News

Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sharon Bulova sided publicly with the more outspoken Republican members of her board Thursday in oppossing the purchase of a privately-run, $400 million trash incinerator.

Bulova’s statement saying she’d prefer to renegotiate the current lease came during an interview on WTOP.

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“Pay yourself first” is good advice for managing a personal budget, but not for spending public funds. However, that’s exactly what Fairfax County Executive Tony Griffin wants to do in his $6.1 billion 2012 budget recommendation. Griffin’s proposal would effectively raise annual property taxes on battered homeowners $115 on average, while spending $41 million more on benefits for county employees. The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance notes that since 2000, county employees’ benefits have increased 10 times faster than the number of new taxpayers to pay for them. During those same years, property taxes went up a whopping 104 percent, three times the rate of inflation. Homeowners are already paying $1,500 more per year than they would have if the county’s spending increases had been limited to growth in population and inflation. Griffin’s latest budget proposal just worsens that inequity.

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Supervisor Pat Herrity launched his 2011 re-election campaign last Wednesday with a rollicking Irish party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

The event featured performances by an Irish guitarist and singer, plenty of helpings of corned beef and cabbage and St. Patrick’s Day decorations for children to color.

“If every member of congress had the integrity of Frank Wolf, this would be a different country,” Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk John Frey said about U.S. Representative Wolf, who introduced Herrity for his speech.

“The Herrity family has probably made a bigger contribution to Fairfax County…than any other family I know here in Virginia,” said Wolf, who serves the 10^th congressional district. “The apple has not fallen very very far from the tree.”

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at Herrity swore he would never run for public office. But the eldest son of longtime Fairfax County Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Jack Herrity, who died in 2006, remembered something his father said to him about public service.

“He would tell me that you can’t make anything happen unless you have a seat at the table,” Herrity said. “Public service is in my blood. I grew up with it and the only way to get things done is to have a seat at that table. I am all about getting things done.”

Herrity, who was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2007, kicked off his campaign for a second term on Wednesday, March 16, with an Irish-themed event at the Springfield Golf and Country Club. The event, which drew a crowd of about 300 constituents and Republican elected officials, included Irish performers, hundreds of green and white balloons and St. Patrick’s Day decorations.
“My father always said our future success is not preordained,” he told the crowd of about 300 people, including Del. Dave Albo (R-42), Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk John Frey and U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10). “So, I am asking the voters for another term so that I can continue my work to ensure that Fairfax County remains the best place … to live, work and play.”

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