[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6041440,"mediaKeyId","3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5","parentId",3722711,"title","Falls Church council debates shifting curbside trash from taxes to fee; treasurer warns implementation would be a heavy lift","audioSeconds",110,"startMs",6622000,"endMs",6732000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5&start=6622&end=6732","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5/thumbnail_6622000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6041440/Falls-Church-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Falls-Church-council-debates-shifting-curbside-trash-from-taxes-to-fee-treasurer-warns-implementation-would-be-a-heavy-lift","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6041440-c9efcbe5633c7eeed19fae36aaa2251d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175149&Signature=PZbucFhmb6svtdyhmblxiv~4iKMX4lxQ0NLp~t2CjQfPD1HN5FqFU9GMc0~vBIa6rib~UovVfJ6mR-OGCiPKM1jHqdzQIN4dFwMWHaNtOY2lzTvE-Pa0ywbqaKYJtTl4A1wrFNgF2vJiXxbGYSMJFeAKlAC3ESKs6KBJCtQZRBnqzypUDiJ1a3nAU48PmDj30BwmPR1o3jEymBk5KvyMl4mLpUCc58NPqX8B1E-MjGMBFu07KGKMfcu8~eZRlqpwnHvhyiac91frCF9waixrdwKleqrRy9hlBbfkU4jktgBWtti21q--8fFz4zdzrM86YnTHXChNQppkqYSf~zgPkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Falls Church Government","date","2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","article","City staff and the treasurer’s office laid out competing approaches for financing curbside solid‑waste service at a work session where councilmembers voiced concern about equity for multifamily residents and the timing of a move from tax‑funded service to a fee structure.

City Manager Wyatt Shields presented two options. Option 1 would shift single‑family curbside trash out of the general tax rate and into a fee (staff recommended a flat fee rather than a variable weight‑based fee) and, as part of that move, treat composting as a separately offered program. Under staff modeling discussed in the session, the tax‑rate change associated with pulling the current curbside cost into a fee would be roughly 1.5 cents on the real‑estate tax rate — an amount staff said equates to roughly $950,000 in revenue. Shields and staff proposed a written revenue‑sharing hold‑harmless approach so that the school transfer would not immediately lose revenue as the service is reallocated.

Option 2 would delay adoption of a fee and instead fund a more extensive study of equity, multifamily service models, income‑eligible fee relief and how composting might scale in the city. Several councilmembers said they wanted additional public engagement and more modeling before deciding; others urged moving sooner rather than later while the budget window remains open.

Treasurer Jody Spencer said the city’s billing system vendor (Tyler/Munis) is capable of implementing a fee on the fall tax bill but that the work would be substantial and would require temporary staffing help from finance. “It is feasible, but it will be a very heavy lift,” Spencer said. She and city finance staff said Munis can implement a flat fee by October if the city assigns staff to support the vendor and implementation process.

Council members and staff discussed equity concerns for condo and multifamily residents who currently lack a curbside pickup service yet pay into city taxes that support curbside collection. That concern generated multiple approaches: (a) hold harmless the school transfer while the fee is implemented; (b) study a payment‑in‑lieu or other arrangements for HOAs and multifamily properties; or (c) provide targeted fee relief for income‑eligible households — a relief Shelby staff advised could be accommodated under state law but would require a qualifying ordinance and funding set‑aside.

Composting emerged as a connected question. Staff estimated a per‑household composting program would require upfront bin purchases (staff estimated about $155,000 to buy an initial set of bins) and an incremental subscription fee (staff estimated the compost option would add roughly $22 per household to the modeled fee). Councilmembers proposed phased or opt‑in rollout to limit up‑front cost and match demand.

Why this matters: moving curbside solid‑waste out of the tax rate and into a fee changes who pays and how the service scales. It raises equity questions because condo and multifamily residents do not receive equal curbside service but do contribute via taxes; it also affects the city’s general‑fund revenues and the school transfer calculation.

