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Proposed 2027 County Budget — Administrative Savings Overview

On behalf of Citizens For Great Falls, the chart depicted below was submitted to Dranesville Supervisor James Bierman and Fairfax County School Board Representative Robin Lady, on March 22 2026, outlining a series of budget recommendations for their consideration. The chart illustrates approximately $30 million in potential administrative savings identified across Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and general county operations.

 

Our recommendations emphasize FCPS central administration, contracted services, and internal operational efficiencies — and are specifically structured to avoid any impact on classroom instruction, school-based staffing, or countywide public safety services.

These figures represent constructive, community-oriented savings targets aimed at supporting responsible budgeting while preserving the services Fairfax County residents value most.

Citizens For Great Falls – FY 2027 Budget Reductions
Citizens For Great Falls

FY 2027 FCPS / County Budget
Targeted Reductions Justification Sheet

Proposed savings aligned with FY 2027 FCPS / County budget rationale
Item What We Propose How It Aligns with FY 2027 Budget Rationale
1. FCPS Vacant Central Office Positions $7M Freeze nonessential central office vacancies and permanently eliminate long-unfilled administrative positions; reassign duties within existing teams where feasible. Brings the budget in line with actual staffing levels and mirrors County and FCPS emphasis on "efforts toward greater efficiency" and limiting new resource requests, achieving savings without reducing current services or classroom staffing.
2. FCPS Nonessential Consultant Contracts $6M Scale back or cancel non-mandated consultant contracts in professional development, strategic planning, communications, curriculum consulting, and IT modernization; shift appropriate work to internal staff. Targets a known cost driver—contractual and professional services—while following the FY 2027 direction to implement agency-level savings that offset required increases, protect classroom instruction, and build internal capacity instead of relying on recurring consultant spend.
3. FCPS Software & Licensing Consolidation $4M Eliminate redundant or underutilized HR, analytics, workflow, and training platforms; consolidate licenses and negotiate enterprise pricing; delay noncritical upgrades 12–24 months. Responds to ongoing IT operating cost pressure by focusing on consolidation and smarter procurement, consistent with County and FCPS efforts to manage license and support costs while preserving essential instructional and information security systems.
4. FCPS Administrative Facilities & Leases $3M Reduce leased administrative office space through consolidation and expanded telework; pursue energy-efficiency improvements and right-size office footprints. Aligns with the County's broader push to rebalance facilities spending toward capital renewal and maintenance, shifting dollars from dispersed administrative overhead to higher-priority needs without affecting classroom space.
5. FCPS Training, Travel & Internal Programs $2M Limit central office travel and conferences; shift professional development to virtual or in-house formats; pause nonessential pilot initiatives. Uses the same first-line savings tools the County is applying (reductions in travel, training, and discretionary programs) to generate modest, targeted reductions that protect school-based training required by law or contract and maintain direct services to students.
6. Countywide Consultant Reductions (Non-FCPS) $5M Freeze new consultant contracts in non-public-safety agencies and reduce the scope of existing planning, analysis, and communications engagements; prioritize internal capacity. Supports the County Executive's strategy to implement a sizable reduction package while keeping the tax rate flat, by focusing cuts on back-office consulting rather than on core public safety or human services, and moderating overall budget growth.
7. County Administrative Overhead (Non-FCPS) $3M Reduce administrative travel, training, internal program budgets, and noncritical technology upgrades; freeze nonessential hiring in non-public-safety departments. Extends the County's documented approach of trimming administrative overhead (printing, equipment, training, personnel savings based on actuals) to realize savings with minimal service impact, helping balance the budget and prioritize high-impact programs.
8. Montessori Pilot at Great Falls ES – Transparency Request Transparency Seek clarity on site selection (including whether Title I schools were considered), long-term local funding after grant expiration, impacts on existing resources, and success metrics; request ongoing community input. Reflects FCPS and County commitments to transparency, equity, and data-driven decision-making by ensuring a partially grant-funded initiative is evaluated against clear criteria, equity goals, and budgetary tradeoffs in a year when both FCPS and the County face structural pressures.
Total Proposed Reductions (Items 1–7) $30,000,000

Citizens For Great Falls is actively engaged on the issues that matter most to our community.

See some of our latest actions below:

CFGF Testimony and Correspondence
Citizens For Great Falls

Testimony & Correspondence

Citizens For Great Falls is working on your behalf — engaging leaders and officials on the issues that shape life in Great Falls. Read about our recent efforts below.
Dec. 3, 2025
TestimonySupport for Lift Me Up! Special Permit application.
Jan. 7, 2026
TestimonyChallenging a zoning determination on pickleball in a front yard.
Jul. 15, 2025
CorrespondenceTo County Planning Commission — six specific requests to amend the proposed Zoning Ordinance on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to improve safety and protect adjacent residential property owners from insurance rate impacts.
Oct. 15, 2025
CorrespondenceTo County Planning Commission — objecting to a draft Zoning Ordinance Amendment on Electrical Substations, citing noise, visual impact, and safety concerns for nearby residential areas.
Oct. 30, 2025
CorrespondenceTo School Board Rep. Robyn Lady — concerns and recommendations regarding the ongoing school boundary review process.
Jan. 12, 2026
CorrespondencePreliminary endorsement of the residential development plan for Castleton Hills (former site of Wolftrap Nursery).
Apr. 3, 2025
CorrespondenceTo Supervisor Bierman — documenting the overnight tanker truck accident in which more than 2,000 gallons of hazardous material were discharged on Leigh Mill Road, and urging action on the safety risks posed by tractor trailers hauling hazardous cargo through Great Falls.
Apr. 10, 2025
EmailTo Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality — requesting a formal investigation of the April 3 HazMat incident on Leigh Mill Road and assistance for homeowners in testing private wells that may have been placed at risk.

