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Fairfax reviews draft legislative program; adds $300M Housing Trust Fund request and tweaks jail and long-term care language
Summary
Staff walked supervisors through targeted edits to the draft legislative program, including a $300 million request for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, revised language on local vs. state responsibility for inmates, and broader long-term care workforce provisions; staff will post the draft Nov. 14 with a hearing Nov. 19.
Fairfax County staff presented a series of targeted edits to the county’s draft legislative program during the legislative committee meeting on Oct. 29.
Staff said the draft incorporates streamlined taxation language, retains a green-building residential code position recommended by the Environmental Quality Advisory Council, and adds a budget-priority bullet addressing jail per diems. The affordable housing position now lists a request for $300,000,000 for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund this year.
Ariel McAloon, Human Services Legislative Liaison, said the long-term care workforce position was broadened to emphasize workforce development, career pathways through community colleges and state funding to support training across long-term care settings.
Supervisors raised questions about jail language that currently includes an “unless” clause allowing local or regional jails to continue holding state-responsible inmates at local per diem rates. Supervisor Stork urged removing the clause so the Virginia Department of Corrections would be chiefly responsible for accepting state-responsible inmates into state facilities, arguing that state placement offers more training and rehabilitation opportunities. Katie Pavalczuk, counsel for the Sheriff’s Office, said the “unless” carve-out often allows inmates to finish local programming (e.g., STAR, Into Work) without interruption.
Staff confirmed they would revise wording in consultation with the Sheriff’s Office and return recommended language to the committee. The draft legislative program will be posted for public review on Thursday, Nov. 14, ahead of a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
