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Read the latest Blog Post by CFGF Board Member Peter Falcone on Resource Protection Areas (RPAs), the vital buffers that help safeguard waterways and stream beds in our community from the impacts of development, and the effects of the county's development approval process.  Click on BLOGS above to read the whole post.

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  |  FY 2027 Budget Advocacy  |  Great Falls, Virginia

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.
Public Testimony
Dec. 3, 2025
TestimonySupport for Lift Me Up! Special Permit application.
Jan. 7, 2026
TestimonyChallenging a zoning determination on pickleball in a front yard.
Correspondence & Letters
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).
Regulatory & Agency Outreach
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.
Citizens For Great Falls  |  Advocacy & Community Engagement  |  Great Falls, Virginia

News / Articles

Trash Haulers Update on Arlington County USD program

Peter Falcone | Published on 8/21/2025

The Fairfax County Chapter of the National Waste & Recyclers Association has provided the following:
🛑 FAIRFAX COUNTY RESIDENTS: A CAUTIONARY TALE

Fairfax County is considering a Unified Sanitation District (USD) — a plan to centralize trash collection under a single county-managed contract.
It promises cost savings and streamlined service.
But what happens when the lowest bidder wins?

County leaders have repeatedly pointed to Arlington’s USD system as a model — calling it “efficient” and “affordable.”
But the reality tells a very different story.

🚨 What Went Wrong in Arlington?

In August 2025, Arlington hired a new hauler to serve 33,000 homes.
Within days, the system began to collapse:

  • ❌ Hundreds of missed pickups every day
  • 🗑️ Trash piling up for days in neighborhoods
  • 📞 Customer service overwhelmed — hold times reached 86 minutes
  • 🚛 County inspectors and trucks deployed to help finish routes
  • 💸 Financial penalties issued just to get basic service restored

“We’re still staring at full trash bins and piles of rotting garbage bags…”
— Arlington resident, ARLnow

This wasn’t a one-time glitch — it was a system-wide breakdown that left thousands of residents without reliable service for weeks.

⚠️ A Pattern of Fatal Accidents

The same hauler has been involved in multiple deadly incidents:

  • Baltimore (Oct 18, 2024): Dump truck lost control, killed its own driver, hit 4 vehicles & a building
  • Riverdale Park (May 5, 2022): Garbage truck flipped, killing the driver
  • Churchton (Aug 23, 2022): Trash truck overturned, crushing worker Francisco Javier Madero
  • Glen Burnie (Aug 11, 2025): Trash truck struck and killed a bicyclist

Despite this record, the hauler was reawarded a major contract in 2025.

🏘️ What Would This Look Like in Fairfax?

Fairfax County has over 426,000 households — more than 13 times Arlington’s service area.
If similar failure rates occurred here, residents could face:

  • 🚫 1,300 to 4,000 missed pickups every day
  • 🧃 Overflowing waste in every district
  • 🧫 Public health risks and environmental hazards
  • 🆘 Long delays and overwhelmed county resources

✅ The Current System Works

Fairfax’s existing network of local, experienced haulers has delivered reliable, consistent service for decades.
These companies know our neighborhoods, respond quickly to issues, and are directly accountable to the communities they serve.

They’ve built trust through performance — not promises.
And they’re ready to keep delivering the service Fairfax residents expect and deserve.

💬 What Can You Do?

  • 🔗 Visit Choice4FFX.org to learn more and sign the petition
  • 📞 Contact your Supervisor and ask for transparency before any vote on USD
  • 📣 Share this flyer with neighbors and community groups
  • 💪 Support local haulers who know our neighborhoods and care about our safety
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