F.C. Bulletin: May 18, 2026
1) City Passes FY '27 Budget
2) Mayor Hardi Cites 'Three Rounds of Good News' to Ease Budget Process, Ensure Tax Cut
3) Fun for All at Harvey’s Summer Stomp, May 21!
4) Memorial Day Parade and Festival Details
5) Falls Church Forward: The Latest
6) Virginia Dream FC's Winning Weekend: 2 Games, 2 Leagues, 2 Victories; Still Undefeated in UPSL
7) Notices & Announcements
City Passes FY '27 Budget
Following is culled from a May 13 City of Falls Church press release:
FY '27 Budget Priorities Fund Reliable, Responsive, and Resilient Services
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 – During Monday evening’s City Council meeting [May 11], the Falls Church City Council voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY '27) budget and six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
General Gov't Operating Budget Expands 3.4 Percent
The General Government operating budget (not including debt service) for FY 2027 provides for operating expenditures of $59.5 million — an increase of 3.4 percent over FY 2026.
Funds Transfer to Schools Increases 4.8 Percent, Schools Budget Increases 3.6 Percent
The FY 2027 transfer to schools from general tax revenues is $58.1 million — an increase of 4.8 percent over the FY 2026 transfer. The total School Division operating budget, including state and federal revenues, is $71.9 million — a 3.6 percent increase over the FY 2026 budget.
Real Estate Tax Cut While Assessments Increase
The budget provides a reduction to the real estate tax rate by half a penny to $1.18 per $100 of assessed value. The median homeowner's real estate tax bill will increase by $557 — or 4.6 percent, owing to the rising assessed value of homes due to market appreciation.
CIP Six-Year Plan, 'No New Taxpayer Funded Debt'
The Capital Improvements Program provides a six-year plan for investment in City roadways, schools, parks, and utilities. Transportation projects total $100.6 million, City and School Facilities $19.7 million, Sanitary Sewer $33.5 million, and Stormwater $8.7 million. The CIP is funded with $94.8 million in federal, state, and regional grants, with $90 million of that for transportation projects to improve safety and accessibility on City roadways. There is no new taxpayer-funded debt planned in the CIP until FY 2031, when $5 million is planned to replace the roof at the Falls Church Fire Station.
The Three R's
The theme of the budget for FY 27, “Reliable, Responsive, and Resilient,” is clear in the adopted budget and CIP priorities and highlights:
- Reliable: Sustaining State of Good Repair of City Streets, including a $1.5 million operating budget with a request for a $1 million grant for paving Routes 7 and 29. Investing in the City Workforce with a 4 percent merit pay increase for general government staff, a 5-12 percent market rate adjustment for Sheriff deputies, and a 14 percent adjustment for Police officers. Continuing support for affordable housing with twelve City Committed Affordable Units. Additionally, the City is investing in safety by addressing the gaps in fire hydrant access.
- Responsive: This budget invests $100 million in CIP in transportation projects while also addressing increases in Inter-jurisdictional and contract costs with $1.5 million in budget cuts. It also demonstrates the City’s commitment to structural changes and process improvements by funding a new department of code administration and contracted IT support for enterprise resource planning and information security. Responding to community requests, the City’s investment in Watch Night, the annual New Year’s Eve celebration, has returned by popular demand.
- Resilient: With investments in Sanitary Sewer, the budget allocates $4.5 million to reduce “inflow and infiltration,” $6.7 million for upsizing of pipes with Fairfax County, and a $1 million federal grant just awarded for sewer system improvements. Continuing to invest in Stormwater, the budget provides $8.7 million for larger conveyance and green infrastructure to reduce flooding and a $500,000 grant for stormwater resilience planning.
10 Public Meetings in Budget Process
The City budget process included 10 meetings with the public, which were also live-streamed on the City’s website, YouTube channel, and on local public access TV channels.
