City Council Adopts Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
On Tuesday, May 6, Fairfax City Council approved the budget for FY 2026 and Capital Improvement Program for FY 2026-2030.
The city council worked diligently to minimize the impact on city residents and businesses due to many factors outside the city’s direct control, including economic uncertainty due to recent federal government decisions, federal workforce reduction that affected city households, and an unprecedented increase in the cost of school tuition.
The total approved FY 2026 budget for all city funds — General, Capital Projects, Old Town Service District, Transportation Tax, Cable, Wastewater, Stormwater Utility, Transit, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds — is $290.2M, a 10% increase from the corresponding FY 2025 amount.
The adopted FY 2026 General Fund budget is $198.6M, an increase of 9.9% from the current fiscal year. It maintained the city’s 17.7% unassigned general fund balance, exceeding the minimum policy requirement and providing additional support to the city’s AAA bond rating.
This budget fully funds the city school tuition contract at $71.4M, an increase of 21.4%, or $12.6M, from the previous year.
The city council set the real estate tax rate at $1.055, an increase of $.025 from the previous budget, which, when incorporating appreciation of assessed value, translates to an average increase of $959 per household. Additionally, the stormwater and wastewater rates each increased by 6% in the FY 2026 budget, which supports the utility infrastructure and services.
The meals tax remains unchanged at 4%.
Read more.
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U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Brass Quintet, May 9
The USAF Band: Ceremonial Brass will perform a wide variety of music from solo and duo performances to tunes incorporating the whole quintet at 8 p.m. on May 9 at the Sherwood Center.
All Bonita Lestina Old Town Performance Series events are free to attend.
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Faces of Fairfax City Features Jinson Chan of High Side
 This episode of Faces of Fairfax City features Jinson Chan, founder and co-owner of High Side, a Fairfax City favorite known for its Asian street food and rotating beer list. Chan is also an active member of the community who seeks to make the city more culture-forward through efforts like the Asian Festival on Main and Tiny Music Fest in Old Town Fairfax City. Tap the image to watch.
Removing Flowering Pear Trees Along Pickett Road
Twenty-five flowering pear trees will be removed from the Pickett Road median starting the week of May 5. Flowering pear trees are classified as non-native invasive species. They are vulnerable to pests and diseases. The trees are in poor condition and pose safety risks to traffic. All trees will be replaced with native species.
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Council Reporter for the May 6 Special Meeting
 Pictured from left to right: Mayor Catherine Read and City Councilmembers Anthony Amos, Billy Bates, Stacy Hall, Stacey Hardy-Chandler, Rachel McQuillen, and Thomas Peterson.
The Council Reporter for the May 6 special meeting includes video segments linked to agenda items. View the Reporter. A summary is provided below.
FY 2026 Budget Adoption
Approved, unanimously*, to adopt the General Fund, Capital Fund, Wastewater Fund, Stormwater Utility Fund, Cable Grant Fund, Old Town Service District Fund, Transit Fund, Transportation Tax Fund and ARPA Fund FY 2026 Budgets, as presented by the city manager, together with the proposed FY 2026 Schedule of Rates and Levies, the FY 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Program, the FY 2026 health benefit contribution rates, a 2% merit increase effective Jan. 1, 2026, for eligible general scale employees, and the programmed annual step increase for public safety employees who were moved to the step system.
*The motion had previously been amended 4-3 to incorporate all changes included in the budget change document. (Councilmembers Hall, McQuillen, and Peterson opposed.)
Approved, unanimously:
- Set the real estate tax rate effective as of Jan.1, 2025, at $1.055 per $100 of assessed value
- Set the personal property and machinery and tools tax rate effective as of Jan. 1, 2025, at $4.13 per $100 assessed valuation based upon the assessment ratio of 100% of fair market value
- Set the personal property tax rate effective as of Jan. 1, 2025, at $.01 per $100 assessed valuation for those members of volunteer fire departments or volunteer rescue squads qualifying under the city code.
- Amended and readopted Chapter 90 of the City Code, pertaining to classification and taxation of property zoned for commercial and industrial purposes; established a separate tax rate of $0.125 per on such property effective Jan. 1, 2025. Revenue would be used exclusively for transportation purposes that benefit the city.
- Increase the wastewater utility rate by 6% for FY 2026.
- Set the stormwater utility rate at $34.30 per billing unit, a 6% increase.
- No change was made to the meals tax (4%).
- Approved the appropriation resolutions for the general, capital, wastewater, transit, stormwater utility, cable, old town, transportation tax, debt service, and ARPA funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, reflecting all changes approved as part of the FY 2026 budget adoption.
A city council meeting is slated for 7 p.m. May 13. View the agenda (subject to change).
Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday nights in City Hall. Watch meetings live on Channel 12 (COX/Verizon) and online, or catch a replay at 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Spotlight on the Arts: Tap to Purchase Tickets for "The Bad Girls of Western Lit"
Share Your Best Tree Snaps (tap image for details)
Attend the Zoning Ordinance Open House, May 14
The city is reviewing and updating the zoning ordinance to better align with the Small Area Plans. The team has developed a list of options based on research and engagement - and we need your input.
Attend an open house any time between 2-8 p.m. on May 14 at City Hall. Learn about the proposed options and share your thoughts on how the city should move forward. A brief presentation will be given at 6 p.m.
Visit the Engage page to learn more about the project, view relevant documents, and subscribe to the email list for updates. If you have any questions, please feel free to either post to Engage or reach out to Amy Lynne Denny directly at amylynne.denny@fairfaxva.gov.
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 Live Music. Food Trucks. Beer Garden.
May-October. Old Town Square. 6:30-9:30 p.m.
The 2025 Solarize Virginia Campaign Runs Through July 15
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