Clifton Town Council opposes proposed removal of Clifton ambulance from county budget

The Clifton Town Council on Feb. 4 discussed a county budget proposal that could remove the Clifton ambulance from Fairfax County Fire & Rescue service coverage. Town Administrator Laura Jane Cohen told the council the Fairfax County Executive will release the county budget on Feb. 18 and that if the removal remains in the draft budget, the town can sign up for public comment on April 23 24. The budget will become official in May.

Cohen reported she has spoken with FCFD personnel and said the proposed removal "may be used as a demonstration that the budget cannot be cut as much as requested," a point she raised as a possible motive behind the change. Councilmembers agreed to send a letter expressing the towns disapproval; the administrator said the councils letter would be shared publicly and provided as a template to homeowners associations.

Mayor Tom Peterson and councilmembers said they will coordinate outreach, and the administrator said she is meeting with Councilmember Lynn Screen and Supervisor Pat Herrity this week to discuss the Town Hall lease and to raise the ambulance issue with county leadership. No formal council action to alter town emergency services authority was taken at the meeting; next formal county-budget steps are the Feb. 18 release and the May finalization.

The councils statement and the schedule for public comment provide residents an opportunity to register their views with the county budget process; the town will publish the letter on its website and share it with local HOAs.