Mayor Hardi Cites 'Three Rounds of Good News' to Ease Budget Process, Ensure Tax Cut
Following is culled from Mayor Hardi's May 15 constituent newsletter and a May 13 Falls Church News-Press article (sub-headlines added):
The Mayor's Thanks
Per the Falls Church News-Press, "The following remarks were delivered at the conclusion of Monday’s [May 11] Falls Church City Council vote on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget by F.C. Mayor Letty Hardi:"
“To echo my colleagues’ comments, first of all, congrats to... Art [Agin] for your first budget, and congrats, Wyatt [Shields], on your final one. And thank you for all the public comment we’ve received. And for all the hard work behind the scenes as well – I know that budgets are never easy and budget seasons are really intense. That starts with staff, even back before December when we had our first discussion."
Three Rounds of Good News
“Not to disparage any of that hard work, this was actually not a hard budget. We’ve had three rounds of good news, and I want us to pause to recognize that because it’s important to set the stage for the future."
“I remember when we sat together in our December meeting – ‘the only thing that’s certain is more uncertainty’ was the headline. And then it turned out that our residential assessed values came in quite strong, like almost twice what our neighbors were seeing. And then our commercial assessments in February turned out actually better than we thought. And then in April, we saw that our Q3 local revenue results were better than what we had a year ago, when it required us to adjust our budget mid-season."
Diversified City Growth & Tax Cut
“This good news is because we have been ‘the Little City that could’ – the investments we made in diversifying our tax base with mixed use development and the desirability of the city has grown beyond the schools’ reputation. The growth of the city is paying off. I know we’ve had some surprise expenditures this year, but in terms of revenues, we actually have a pretty good news story. And the half penny tax cut is a small nod that we should be able to reduce the tax burden because of that growing revenue."
FY '28 Could be More Difficult: 4 Things to Keep in Mind
“I think that’s important to acknowledge as we wrap up this year, because as we’ve seen from our neighbors, they’ve had a much harder budget season. There are a lot of headwinds in the region that I want to make sure we don’t forget. Locally, we’re not going to have as many new revenues with no commercial development coming online next year. So we should go into this year expecting that FY28 is going to be harder and I want us to keep a few things in mind:"
“First, this year we have mostly been debating new spending decisions. How are we going to spend the better than expected revenues? We really haven’t had to actually make any expenditure cuts beyond the ones that the city manager and school board originally proposed. And so that is an important muscle we need to keep in mind, because if future revenues are not going to be growing at 6 or 8 percent as we’ve had this year or the past several years – how do we live in a 3 percent revenue growth year? What really are our priorities if we have to live in that kind of revenue constrained environment?"
“Second, I’m feeling deja vu from 2017 when we had ambitious capital needs and had to figure out how to afford those through more constrained operating budgets. As we’re expecting this facilities conditions assessments at the end of this year – and I expect we might get some big bills from that – how do we balance those costs with operating budgets?"
“Third, which relates to the earlier point – how do we really do true needs based budgeting? Many of us, I think nearly unanimously, have said we should revisit revenue share and see how it can be more flexible in light of both the economic headwinds as well as the capital and operating needs. The needs across the city are not always going to be 50/50, and I think revenue share with the schools needs be modernized to account for that. And I’m glad this summer that the Budget and Finance Committee is going to take a look at other revenue levers – hopefully we don’t use any of them. But I do think it makes sense to be proactive this summer to look at what those levers might be, should we need them."
“Fourth, finally, as I reflect on my 11th budget – I’ve realized that for the seven of us up here, it’s always natural to respond and fund the most important and urgent things – what are the most pressing or acute needs we hear about? But I think it is equally important for the governing body to think about the important – but not so urgent – priorities that are long term, generational investments for the city. And I think doing our part on climate change is one of those. We’ve had some very good advocacy this budget season on the community center solar project. One idea that we can look at outside of budget season is, how do we look at a report card, similar to what we’re looking at for housing or for transportation improvements so that investments to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions continue to get attention from us every budget – not just when we have strong advocacy. That is something future generations are going to look to this City Council to have made serious progress on."
