to increase dramatically in the coming years…
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Trials in other Washington area jurisdictions have residents asking: Why doesn't Fairfax County have text-911 service?
Fairfax County plans to eventually give its residents the ability to text 9-1-1 in emergencies, but it likely won’t be any time soon. In March, Frederick County, Md., launched a pilot program allowing Verizon Wireless customers to text 911 in an emergency. And recent media coverage has Fairfax County residents asking whether the same service will be available to them. During an online chat Monday, county officials said they planned to wait to start any sort of trial program until the service was available on more providers than just Verizon. “Texting to 9-1-1 is one of several new means to contact 9-1-1 that will utilize smart devices (smart phones, tablets, etc.) to communicate,” said Stephen Souder, director of the county’s department of…
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Officials will likely attempt to put a meals tax referendum to voters in future elections, though the proposal has had little success in the past.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is once again considering a meals tax — but the proposal has a long way to go before it is put to voters in a future election. For the eighth time during his tenure, Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) proposed this week that a meals tax referendum appear on ballots during the election. In his resolution, Hyland estimated the tax could generate between $80 and $100 million annually. Such revenue, which Hyland calculated with a hypothetical 4 percent meals tax, might allow the Board to alleviate stress on the county’s real estate base, which just saw an increase in tax this budget cycle. “As was clearly evidenced during our budget discussions, the county is still over reliant on the real estate …
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The organization, which helps impoverished residents find affordable housing, is celebrating 25 years of work.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
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Sunday, April 28
FACETS, a non-profit organization striving to end homelessness in Fairfax County, celebrated its 25th anniversary at a benefit breakfast last Thursday. The event was attended by hundreds of people, including a slew of elected officials, and featured emotional stories from residents who have been able to get back on their feet through FACETS’ help. And the organization’s work continues to be noticed. The county’s homeless population declined 12 percent in 2012 and is down 26 percent from 2007. “Everyday I wake up with the dream of putting myself out of a job,” said Amanda Andere, FACETS director. But there are still challenges along the road. The unknown effects of sequestration cuts have forced the county to halt its issuance of affordable…
Friday, April 26, 2013
The Virginia primary is June 11; the general election is Nov. 5.
Are you a registered voter in Virginia and available to work at least half of Election Day? Fairfax County has a job for you. The county’s Office of Elections is recruiting election officers for the June 11 primary election and/or for the Nov. 5 general election. Qualified residents with bilingual language and technology skills are especially needed. "We encourage all qualified residents to become elections officers, especially those with technology skills, diverse language abilities, young adults seeking civic experience and networking opportunities, and recently retired professionals interested in public service," said General Registrar Cameron Quinn in a prepared statement. Election officers are paid $100 for working all of Election …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The AACC hosted a gala event at the Westin in Tysons earlier this month.
The Asian American Chamber of Commerce hosted its 3rd annual awards gala at the Westin Tysons Corner earlier this month, honoring businesses and business leaders of Asian and Pacific Islander descent for contributions to the business community. Public and private sector businesses, as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations, were recognized at the ceremony, which had more 200 attendees. A list of award recipients can be found below: The ceremony also recognized Judge John Tran, who was elected by the Virginia General Assembly on April 3 to be a Circuit Court Judge in Fairfax County. Tran will be the first Asian-American judge to sit in a Virginia court of record, according to a release from the Chamber. Click here to learn more …
Monday, April 15, 2013
Fairfax County wants your input on revised bus routes for Silver Line service.
Fairfax County will hold more meetings this week to discuss a revised plan for changes to Fairfax Connector bus routes when Metro's Silver Line opens in December. The plan includes the creation of 12 new routes, the restructuring of 24 existing routes and the elimination of six routes, says the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. The revised plan incorporates changes suggested by riders and the community, since the original service proposal was released in January 2013. The complete bus service plan will be discussed at each meeting, with special emphasis placed on area service changes for the general vicinity of each meeting location. Meeting schedule: Click here to see the full list of county route changes. Stay up to date on …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Residents and stakeholders advocated for human services and employee compensation funding on Wednesday night.
Human services were on most people’s minds Wednesday night during the second marathon public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget plan. A majority of the 50 or so speakers at the second of three hearings this week urged the Board of Supervisors to restore funding to services for the county’s most vulnerable residents. County Executive Ed Long’s $7 billion budget proposal includes an $8 million reserve to address cuts from sequestration and other federal reductions, but many human services officials say more is needed. The county’s Human Services Council has recommended supervisors approve an additional $3.3 million in funding, $1.25 of which would be put in a fund used only for immediate services needs. Many speakers during …
Anoneemous
12:09 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013
With an Obama economy that is barely growing enough to keep up with population growth, and a Fairfax County government that can't stop growing bigger and bigger, Fairfax County will eventually loose it's attraction to businesses. Higher and higher taxes will discourage job growth. Fairfax County residents have to adjust to a low and slow growth economy, so why doesn't Fairfax County government? … more ›