FY 2026 Budget
approvedStatus set at City Council Special Meeting on May 6, 2025 · ▶ watch the moment
- Proposed
- Under reviewMar 11, 2025
- approvedMay 6, 2025
Summary
The City of Fairfax FY 2026 Budget covers all city funds, the FY 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Program, and the establishment of real estate and personal property tax rates for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. City Manager Bryan Foster first presented the proposed budget on February 25, 2025, highlighting strategic goals, the CIP, City School Board tuition funding, and bond referendum renovations. A joint work session with the School Board was held on March 4, 2025, followed by a series of public hearings opened on March 11 and kept open through April 8, 2025, during which residents testified on topics including public safety funding, a proposed real estate tax increase, a meals tax increase, arts funding, and trail/infrastructure spending. After multiple work sessions and a final public hearing on April 8, the Council held a Special Meeting on May 6, 2025, where a motion to defer to May 13 and three substantive amendments all failed on 3–4 votes before the full budget was adopted unanimously 6-0. The adopted budget incorporated the Budget Change Document (passed 4-3), set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value and personal property/machinery and tools tax at $4.13 per $100, included a 2.0% merit increase and full pay study implementation, the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion in the CIP, and appropriated all ten fund resolutions (R-25-10 through R-25-19) unanimously 6-0.
What members have said
On May 6, 2025, Peterson requested big-picture clarification on budget procedures for the benefit of residents watching and those who had contacted him. Peterson voted yes on the failed deferral motion and all three failed amendments (lower tax rate at $1.75, deferring Willard-Sherwood expansion, and splitting the pay study 50/50 over two years), but ultimately voted yes on the final adopted budget and tax rates.
McQuillen voted yes on the failed motion to defer to May 13 and yes on all three failed amendments (lower real estate tax rate, deferring Willard-Sherwood, and splitting the pay study), but voted no on incorporating the Budget Change Document. McQuillen ultimately voted yes on the final adopted budget and tax rates.
Hall voted yes on the failed deferral motion and all three failed amendments, and voted no on incorporating the Budget Change Document, but ultimately voted yes on the final adopted budget and tax rates.
Read voted no on the deferral motion and moved or supported incorporation of the Budget Change Document (voted yes on that amendment, which passed 4-3).
Bates voted no on the deferral motion and all three failed amendments, and voted yes on incorporating the Budget Change Document. Bates voted yes on the final adopted budget and tax rates.
Hardy-Chandler voted no on the deferral motion and all three failed amendments, and voted yes on incorporating the Budget Change Document. Hardy-Chandler voted yes on the final adopted budget and tax rates.
Amos voted no on the deferral motion and all three failed amendments, and voted yes on incorporating the Budget Change Document. Amos participated remotely (noted as not visible on screen) and voted yes on the final adopted budget and tax rates.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[4c] City Manager Bryan Foster presented the proposed FY2026 budget, highlighting key initiatives including strategic goals, the FY26–FY30 Capital Improvements Program, and funding for the City School Board's tuition request and bond referendum renovations.
[1a] The City Council and School Board held a joint discussion on the proposed FY26 budget, with a presentation delivered by Schools staff. [1c] The City Council held a standalone discussion on the proposed FY26 budget during the work session; no formal action was taken.
[7a] Public hearing on the proposed FY26 budget was opened with no council action; the hearing was left open until April 8, 2025. [10b] The proposed FY26 budget was discussed during the work session; no formal action was taken at this stage.
[7b] Public hearing opened on the proposed FY26 budget; the hearing was left open until April 8, 2025, with no Council action taken at this meeting. [11a] Council held a work session to discuss the proposed FY26 budget in detail; no formal action was taken.
[1a] The proposed FY26 budget was presented and discussed during the work session. No formal action or vote was recorded.
[5c] Public hearing held with testimony from numerous residents and stakeholders on topics including public safety funding, real estate tax increase, meals tax, arts funding, and trail/infrastructure spending. No Council action taken; budget adoption scheduled for May 6, 2025. [10b] Council held a work session discussion on the proposed FY26 budget; no formal action taken at this session.
[10b] Council discussed the proposed FY26 budget during the work session. No formal action was taken at this meeting; budget-related public hearings and adoption are scheduled for May 6, 2025.
[3e] The FY 2026 Budget, including all sub-funds, was adopted unanimously 6-0 after multiple failed amendments; the Budget Change Document was incorporated 4-3.
failedMotion to defer consideration and appropriation of the FY 2026 budget to a date certain of May 13, 2025.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Read✕ Bates✕ Hardy-Chandler✕ AmosfailedAmendment to set the real estate tax rate at $1.75 (resulting in reductions of approximately $500,000 for pay study implementation, $188,000 for merit increase, and ~$100,000 in nonprofit funding).✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerfailedAmendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerfailedAmendment to implement 50% of the pay study in FY 2026 and 50% in FY 2027.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerpassedAmendment to incorporate all changes included in the Budget Change Document (Attachment I, previously published) into the main budget motion.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ Hall✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonfailedMotion to set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery and tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate at $0.01 per $100 for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members, effective January 1, 2025 (first vote).✓ Bates✓ Amos✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ Hall✕ PetersonpassedMotion to set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery and tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate at $0.01 per $100 for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members, effective January 1, 2025 (second vote).✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedMain motion to adopt the FY 2026 Budget (all funds), FY 2026 Schedule of Rates and Levies, FY 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Program, FY 2026 health benefit contribution rates, 2.0% merit increase effective January 1, 2026 for eligible general scale employees, and programmed annual step increase for public safety employees, as amended by the Budget Change Document.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedMotion to approve appropriation resolutions R-25-10 (General), R-25-11 (Capital), R-25-12 (Wastewater), R-25-13 (Transit), R-25-14 (Stormwater Utility), R-25-15 (Cable), R-25-16 (Old Town), R-25-17 (Transportation Tax), R-25-18 (ARPA), and R-25-19 (Debt Service) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
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