Stadium Bathrooms, Hiring Incentives In Fairfax County Carryover Budget Approval

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A carryover budget was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, allocating unspent revenue from the fiscal year that ended on June 30.

For the $199.61 million in carryover funds from the county's general fund, county staff recommended allocations for $190.05 million of the funding and left $9.56 million for the Board of Supervisors' discretion. According to a previous county government news release, this year's funds resulted from management of agency spending, staff vacancies and higher revenues than anticipated.

The $9.56 million left to the board's discretion was spent on an additional $2.058 million as a reserve for hiring incentives and $7.5 million to add bathrooms to 15 high school stadiums.

The $2.058 million for hiring incentives was included in addition to $2.58 million already allocated in the carryover budget for employee retention and recruitment. In September, the Board of Supervisors approved a board matter to allow the county executive to give bonuses up to $15,000 for hiring critical county positions. These bonuses are focused on hiring positions that have been difficult to fill, including police officers and mental health treatment staff.

The $7.5 million will fund bathrooms for high schools that do not currently have permanent bathrooms and use port-a-potties. The cost of each bathroom facility is expected to range from $800,000 and $1.2 million, and the cost will be shared between the county and Fairfax County Public Schools.

The funding results from a board matter introduced by Chairman Jeff McKay and approved in May. The impacted high schools are Annandale High School, Chantilly High School, Edison High School, Hayfield Secondary School, Justice High School, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Lewis High School, Marshall High School, McLean High School, Mount Vernon High School, Robinson Secondary School, South Lakes High School, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, West Potomac High School and Woodson High School.

Other use of carryover funds includes contributions to reserves and capital funds and requirements identified in the adopted fiscal year 2023 budget. There was $25.21 million set aside for a pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements capital fund.

Some other funding highlights include:

• $0.34 million to increase election officer stipends for the first time since 2013
• $6.5 million to support energy initiatives
• $2 million to support electric vehicles and charging stations at county facilities
• $1.82 million for the fourth year of the five-year conversion to LED street lights
• $3.5 million for an expanded child care center at the Original Mount Vernon High School redevelopment project
• $2.5 million to establish Tysons Anchor Organization, a new community nonprofit to support Tysons as an urban center
• $3.52 million to account for anticipated cost increases from the county's electricity and natural gas providers
• $1.24 million for contract rate increase costs for Fastran transportation
• $15 million for construction escalation reserve to factor in inflation and supply chain disruptions affecting costs of projects
• $5 million to help with increasing costs of Fairfax County Park Authority projects, expedite projects underway and relieve pressure on the park bond program
• $0.38 million for replacement of capital equipment for construction and maintenance tasks in the park system
• $0.18 million for invasive species clean up and construction of a picnic shelter at Justice Park in the Seven Corners/Bailey's Crossroads area
• $4.80 million to support the demolition of the two 1950s Historic Courthouse wings and for masonry repairs
• $3 million for design of Hybla Valley Community Center project
• $1.93 million and 27 full-time equivalent new positions to fully staff the South County Animal Shelter in Lorton, expected to open in May 2023
• $1.51 million to support the Patrick Henry Family Shelter reconstruction in the Seven Corners area with construction expected to begin in fall 2023
• $1 million for Tysons Community Center project
• $0.75 million for historic preservation and renovations for adaptive reuse of two buildings at the Workhouse Campus in Lorton
• $0.25 million to support construction and build-out costs for leased facility that will host Center Without Walls in Springfield, which will have health and wellness activities for older adults
• $10.73 million for IT project funding
• $0.10 million each for employee commuter benefits and tuition assistance program