A Pragmatic and Realistic FY '26 Budget
“Overall, I think this is a balanced budget and doing a lot of good here. There’s always going to be unfunded needs, but I do think this one overall balances a lot of what we’re trying to accomplish in the community, while being pragmatic and realistic about what’s coming ahead. I want to thank my colleagues and the community, for joining in the discussions and all the hard work. I think 104 questions in our budget Q&A – the most ever – clearly reflects how much this Council likes to dig in, ask hard questions, and really make sure we’re being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and reflective of community priorities.”
Fun for All at Harvey’s Summer Stomp, May 21!
Summer Stomp!
Where? Harvey’s Bar & Restaurant , 513 W. Broad St.
When? Thursday, May 21, 5:00 – 8:30 p.m.
- Fun & games for all ages? Check.
- Local business involvement? Check.
- Music, great conversation, delicious food and drinks? Double check!
- Collaboration and community for a wonderful cause? You bet!
Harvey’s Summer Stomp is gearing up to be an evening of discovery and celebration for families. Local child-focused businesses will set up displays and games for children and families. A lot of fun, paired with useful information.
Thomas Harvey, owner of Harvey’s Restaurant said, ”We are all about community and great food. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the summer season than connecting our local businesses with Falls Church families, while supporting OSG in their mission to serve adults with developmental disabilities.
Nearly two dozen local businesses including Clay Cafe, Creative Cauldron, Founders Eye Care, KiPS Family Gymnastics, Scramble, Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be there, each sharing a bit about themselves so that neighbors new and old can discover more of what this thriving community has to offer.
The goal of Summer Stomp is two-fold: gather the community together before the summer holidays are in full swing and support OSG, a local non-profit that supports adults with developmental disabilities access affordable housing, integrate with neighbors and enjoy what many of us take for granted – the dignity of choice and living interdependently.
Harvey’s will be donating 10% of proceeds to OSG all day long.
OSG’s Executive Director Margot Greenlee said, “What moves me most about Summer Stomp is seeing the Falls Church community open its arms. At OSG, we work every day to make sure adults with developmental disabilities have the same choices we all want for the people we love. Watching local families and businesses come together to support our mission is incredibly meaningful.”
Participants:
OSG
Acton Academy
Clay Cafe
Creative Cauldron
Dulin Preschool
Easter Seals Child Development Center
Founders Eye Care
Harvey’s
KiPS Family Gymnastics
Kysela Imports
The Learning Quest
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Penzey's Spices
ProHealth Medical
Scramble
Seven Corners Psychotherapy
Sylvan Learning Center
The Toy Nest
Tutor Smart
For more on Harvey's local business spotlighting see our recent story here:
Christopher Jones
Memorial Day Parade and Festival Details
Following is based on a May 15 City of Falls Church press release:
Friday, May 15, 2026 – It is that time of year! The 44th Annual Memorial Day Parade and Festival is returning Monday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall (300 Park Ave.) The event is rain or shine!
Begin the morning with the spirited 3K fun run; then honor our community’s fallen military service members at the Veterans Memorial. In the afternoon, dive into delicious food trucks, peruse local vendors, bounce around on the kids’ rides and inflatables, and spectate the show-stopping parade down Park Avenue.
This event is for all ages, with attractions for everyone, including the Memorial Day ceremony, a parade down Park Ave., amusement rides, inflatables, live music, and over 70 vendor booths featuring local businesses, artisans, civic groups, and glorious food. New this year, in commemoration of the country’s 250th anniversary, the VA250 Mobile Museum will be on-site, featuring interactive exhibits about Virginia’s rich history in front of City Hall.
Some surrounding streets will be closed beginning at 5 a.m. Check parking options and road closures in advance.
