City Manager Proposes $74.9 Million FY14 Budget for Falls Church

Minutes after Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields proposed his $74.9 million fiscal year 2014, School Board Chair Susan Kearney told council how much of a transfer the schools would need.

Falls Church City Public Schools will need $33.6 million of their $43.6 million from the city, she said. For FY 2013, FCCPS received $29.9 million from the city. Kearney said the school system’s budget is driven by increases in student enrollment.

The proposed FCCPS budget also includes a step increase for system employees.

“We have a lot more kids than we had years ago,” Kearney said. “This is a dramatic increase for us.

The proposed budget, up more than $5 million from FY13’s adopted $69.3 million budget, devotes 45 percent to the schools and $33.8 million to the general government. A three percent increase for city employees is also included in the proposed budget. The current proposed budget also calls for a six cents real estate tax increase (moving it to $1.33). An April 22 date has been set for adoption of the city’s FY14 budget.

About 60 percent of the proposed budget is expected to come from real estate taxes.

Missing from the proposed budget was funding for FCC-TV ($178,050) and rental fees for the city’s Recreation & Parks Department of FCCPS facilities.

With many questions to be answered, Mayor Nader Baroukh urged council to consider there will be plenty of sessions for them to get through the budget. There are several dates for the public to chime in and listen as the process unfolds including a Town Hall Meeting Saturday. Here are other important dates in the budget process:

• March 14: Joint City Council/School Board/Planning Commission work session (7:30 p.m., Dogwood Room/City Hall)
• March 16: Town Hall Meeting (10 a.m., Falls Church Community Center)
• March 18, 21, 28 & April 1, 4, 11, 15 & 18 (if needed): Budget Work Session (7:30 p.m., Dogwood Room/City Hall)
• March 27: First Public Hearing at Regular Council Meeting (7:30 p.m., City Hall)
• April 8: Second Public Hearing at Regular Council Meeting (7:30 p.m., City Hall)
• April 13: Town Hall Meeting (10 a.m., Falls Church Community Center)
• April 22: Third and Final Public Hearing/Adoption of FY14 Budget

Councilman Ron Peppe assured the public that the budget process always starts with the sides proposing their respective needs and wants. He said he wasn’t shocked by what he saw at Monday’s meeting.

“This is just the start,” Peppe said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to priorities.”

For more on the city’s FY14 budget, click here.