FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City received an invoice Friday from the Virginia Department of Transportation requesting repayment of $3.5 million in concessionaire funding the city owes after canceling the George Snyder Trail project in January.
Payment must be made by July 1, 2027.
The city council officially terminated the controversial George Snyder Trail project, leaving the city facing a $3.5 million repayment to state transportation officials.
The project’s collapse followed two pivotal votes. The council first deadlocked 3-3 on a supplemental appropriation of $4.6 million in grant funding intended to complete the trail. Councilmembers Anthony Amos, Billy Bates, and Stacey Hardy-Chandler voted in favor of the funding, while Councilmembers Stacy Hall, Rachel McQuillen, and Tom Peterson voted in opposition.
Mayor Catherine Read was prohibited from breaking the tie. Under the city charter and Virginia state law, the mayor lacks the authority to cast a deciding vote on matters involving the appropriation of more than $500, the borrowing of money, or the levying of taxes.
Following the failed funding vote, the council moved to amend its agenda, removing a resolution that would have awarded a construction contract to Fort Myer Construction Corporation.
The council then voted 4-2 to formally terminate the project. Councilmembers Hall, McQuillen, Peterson, and Bates voted to cancel the trail, while Councilmembers Hardy-Chandler and Amos voted in opposition.
Although the city council knew of the $3.5 million invoice on Friday, the letter's text had not been released to the public as of midday Thursday.
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However, during Tuesday night's city council meeting, Mayor Read referred to the $3.5 million repayment as part of the FY2027 budget discussion.
"We had encumbered funds in anticipation of a repayment to VDOT out of the unassigned fund balance for this year, I believe," she said. "But now that we've actually gotten the bill from VDOT for the repayment, there is a plan, I believe that is going to be explored about how to repay that."
The final "official" public hearing on the FY2027 budget took place on Tuesday, but the public has two other opportunities to provide feedback on the proposed budget.
From 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, the city is hosting a community engagement event at City Hall or via Zoom. The meeting can also be watched live on Channel 12 (Cox/Verizon) or fairfaxva.gov. The event will be recorded and available to view afterward.
"I bring this up because we have the budget event on April 16, and I think we need to explain how the $3.5 million is going to be paid back, and the fact that we had encumbered, but not actually allocated that money from the assigned fund balance," Read said.
At its meeting on April 28, the City Council will vote on a number of projects to finalize the budget before the final vote is taken on May 5.
"There's now a different plan, and I just think it's important before we get to April 28 for people to understand what that plan is for the FY27 and potentially the FY28 budget," Read said.
Documentation regarding the demand for repayment remains under scrutiny and city staff is currently working on different payback scenarios.
On Wednesday night, Patch filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the city to obtain a copy of the letter from VDOT.
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