Council next steps: Staff and the treasurer will refine implementation timelines and work‑load estimates and will present further options and fiscal detail. Councilmembers flagged the city’s budget town hall and recommended broad community outreach prior to committing to a fee model.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Falls Church City Council Work Session April 21st, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Falls Church staff outlined options to move single‑family curbside trash from the tax rate to a fee while holding the school transfer harmless; the treasurer said Munis can implement a flat fee by October but that the change would be a “very heavy lift.”","taxTitle","Falls Church City, Fairfax County, Virginia","taxId",59817,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6041445,"Falls Church lays out $59M transportation CIP, boosts paving and smart‑cities work amid staffing constraints",239,5276000,5515000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5&start=5276&end=5515","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5/thumbnail_5276000.jpg","/articles/6041445/Falls-Church-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Falls-Church-lays-out-59M-transportation-CIP-boosts-paving-and-smartcities-work-amid-staffing-constraints","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6041445-cfa4803c6693e45e232f67afb76e5bab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175149&Signature=Dx0mGEy4RTtf4oBKAiQrfA5-0GVQ4NHw7TsFwBVj6L6luqxXyt~HFovnSsNdAqJs0rBKNiEXuC3smEUr3GwB680phCGAnp-DzXk~d7X-ZcXuESncobH1fhl-WUnKu9PU76auLkh0YaeprT4HhOZWAOgeKmeYtinN8oWZW8BlAVb4fxmD8-iON0ySSmYTKbScYvVpNhpV6b3UTNToqh9JpP6ikc9EyLf6ztNfFBpkFeBUf8uuGzcHhm4jPmECU~9K5wvaK9xQmoJ2DSuFBdnqf4O9JZQ0WIAX3GWDktCUdmydmGJHvioxnYVJoHCqgWRhv7uChJORntEilYIbF~8YKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a transportation portfolio that places infrastructure and pedestrian safety projects at the center of a six‑year CIP and proposed near‑term budget increases to boost pavement work, sidewalk “missing links” and signal and streetlight maintenance.

Public works and planning staff said the transportation component of the capital improvement plan is about $59,000,000 over six years — roughly 40 percent of the city’s CIP — and includes projects both under construction (W&OD crossings, Broad Street HAWK signals) and projects in design or planned (Maple & Annandale roundabout, South Washington bus stop improvements, Fellows Park sidewalks).

To better maintain the existing network, public works proposed increasing the FY26 operating allocation for infrastructure maintenance from roughly $700,000 in FY25 to $1.4 million. The recommended FY26 package also uses $800,000 in capital reserves. Staff said the increase funds more lane‑mile resurfacing (an estimated additional 1.25 lane miles compared with FY25), pavement markings, signal and decorative streetlight maintenance and additional project management and contract engineering support.

“We’re proposing to not spend as much as we have historically on brick sidewalk and crosswalk maintenance,” staff said, and noted an upcoming May 19 presentation to council on proposed changes to streetscape standards intended to lower future maintenance costs for sidewalks and streetscape features.

Staff outlined several delivery and operational items: a new in‑house sign shop that produced about 100 signs last year; recently acquired pavement‑marking equipment; assembly and installation of two rapid‑flashing beacons on North Oak Street (component cost about $87,000); and seven newly installed traffic control cabinets connected to the city’s smart‑cities partnership with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). City staff said the smart‑cities work will provide remote traffic signal monitoring, vehicle detection and near‑miss analysis and that a fuller briefing on the program is scheduled for a June 2 work session.

Neighborhood traffic calming (NTC) continues to be demand‑heavy: staff reported seven active NTC petitions, seven additional petitions in data collection, and planned completion of four to six NTC projects over the next six months. Staff said NTC project timelines vary with neighborhood consensus, engineering complexity and staff workload.

Councilmembers pressed staff on staffing and execution capacity. Public works leaders said the department was carrying roughly 10 vacancies and that increased contract engineering or consultant support would be needed to deliver the expanded paving, sidewalk and NTC workload; staff proposed $200,000 in consultant/project management funding for FY26 to help with throughput.

Why this matters: The city’s transportation agenda contains projects intended to increase walkability, improve safety and respond to a growth in pedestrian and vehicular activity. The budget increases proposed for paving and maintenance are meant to avoid larger, costlier repairs in future years and to accelerate sidewalk and traffic‑safety improvements.