The No Fairfax Casino Coalition has produced a series of videos Fact-checking statements made by Senator Surovell, in promoting the benefits of his Senate Bill 756, which would authorize a casino in Fairfax County. That Bill is now advancing through Virginia's Senate Committees. View the six videos in the series below:

Fact-checking Video #1
Fact-checking Video #2
Fact-checking Video #3
Fact-checking Video #4
Fact-checking Video #5
Fact-checking Video #6

CFGF Comments on the Latest School Boundary Policy Change Process. 
Read the White Paper at: CFGF White Paper on School Boundary Policy Changes- Call For Action, Jan 15, 2026

Recent Articles
Recent Articles

Our Top Line Initiatives

  • The School Board launched a boundary redistricting review project to address such topics as balancing enrollment and capacity in schools; improving travel times for students; examining split-feeder patterns, where some students move on to one middle or high school and some to another; and ensuring equitable access to programming.


  • Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid proposed three scenarios that were developed by the staff and its consultant and not the members of the Boundary Review Advisory Committee (BRAC). 


  • Many community members and parents remain concerned over a lack of transparency associated with the policymaking process followed by the School Board and Administration.  


  • The role of the BRAC appears to have been marginalized.


  • Overarching concerns remain over the reliability and integrity of the data underpinning policy choices being made by the Board and the Superintendent.


  • Fairfax County has proposed a new approach to trash and recycling that they claim will improve service, reduce costs, and make neighborhoods cleaner and safer.


  • The County intends to manage contracts directly, starting in 2030. This county-run system is called the Unified Sanitation District (USD) model. Under the Unified Sanitation District, the County would not provide direct service but would contract that service to private collectors. The USD would manage waste collection for all single-family homes and assume all contractual responsibilities, as well as billing and price regulation.

  • Some issues raised during Town Halls and in the media suggest the proposal would adversely impact small businesses, eliminate choices for homeowners, and involve additional fees and taxes. Additionally, some have expressed concern that the customized services some currently receive will go away.


  • A hearing will be conducted on October 14, 2025.



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  • Aggression on the roads is rampant in Virginia. Virginia still ranks in the top 10 states for the most speeding tickets in 2024 and Virginia is the only East Coast state in the top 10, with 6.6% of drivers reporting speeding tickets on their driving records.


  • Sadly, our state is listed as one of the worst in the nation for confrontational drivers after a recent survey ranks the Commonwealth at number 4. 


  • Speeding and reckless driving are evident on our local roads, and traffic volume is increasing. Transportation safety on our roads will benefit from automated enforcement, emphasis on reducing and enforcing speed limits by law enforcement authorities.


  • Against this backdrop, the state transportation agency is poised to expand our community's remaining one-lane bridges, an action that will likely induce more cut-through and commuter traffic connected to Route 7's growing congestion.
  • Casino authorization - At this point, another casino bill will likely be introduced during the 2026 session. Senate and House leadership, casino interests, and the developer planning to build a casino on one of his Tysons properties have shown no interest in withdrawing plans.

  • Groundwater management – With more than 12,000 private water wells in Fairfax County providing drinking water to households not served by public water systems, protecting and monitoring groundwater is crucial.


  • Other topics for further analysis include new standards for high-energy facilities like data centers, expanding authority for localities to implement automated speed enforcement, reinforcing local zoning autonomy, and regulating the maximum speed of eBikes on public roads.


  • If you are interested in working to develop ideas for legislative proposals or to track the progress of bills as they are dropped into the hopper, beginning with the pre-filing period, please contact Citizens For Great Falls.








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  • Local Issues and Concerns - There are many issues of concern beyond those we have listed here that can affect your interests, e.g., stormwater runoff, flooding, zoning violations, tree and roadway maintenance by VDOT, crosswalks, traffic signalization and timing, safeguarding the historic and scenic Georgetown Pike, safety enforcement of heavy trucks and oversized vehicles, and occasional matters of public safety. Please let us know your concern and how you would like to become more involved in the effort.


  • The State Legislative Process - Once it begins, the process moves quickly and it requires almost daily monitoring to track legislation as it moves through the committee process.


  • We anticipate that there may be opportunities to travel to Richmond to participate in committee hearings process and in submitting comments and/or testimony. Prefiling for state legislation begins Monday, November 17, 2025. Your engagement is important. Send your issues and concerns.

Welcome to Citizens For Great Falls!

CFGF is non-profit, non-partisan, community-based member-driven organization. 
Our goal is to raise community awareness by active
involvement with residents, stakeholders, and elected officials
and to advocate for outcomes that benefit the community
in matters impacting:

School Boundary Policies

Redistricting and its effect on community, families, students
Community engagement 

Land Use & Development

Zoning enforcement and regulation
In-fill Development
Density

County-wide initiatives

One Fairfax
Effective and efficient Government
Zero Waste

Comprehensive Planning Process

Policy Plan revisions and impact on communities 
Major and minor Plan Amendments
Plan Amendments and effect on density, neighborhood character, resources

Transportation Safety

Transportation Priorities Plan
Fair share for Dranesville District
Reductions in speeding and unsafe operation
Traffic calming

Pedestrian Safety

Enhanced Crosswalks
Installation of Signage - "Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalks", per VA code

Threats to the Environment

Increased flooding due to increased rainfall
Stormwater runoff
Loss of tree canopy, due to development, invasive plants, disease
Chesapeake Bay/Potomac Watershed Protections
Air and water quality


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