Fairfax County may close a nature center!

[Anonymous]

I am a developer. Anyone know which nature center we are talking about here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a developer. Anyone know which nature center we are talking about here?

As far as I am aware there are only 3 options: Huntley Meadows, Hidden Pond, and Hidden Oaks. There are also some historic sites that may be on the chopping block to close.

Where is this budget shortfall coming from is my question. Voters always seem to approve the parks bonds, and our real estate taxes have only gone up. We’re not in some kind of massive, 2009-style recession where tax revenues are plummeting. What’s going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are they supposed to make up the funds? Are you willing to pay more in real estate taxes? Have your services cut in some other way?

Obviously. You’re what is wrong with this country, BTW.

Did I say what my preference was? No. I just asked a question to point out that trade-offs were real. You can't just have low taxes and fund everything and not borrow a cent. Economics don't work that way.

Nobody said anything about low taxes except you, dummy. You’re not illuminating anything to anyone here.

[Anonymous]

FCPS needs to increase funding for the schools. I'm fine without a nature center if it means we have good schools.

[Anonymous]

It’s the commercial real estate. Fairfax County is predicting a shortfall in revenue due to poor performance in commercial real estate.

Also, emailing the parkmail address is just telling the parks you don’t want cuts that they don’t want either. Tell your board/board member your budget priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a developer. Anyone know which nature center we are talking about here?

As far as I am aware there are only 3 options: Huntley Meadows, Hidden Pond, and Hidden Oaks. There are also some historic sites that may be on the chopping block to close.

Where is this budget shortfall coming from is my question. Voters always seem to approve the parks bonds, and our real estate taxes have only gone up. We’re not in some kind of massive, 2009-style recession where tax revenues are plummeting. What’s going on?

I thought we had excess revenue this year: https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/08/08/fairfax-county-executive-unveils-proposal-for-260-million-budget-surplus/

I can only assume the issue is futur eyears?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are they supposed to make up the funds? Are you willing to pay more in real estate taxes? Have your services cut in some other way?

Obviously. You’re what is wrong with this country, BTW.

Did I say what my preference was? No. I just asked a question to point out that trade-offs were real. You can't just have low taxes and fund everything and not borrow a cent. Economics don't work that way.

Nobody said anything about low taxes except you, dummy. You’re not illuminating anything to anyone here.

And yet when the real estate taxes go up by a percentage point people flip out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a developer. Anyone know which nature center we are talking about here?

As far as I am aware there are only 3 options: Huntley Meadows, Hidden Pond, and Hidden Oaks. There are also some historic sites that may be on the chopping block to close.

Where is this budget shortfall coming from is my question. Voters always seem to approve the parks bonds, and our real estate taxes have only gone up. We’re not in some kind of massive, 2009-style recession where tax revenues are plummeting. What’s going on?

I thought Fairfax County was in a uniquely weird situation in northern Virginia where the amount of tax income we get from commercial real estate is a prime driver of our county budget but we don't get as much as Arlington or something strange like that? The budget town halls the supervisors have always explain it and I'm garbling what I remember.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s the commercial real estate. Fairfax County is predicting a shortfall in revenue due to poor performance in commercial real estate.

Also, emailing the parkmail address is just telling the parks you don’t want cuts that they don’t want either. Tell your board/board member your budget priorities.

Yes, I agree the Park Authority doesn't want them either but the more emails the more ammunition that gives them in front of the board of supervisors. They also may change their proposal within their budget cuts list, as they've already done for the summer concert series.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a developer. Anyone know which nature center we are talking about here?

As far as I am aware there are only 3 options: Huntley Meadows, Hidden Pond, and Hidden Oaks. There are also some historic sites that may be on the chopping block to close.

Where is this budget shortfall coming from is my question. Voters always seem to approve the parks bonds, and our real estate taxes have only gone up. We’re not in some kind of massive, 2009-style recession where tax revenues are plummeting. What’s going on?

What about Ellanor C Lawrence?

[Anonymous]

That’s not excess revenue- it is a tiny portion of the full budget (about 2%) that means fairfax did a great job with its budgeting and didn’t run out of money.

As for budget cuts, commercial real estate revenues have declined. They raised real estate taxes last year and made budget cuts. They need to make more cuts this year. They’re looking at additional taxes that they have the power to do (they don’t have a lot of revenue raising tax options), like a meals tax, and the same Great American Restaurant group that killed the meals tax last time is already agitating against it.

If you don’t want a nature center cut, OP, become a vocal supporter of the meals tax and hotels tax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s not excess revenue- it is a tiny portion of the full budget (about 2%) that means fairfax did a great job with its budgeting and didn’t run out of money.

As for budget cuts, commercial real estate revenues have declined. They raised real estate taxes last year and made budget cuts. They need to make more cuts this year. They’re looking at additional taxes that they have the power to do (they don’t have a lot of revenue raising tax options), like a meals tax, and the same Great American Restaurant group that killed the meals tax last time is already agitating against it.

If you don’t want a nature center cut, OP, become a vocal supporter of the meals tax and hotels tax.

Can you clarify? I thought the public already approved the meals tax, but I might be mistaken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s not excess revenue- it is a tiny portion of the full budget (about 2%) that means fairfax did a great job with its budgeting and didn’t run out of money.

As for budget cuts, commercial real estate revenues have declined. They raised real estate taxes last year and made budget cuts. They need to make more cuts this year. They’re looking at additional taxes that they have the power to do (they don’t have a lot of revenue raising tax options), like a meals tax, and the same Great American Restaurant group that killed the meals tax last time is already agitating against it.

If you don’t want a nature center cut, OP, become a vocal supporter of the meals tax and hotels tax.

Can you clarify? I thought the public already approved the meals tax, but I might be mistaken.

You are mistaken, they voted down the meals tax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s not excess revenue- it is a tiny portion of the full budget (about 2%) that means fairfax did a great job with its budgeting and didn’t run out of money.

As for budget cuts, commercial real estate revenues have declined. They raised real estate taxes last year and made budget cuts. They need to make more cuts this year. They’re looking at additional taxes that they have the power to do (they don’t have a lot of revenue raising tax options), like a meals tax, and the same Great American Restaurant group that killed the meals tax last time is already agitating against it.

If you don’t want a nature center cut, OP, become a vocal supporter of the meals tax and hotels tax.

or the council could prioritize things tax payers care about instead of spending money to attract people who will never pay taxes

[Anonymous]

I always thought a meals tax (which the BoS is free to institute on their own now without a public vote …) was going to be used for school funding exclusively? Can anyone clarify?