Council next steps: Council members asked for additional detail on the pavement management study that will start when the city completes the spring PCI data collection and asked staff to return with more specific multi‑year cost and prioritization analysis. Staff will present smart‑cities technical details and implementation plans at a June 2 work session.","City staff told council the FY26–FY31 transportation capital improvement program totals roughly $59 million and proposed increases to operating funding for paving, sidewalk missing‑links and streetlight maintenance; staff also described a smart‑cities partnership and local operations upgrades but warned of staffing and capacity limits.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6041449,"Falls Church police outline FY26 budget priorities: accreditation, staffing study and end to two red‑light camera sites",160,1865000,2025000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5&start=1865&end=2025","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5/thumbnail_1865000.jpg","/articles/6041449/Falls-Church-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Falls-Church-police-outline-FY26-budget-priorities-accreditation-staffing-study-and-end-to-two-redlight-camera-sites","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6041449-9ac439c9886ce13d0a4c84e3bfb5eea9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175149&Signature=npj9m0AW1jAT6W0hF2barhfLbasiWex5ljYv0MKEjyjERqT58iJI9DRwZ0XSs8ePPxBQIpX9VuqfWbN3rn4bheFUUA0I25~sID6y484gwIrdoSaNEtO-i9zOni4vVLEQuf24IMwnQ~qZppCBLVBnZKKqi0WncKNeA3aQtXm3hKwxielxzWkU-QBKz4akIM3Lxm0Fk0TOFAa2u2ngVYVvg8grMrWX-T4MNhWd8KKvPxuaAiu4CffAVgFLBU0B4W5tBXvTt9BhcY-ciFroxn9wQ8MGsAlgsaUfj5oBwlu9PIqtsfTJEXP5NYJ7fylMGhjUtRa3BoNBqDcFd9j-ixbsNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief of Police Sharam Ford told the City Council the Falls Church public safety FY26 budget proposal would be roughly $13.5 million and would prioritize accreditation work, updated technology and patrol staffing adjustments.

Ford said the FY26 public safety budget is approximately $13,500,000, a 9.66 percent increase over FY25, and the police department’s share of that total is about $11,800,000 (a 9.24 percent increase). The increases reflect planned investments in personnel, technology and interjurisdictional contracts, Ford said.

On accountability and accreditation, Ford said the department will permanently fund a professional‑standards manager position and continue the three‑year Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) process. “This is an integral to our national accreditation efforts…a key priority for the council, the community and as well for our department,” Ford said. He said the accreditation review will be an open, multiyear process and the department expects a final independent assessment in about 2½–3 years.

Technology and traffic enforcement were major themes. Ford reported that Falls Church’s automated programs — new speed cameras, red‑light cameras and school‑bus stop‑arm cameras — issued nearly 7,500 citations in 2024. He said the police department has completed an evaluation of the city’s photo red‑light program at two Broad Street intersections (Broad & Cherry and Broad & Heindale) and believes the program achieved its safety goals. Because the vendor contract is expiring, Ford said he had recommended to the city manager that the city end the photo red‑light enforcement program and focus enforcement dollars on speed cameras and the school‑bus stop‑arm program.

“Last year council requested that we evaluate the program at the 2 locations…we don't really feel like it still needs to be there. It met its intended goals of reducing crashes at those 2 locations,” Ford told council.

Ford also reported enforcement totals for 2024: 3,331 traffic citations issued — an 18 percent increase over the previous year — and department patrol officers responded to nearly 31,000 calls for service. He said patrol remains the backbone of operations and highlighted investments to replace aging body‑worn cameras and in‑car video systems, upgrade mobile computer terminals, and maintain staffing levels for special events.

On staffing, Ford described continuing shortfalls and asked council for a workload‑based staffing study. He said the department recommended adding four officers to the patrol staffing model to address shift relief but that council approved two of the four last year and one additional position was added for the school resource officer program. Ford said three sworn vacancies existed at the time of the session and that small agencies often assign background investigations and other administrative duties to line officers, which increases overtime and strains capacity.

Ford said a third‑party workload staffing study would be open to public engagement and would examine sworn and support staffing priorities, with particular attention to peak workload periods and officer safety and wellness. The police chief said the department would seek consultant support to complete the study.

Why this matters: The FY26 police budget proposal funds long‑running department priorities — accreditation, equipment replacement, and traffic safety programs — and it signals a policy shift on photo red‑light enforcement at two intersections. Councilmembers asked for additional data on citation volumes at the two red‑light locations and stressed the need to weigh safety outcomes before ending the program.

