OPINION: Lighten Up, George! Things WILL Get Better
By ANNETTE HENNESSEY and STAN FENDLEY
Falls Church Times Staff
March 16, 2010
Our fellow Falls Church Times volunteer, George Southern, has written a series of “the sky is falling and we must cede to Arlington” posts in his Man About Town column. This week’s was just downright depressing, perfect for a cold rainy Monday morning. In Why Things Won’t Get Any Better, our school population has exploded and caused a budget crisis. And on top of that, the City is broke.
Frankly, we think George is yanking our chains so that we will start thinking and talking about what’s going on with the City and its budget. Every community in the United States is facing hard economic times. But going through hard times can be a good thing. Now is the time that our community should identify what’s important, make decisions around those priorities, focus on why Falls Church City is a place people want to live.
We’re a long way from having to throw up our hands and give up our independent city status. As the law stands today, if the City of Falls Church ceases to exist, we get folded back into Fairfax County, not Arlington. A chat with a local realtor confirmed our suspicions that if the City of Falls Church becomes part of Fairfax County and its school system, property values in the city could fall by as much as a third. So it benefits everyone, not just those with kids in City schools, to avoid George’s doomsday scenario.
We should be calling on the community—one that is filled with smart, dedicated citizens—to help find the solutions. Already, hundreds of people are engaged in a discussion about the priorities of the City. As the discussion continues, people will begin to identify what is important and how much they are willing to pay.
The May elections will continue the conversation, with the eight City Council candidates being asked to define their priorities and outline actions that the city can take in these tight budget years. This year’s candidates bring a wealth of experience – both in public office and professionally – to the election. And after all, aren’t elections the ultimate way for citizens to comment on the direction of public policy in their community? If you believe in the electoral system, presumably Council members will be selected who want to go in the direction the majority of citizens prefer.
The school board has already held conversations about priorities. The proposed school budget is 4.5 percent less than FY2010, and was created after a lengthy discussion with administrators, staff, and the public. They looked at every line in their budget, and choosing to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible, made some difficult decisions.
Now it’s time to examine the City budget for efficiencies and some out-of-the-box solutions to our current fiscal crisis. And as the economy improves, the City should continue to identify its priorities and plan for the future with public input.
The fact that Falls Church City remains a place people want to live is a good thing. The fact that our schools attract more students is a good problem to have. Clearly, there are limits to the number of students the schools can serve, but better to live in a community where people are clamoring to get in than one where people want to leave. Better to live in a community where people want to be part of the solution rather than give up and merge with another county.
By (see byline)
March 16, 2010
“better to live in a community where people are clamoring to get in than one where people want to leave”
Well said.
Got to hand it to George though, he knows how to get a response.
Save us Fairfax! I would like to have my taxes (that has more than double in less than 7 years) cut by a third!
We should all take a look at this:
http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Docs/FY11Budget/FinancialUpdate031110.pdf
This presentation by Mr. Touhy doesn’t leave me feeling very sanguine about the city’s financial future. And, as far as the hefty taxes we are paying this year, the tax rate scenarios on page 27 suggest we’ll look back at the $1.27 rate as a fond memory.
As for the value of houses in the city, are there any good longitudinal data comparing prices the city’s different neighborhoods to similar neighborhoods in Arlington or other counties? I know that we bought in the City of Falls Church because similar neighborhoods in Arlington were more expensive. Yes, more expensive in Arlington, not less.
I find it hard to believe that property values for homes one or two blocks from our home would drop by “up to one-third”. On what basis did this unnamed realtor make this assertion? I know that this is merely an opinion piece, but good journalism would call for better judgment in including such an absurd asssertion in this article. Surely one can find a more rational argument for retaining independent city status than this.
Where is the data to support your headline? Even though it is an opinion piece, the bold assertion that things WILL get better deserves more buttressing than “hard times can be a good thing” (not always), “identify what’s important, make decisions,” “avoid George’s doomsday scenario,” “[call] on the community .. to help find the solutions,” vote, etc. Sounds like “don’t worry, be happy” to me….
Let’s just fold back in FFX and be done with it. I have no reason to believe a random estimate from an unknown realtor, but even if this speculation is true, lower property values = lower taxes. Southern’s piece was filled with facts. This is just a feel-good assertion that the town has a bunch of smart people and we’ll figure things out.
There is no good reason FC City needs its own government, its redundancy at its worst. More reason to tax the citizen. Fairfax county needs to absorb this tiny 3 by 5 mile district. The city government has not done a good job at all. Adding huge buildings to Broad street when it was already congested without upgrading roads is a classic government foul up. Increasing taxes has the effect of making homes less valuable in FC City. Why would I buy a small, 60 year old over price over taxed home when I can get more for my money a couple miles away? Disband the FC City government and roll it in to Fairfax.