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Clifton leaders mobilize to oppose proposed removal of town ambulance from Fairfax County budget
Summary
Town officials and residents urged a letter-writing campaign and attendance at Fairfax County public hearings after the county’s proposed budget included removing the Clifton transport ambulance; the Council asked staff to circulate talking points and several residents offered first‑hand emergency-response concerns.
Clifton Town Council members and residents on March 4, 2025 moved to organize opposition after staff said the Fairfax County proposed budget would remove the Clifton transport ambulance.
Town Administrator Laura Jane Cohen told the council the proposed cut was included in the county draft and that the Town has coordinated with Chairman McKay, state legislators and local groups to seek reversal. She urged Council members, CBA representatives, restaurant owners and residents to speak at county public hearings scheduled April 22–24 and said the final county budget is expected to be adopted on May 13. Cohen said the Town will circulate talking points and encouraged use of personal stories in testimony.
The matter drew an extended public comment from Jay Palau, a retired Fairfax County Fire and Rescue captain and former Crosspointe station commander, who said ambulances do more than transport patients. "That ambulance contains two firefighters/EMTs that have fire gear and air packs," Palau said, arguing that losing the unit would reduce on‑scene firefighting capacity and strain response in rural‑style areas like Clifton where hydrants are not present.
Councilmembers and the Administrator said they were mobilizing a letter‑writing campaign, contacting HOAs, and coordinating who will speak at the county hearings. Councilmember Steve Effros noted the county’s estimate of savings attributed to removing two ambulances totals about $2 million and warned that those line items are large drivers of the proposed cuts.
The Council did not take a formal vote to adopt any binding municipal position at this meeting, but members agreed to increase outreach, provide talking points to residents, and encourage attendance at the April hearings. The Administrator said she intends to speak at the hearings and will share the sign‑up link when available.