Full Schedule of Events:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m – Festival
- Vendor booths, including civic groups, crafters, merchants, local food, and food trucks.
- Children's amusements, including pony rides and inflatables.
- VA250 Mobile Museum interactive experience titled “Out of Many, One.”
- Inova Blood Drive, located outside the Community Center (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
9:00 a.m. – June and Mike Beyer Foundation 3K Fun Run
- Starting line: Great Falls St. at Little Falls St.
- Finish line: Park Ave. at Little Falls St.
- Free! No registration required!
- Rollerblades, scooters, and bicycles are not permitted.
9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Music on the Main Stage
- Stage located on Park Ave. at Little Falls St.
- 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.: Road Street Avenue local pop cover band.
11:00 a.m. – Memorial Day Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial
- Hosted by the
Greater Falls Church Veterans Council. - Located outside of the Community Center at the Veterans Memorial
- Featuring Keynote Speaker, Wyatt Shields, Outgoing City Manager of 23 Years, City of Falls Church.
2:00 p.m. – Parade Begins
- Parade route: Park Ave., between N. West St. and Little Falls St.
- Led by the Quantico Marine Corps Band and 2026 Grand Marshals, Nan Hof, Shey Wakeley, and Mary Jo West.
- 'Best of' Trophy presentation after the parade
Event Sponsors
June and Mike Beyer Foundation • Heidi's Vending • CYMNOW flowers • Kitchen Saver • Passanante's Home Food Service • Renewal By Andersen • The Falls Church News Press • Wolf MMA
Falls Church Forward: The Latest
🚲️🍻 Bike, Walk, and Roll FC X FCF, May Happy Hour, Thursday, May 21, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Helenas Mexican Restaurant, 502 W Broad St. #5,
Join us for our monthly happy hour to chat all things biking, walking, and rolling with members of Bike Falls Church. Over the next few months, we'll be collaborating with other civic groups and clubs for joint happy hours. If you have suggestions for our next collab, let us know.
🍔 🎉 Memorial Day Block Party, Monday, May 25, 4:00 p.m., 1100 Block of Seaton Lane
Join us for a day of fun, food, and community at 1100 Block of Seaton Lane. Everyone is welcome – bring your family, friends, and neighbors. You won't want to miss Donny the world-famous Mini Horse!
📢🧾 FCC 411- City Meeting Summaries on Discord
Care about what's happening at City Hall, but can't sit through every meeting? Now you don't have to. We're automatically summarizing every Council, Planning Commission, and city board meeting and posting them to our Discord. The summaries are fact-based and #AgendaFree so that you can be in the know and make informed decisions on the issues most important to you. Check out:
🏦 City Council meetings and work sessions
📐 Planning commission
📋️ All other boards and commissions
Want to know what they'll talk about before it happens? Check out the Upcoming city meeting agendas channel for a preview.
Join us on Discord here 👉️ : https://discord.gg/b2WYFa9Rd
~ Cheers, Naudy, Pat, Evan, Letty, Justine, Andrea, and Ross
About Falls Church Forward
Per its website, Falls Church Forward is a "coalition to support city policies, projects, and programs that bolster these five pillars of vibrancy, sustainability, and openness. We are working to build a Falls Church that:
- Embraces a “housing for all” mentality — supporting a variety of housing options within the city so that neighbors of all ages, incomes, and family sizes can live, work, learn, return, and retire here.
- Nurtures local community businesses by welcoming new neighbors and foot traffic so that Falls Church remains filled with lively and legendary shops and restaurants where neighbors eat, meet, celebrate, create and make memories.
- Designs streets and public spaces to be for people, not just cars. Our city should be connected by beautiful, tree-lined streets serving multiple modes of moving and gathering — and accessible to all ages and abilities.
- Is filled with inviting green spaces, shaded by mature trees and powered by sustainable energy infrastructure.
- Has a welcoming culture, with a community co-created by and for everybody — not just a privileged few.
