Friday, May 17, 2013
The Mount Vernon District Supervisor spoke to the South County Federation on Tuesday night.
Will a 4 percent meals tax keep people from eating out in Fairfax County? Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland wants the tax to go to referendum in November. On Tuesday, he told the South County Federation that it would generate $80-$100 million annually, and the funds could lower the county's real estate tax rate (which just went up 1 cent). Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! "We could then lower the tax rate by 2 cents and devote the rest to transportation or education," said Hyland at the monthly meeting. "It could be drafted in such a way that the Board is unable to use those funds in any way except for those purposes." Arlington County, Alexandria City, Vienna, Herndon and Fairfax City have a meals tax. Still, the business …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Officials will likely attempt to put a meals tax referendum to voters in future elections, though the proposal has had little success in the past.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is once again considering a meals tax — but the proposal has a long way to go before it is put to voters in a future election. For the eighth time during his tenure, Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) proposed this week that a meals tax referendum appear on ballots during the election. In his resolution, Hyland estimated the tax could generate between $80 and $100 million annually. Such revenue, which Hyland calculated with a hypothetical 4 percent meals tax, might allow the Board to alleviate stress on the county’s real estate base, which just saw an increase in tax this budget cycle. “As was clearly evidenced during our budget discussions, the county is still over reliant on the real estate …
The landfill would be in operation until 2040, and the South County Federation opposes the plan.
(Editor's Note: In case you missed it, here's a story from earlier this week on the Lorton community and the owner of the Lorton Landfill are at odds over the future use of the site.) EnviroSolutions Inc., the owner of the Lorton Landfill, has asked the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to extend its operating contract from 2018 to 2040 in exchange for $26 million in green energy incentives and $15 million from ESI revenues over the life of the agreement. The South County Federation, in April, voted unanimously in opposition of the extension, as the plan was not seen as an equitable exchange for 21 additional landfill operations in Lorton. There Federation was also not pleased with "unresolved commitments" from ESI’s current site …
38.685633
-77.237556
Esi Waste
10001 Furnace Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/esi-requests-22-year-extension-for-operation-of-lorton-landfill-in-exchange-for-construction-of-green-energy-park
422795
/locations/9350427
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Employee pay an issue as the Board of Supervisors drafts amendments to the FY2014 budget.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have started adjusting the Fiscal Year 2014 budget package by lowering the proposed tax rate by a penny. But supervisors remain unsupportive of increases in funding to public schools and employee compensation. During a meeting of the Board of Supervisors Budget Committee on Friday, Chairman Sharon Bulova presented a list of amendments to spending plan. The Board will vote on a proposed real estate tax rate of $1.085 per $100 of assessed value — a penny lower than the $1.095 rate proposed by County Executive Ed Long in his original plan. The adjustment is expected to cut county revenue by about $20 million. County employees advocated for higher pay during public hearings earlier this month, but a lack…
Friday, April 19, 2013
"I'll never retire from loving Lorton and Fairfax County," she told Patch.
(Editor's note: In case you missed it, a Lorton legend was honored last week. Here's that story again. Enjoy!) Lortonian Irma Clifton was honored with the lifetime achievement award at the 2013 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards ceremony on Thursday in Springfield. "I'll never retire from loving Lorton and loving Fairfax County. It's in my heart, it's in my genes," said Clifton, who was born in Lorton and lives in the house her parents bought in 1944. Clifton worked at the Lorton Reformatory for 26 years, and worked tirelessly to ensure that its historical integrity was preserved when it closed in 2001 after 90 years in operation. Fairfax County bought a parcel of the property for $4.2 million in 2004, and the Workhouse Arts Center …
Ask him to do something and he gets it done.
Lorton's Shep Crow was honored with a Community Champion award at the 21st Anniversary Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards on Thursday. The Awards were held at the Waterford at Springfield. "I do appreciate it and the fact that Supervisor Hyland recognized me," said Crow. "I'm still going to keep on pushing." Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland nominated Crow for the award. "He's a premier volunteer. I know few people in our community who are as dedicated as Shep," he said. "He looks around and sees what needs to be done and then turns around and does it. He's the best." Crow's volunteer efforts over the years include founding the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce in 2008 and repairing Lorton's clock tower. Fairfax County'…
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Hyland said he feels he's at full strength since the procedure last week.
Fairfax County's Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D) will tell you he's the picture of health - and the witticisms are as sharp as ever. Last week, the 76-year-old received two heart stents after feeling weak at home. "I had no energy," said Hyland. "But now I feel like I'm back to full strength." Stents are small expandable tubes used to treat narrowed or weakened arteries in the body, according to WebMD. In patients with coronary heart disease, caused by the buildup of plaque, stents are used to open narrowed arteries and help reduce symptoms such as chest pain (angina) or to help treat a heart attack. A lawyer by trade, Hyland has served as the Mount Vernon District Supervisor since 1988, and is known for a quick wit. …
Monday, April 8, 2013
Sequestration has impacted them, and more redevelopment options are needed.
The Bureau of Land Management's long-awaited decision on the Environmental Assessment for the aging stables at its The Stables At the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area has been scrapped. The decision to seek alternative development options was revealed to the public Monday morning at the office of Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland, who hosted U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th), BLM executives, barn manager Allison Mills and barn supporters. "We've looked at the coming fiscal reality and determined that those three options in the EA (Environmental Assessment) are not enough," said BLM spokesman Bob Gillcash. "Hopefully we are no longer contained to option A, B or C. We're really looking for D, E, F and G, maybe H. We want …
Monday, April 1, 2013
Barn manager Allison Mills' business is going to stay.
The horse boarding program at the Meadowood Special Recreation Area will survive for at least another year. Barn manager Allison Mills signed a one-year lease for the Bureau of Land Management's Stables At Meadowood last Friday and is no longer tied down to her previous contract, which limited the number of horses allowed on the property to 15, as the Bureau makes its long-awaited final determination on future barn renovations. Mills was down to 15 horses at the barn, and has a waiting list of 34 horses. It will take several months to introduce the animals to their new home. "BLM has made every extraordinary effort to accommodate the community desire and the needs of the on-site businesses at the barn," said Mills to Patch. "And it's …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The name change could raise awareness of the Workhouse Arts Center...
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland raised an interesting question at Tuesday night's South County Federation meeting: Should less than a mile of Lorton Road at the intersection with Furnace Road (near the Workhouse Arts Center) be renamed Workhouse Road? Fairfax County provides the arts center with millions in annual funding, and Hyland said that the name change (which would require approval from the Board of Supervisors) could increase awareness of the former home of the Lorton Prison. He said that he has not yet come to a decision on the matter, and welcomes input. Take our Patch Poll and tell us what you think!
38.6842
-77.2481
Laurel Hill Park
Lorton Road, Lorton, VA
/articles/poll-should-part-of-lorton-road-be-renamed-workhouse-way
1412953
/locations/9015148
Hap
9:46 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
This idea keeps coming back, and it keeps getting defeated. Reminds me of the kid who keeps whining for something, thinking that you will change your mind. Politicians need to stop thinking of clever ways of extracting money from us. And what the hell do you need even MORE money for? What can you possible spend it on? Enough already! Stop trying to get more money from us! And stop wasting your … more ›