Council next steps: Ford said he would provide additional crash and citation data for the targeted intersections and the department will pursue the workload staffing study with consultant support and public engagement.","Police Chief Sharam Ford presented a roughly $13.5 million public safety budget proposal for FY26 that funds accreditation work, new professional‑standards staffing, equipment upgrades, and recommends ending the city’s two photo red‑light enforcement sites while continuing speed‑camera and school‑bus stop‑arm programs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6041455,"Falls Church and Arlington County outline staffing, fee changes in proposed Station 6 fire agreement",344,523000,867000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5&start=523&end=867","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3722711-392eef3e8c2de898a4da1ed7bc1e77d5/thumbnail_523000.jpg","/articles/6041455/Falls-Church-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Falls-Church-and-Arlington-County-outline-staffing-fee-changes-in-proposed-Station-6-fire-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6041455-9f767ca08a2b8fa23ef6ac5066b03bb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175149&Signature=YZeLAIXtDc6sXOG2qNWPb4NXktuDVU~LHUayl9B3GGgrlQXuGpjAr2BPyUZ3L~QYGgFyVQmv9WSja5QUjZR4mTZChxEjP6f07ckyt8Rl56tqLhOHm87tyFPmSevtvKSMmycnolwBoPcC6cYYoXO1299L6HlWNTnJfaTVAH6WM3BD46IESgkzuAQxhsgnfVmodcDWTOD-yxiACjbFvDFIo0tFYK8hZCBOzDVTdCzyawABpQabdTQPNv1ooxsd3ycnZCZQyK5lGbLHyWn0onnnt-GRTSXA3Hiscd3W52hxuiS-Ptewwm-C3j-NApA8HN0pqLiCEZJVhcSG~IqPYDmlXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Falls Church city staff and Arlington County officials presented council members with details this week on proposed changes to the long‑standing fire and emergency medical services contract that governs operations at Station 6.

City Manager Wyatt Shields and Arlington County Fire Chief David Pavlitz told the council the principal structural shifts before both jurisdictions would: update the contract to reflect the actual number of personnel assigned to Station 6, share the salary-and-benefit cost of those personnel equally, and cap the city’s retained ambulance-transport revenue at $295,000 with future excess retained by Arlington County.

The updated staffing number would move the contract from its current stated count of 33 positions to 39 personnel assigned to Station 6; the city and county would split the full cost of those 39 positions 50‑50. “For the workforce at Station 6, there’s currently 39 firefighters, medics, and also officers assigned,” Arlington Chief David Pavlitz said. “We dispatch all the entire Northern Virginia region dispatches the closest unit regardless of jurisdiction.”

Shields and Pavlitz described the ambulance‑fee proposal as a mechanism to compensate the county for growth and increased calls that are originating in the city. Under the concept the parties are negotiating, Falls Church would retain ambulance-transport revenue up to a $295,000 cap; revenues above that level would be retained by Arlington County. “We would cap that at that $295,000 level. And in the future, revenues in excess of $295,000 would be retained by Arlington County,” Shields said.

Councilmembers asked how the proposals would affect overtime billing, long‑term facility and apparatus costs, and the term of the agreement. Arlington fiscal officer Meghan Carney said the county uses a percentage-of‑salaries proxy to estimate overtime costs; the parties have discussed increasing the percentage used for billing from 7 percent of salaries to 10 percent in later years, rather than tracking actual overtime dollar‑for‑dollar. Carney said the 7 percent proxy “is 7% of the salaries. It’s not tied to Arlington County Fire Department’s actual overtime costs,” and that the plan for FY26 keeps the 7% level and phases to 10% afterwards.

Both county and city speakers noted larger cost pressures: rising apparatus and equipment costs, supply-chain delays for vehicles, and negotiated changes in shift schedules intended to reduce employee fatigue. Pavlitz pointed out capital cost trends for fire apparatus: “We have million‑dollar fire engines now… They also take 36 to 48 months to build.”

Shields told council staff plan to bring authorization to execute the updated agreement for council consideration in May; at the work session he asked the council to schedule consideration for the May 12 meeting. Several council members pressed staff for more data on call volumes by neighboring jurisdictions, planning assumptions about future growth and how any new labor contract cost increases would be handled in the city’s future budgets.

Why this matters: Falls Church pays for part of Station 6 staffing and capital, and Arlington County provides operational staffing and EMS apparatus. The proposed change would shift known costs to match actual staffing and create a revenue-sharing rule tied to ambulance transports. That recalibration would affect the city’s FY26 and longer-term public‑safety budget assumptions and the county’s compensation for service changes.

Council next steps: City staff said they will return with the contract authorization item at the council’s May meeting and with follow‑up data requested by councilmembers, including usage splits by jurisdiction and further detail on overtime and admission of future labor costs.","City and Arlington County staff described a proposed update to the 2014 fire and EMS contract that would reflect current staffing at Station 6, share personnel costs 50/50 for 39 positions, and cap city ambulance-fee revenues at $295,000 with excess retained by Arlington County.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Falls Church council debates shifting curbside trash from taxes to fee; treasurer warns implementation would be a heavy lift

Falls Church lays out $59M transportation CIP, boosts paving and smart‑cities work amid staffing constraints

Falls Church police outline FY26 budget priorities: accreditation, staffing study and end to two red‑light camera sites

Falls Church and Arlington County outline staffing, fee changes in proposed Station 6 fire agreement