For a more in-depth look at Falls Church Forward, here's a recent article we published:
Christopher Jones
Virginia Dream FC's Winning Weekend: 2 Games, 2 Leagues, 2 Victories; Still Undefeated in UPSL
Following is based on a May 18 Virginia Dream FC press release:
Falls Church, Va. – Virginia Dream is coming off a very busy – and winning – weekend. On Saturday they faced Alexandria Reds Pro with their United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) undefeated streak on the line. Then on Sunday evening they kicked off the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season with a match against league newcomers Hub City.
In UPSL action, winger Diarra Zoumana continued to add to his Golden Boot title pursuit with the opening goal of the match in the 28th minute. In the second half midfielder Bernie Majano netted the second goal in the 68th minute sealing the victory against the Reds and keeping the Dream’s undefeated streak in the UPSL intact.
Sunday’s match was the season opener for the NPSL against league newcomers Hub City from Hagerstown, Md. Virginia Dream took control of the game right from the whistle scoring 3 goals in the opening 37 minutes. AP Slavov, Fela Osifesu and Mike Akinkoye netted a goal apiece to make the score 3-0 but Hub City pulled one back before halftime so the score was 3-1 at intermission.
In the opening 15 minutes of the second half, the visitors took control of the momentum and added a second goal in the 58th minute. The teams traded blows for the next 15 minutes with both creating scoring opportunities but neither able to capitalize. After the Dream made several substitutions the momentum swung back to their side and the final 15 minutes of the match was “nothing but a Dream.” Fela Osisefu and AP Slavov scored their second goals of the contest and Tobi Osisefu added 2 more to render the final result a crushing 7-2 victory for the Dream.
Currently, The Dream stand at the top of the Conference with 16 points and the advantage in goal differential.
This Wednesday, May 20, The Dream host Arlington Soccer Association Pro in a UPSL Virginia North Conference title fight at “The Cloud” aka Meridian High School Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
See a recent YouTube video clip of Virginia Dream FC in action!
For updates and more information, visit: https://www.instagram.com/virginiadreamfc.
Virginia Dream FC is a Falls Church-based semi-professional soccer club founded in 2022 with a mission to remove financial barriers by covering all player costs. Competing at a high level across national leagues, the club blends elite competition with community impact, creativity, and culture. Virginia Dream FC has gained national recognition through its U.S. Open Cup performances and growing digital audience.
Notices & Announcements
National Public Works Week is next week, and we're celebrating with a special Open House and Touch-A-Truck event at the Robert L. Goff Property Yard (7100 Gordons Rd.) on Wednesday, May 20, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.!
Ever wonder what goes into keeping the City running smoothly? This is your chance to meet the pros, see the equipment in action, and celebrate the team that keeps our community safe and thriving every single day!
Something for everyone!
- Hands-on activities with our operations and engineer staff
- Live demos of Sanitary Sewer Cameras and Urban Forestry techniques
- See the massive Switch-and-Go trucks in action
- Watch Backhoes at work and meet the pros who operate them
For more information visit fallschurchva.gov/DPWevents.
West Falls
- Dates: Every Thursday through June 11
- Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
- Location: Commons Park
- Cost: FREE
- Details: Put your knowledge to the test every Thursday night at our weekly trivia tournament. Bring your crew, pick up dinner from one of our restaurants, and go head-to-head for weekly prizes and ultimate bragging rights.
- Dates: Every second Saturday starting May 9
- Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
- Location: Commons Park
- Cost: $10
- Details: Start your weekend on a high note with an energizing outdoor class led by Barre3, with an all-levels workout that combines strength, cardio, and balance for a feel-good start to the day. Come with a mat and water, bring a friend, and make a morning of it by exploring local shops or grabbing brunch!
WHERE: Commons Park at West Falls (201 W. Falls Station Blvd., Falls Church)
Follow West Falls on Instagram.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion