Education, Affordability, Casino Opposition Among Concerns Voiced At Legislative Forum

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — More than 90 Fairfax County residents signed up for Saturday's legislative forum and a chance to speak directly to members of the county's delegation before they headed down to Richmond for the start of the 2026 Virginia Legislative Session on Wednesday.

Topics ranged from keeping Fairfax affordable for its residents and cutting taxes to protecting services for people with disabilities and opposing the proposed casino in Tysons.

"These are important priorities to the Board of Supervisors, and number one always is K-12 education funding, as always the county;highest priority," said Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay (D-At-Large), who was the first to speak. "Public education, as we know, is a shared constitutional responsibility of state and local governments. We all know state funding formulas have not kept pace with the actual cost of providing a high quality education, especially in localities like Fairfax County, with our higher cost of living."

Thanking the state lawmakers for what they were able to accomplish during the 2025 session, McKay called on them to address the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study on the cost of education in Virginia.

"There's a lot of work still to do, including replacing outdated teacher pay calculations and adopting a regional cost index, while increasing support for English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, and, of course, special education services," he said.

While Fairfax County has long served as the state's economic engine, generating more than $5.7 billion in general fund revenue, the county only receives $1 out of every $5 it sends to Richmond.

"Recent federal layoffs and the longest government shutdown in history have created ripple effects for our residents, for your constituents," McKay said. "I know you know this because you hear and see its effects on our economy throughout the DMV. At the same time, federal changes to programs like Medicaid and SNAP create serious strain for local services. We need your partnership to stabilize our workforce, support our residents and maintain Fairfax as the driver of Virginia's prosperity."

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Supervisor Andres Jimenez (D-Mason), who chairs the board's legislative committee, also spoke on Saturday, stressing the importance of state and county lawmakers working together as partners to address the ongoing financial uncertainty caused by federal action on the region's economy.

"Fairfax County is home to tens of thousands of federal employees and contractors," he said. "When the federal government experiences instability, the impact here is immediate. Families suddenly face lost income. Local businesses see sharp declines in spending and the demand for basic assistance service to respond effectively."

Michael Thomas, former president of the board of directors of the ARC of Northern Virginia, asked the legislators to continue to focus on the more than 15,000 Virginian's on the Developmental Disabilities Waiver waiting list.

The waiver assists individuals with developmental disabilities to access services, so that they can remain in the community and not live in an institution. Individuals on the waiting list are unable to receive that level of support.

"We request the following: increased reimbursement rates for group homes and other similar services to statewide staff; study the idea of core services and find effective and low cost care to ensure that these families on the list don't wait years and decades for the waiver."

VIDEO: 2026 Fairfax County Delegation to the Virginia General Assembly Public Hearing

In December, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors finalized its legislative program for the 2026 session. For the first time, the program included language opposing any legislation granting the county board authority to add a casino referendum to a future ballot:

"Oppose legislation in the General Assembly that authorizes a casino in Fairfax County without any request for such legislation from the Board of Supervisors, without implementation of a statewide Gaming Commission, and without a tax revenue split that substantially benefits Fairfax County as opposed to the Commonwealth. The designation and location of a casino is inherently a major land use decision and General Assembly intervention in Fairfax County’s land use processes would undermine decades of community consensus and economic success."

Several opponents of the proposed Tysons casino also spoke during Saturday's forum.

"A casino in Tysons cannot be reconciled with our vision of a mixed residential-commercial community where people can live, work and play," said Paula Martino, president of the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance. "Neither business firms nor families want to deal with the inevitable traffic and social problems that a casino will create. Forcing a casino into a community that does not want it puts at risk our vibrant residential and businesses environment which is the economic engine of Northern Virginia."

Lynne Mulston, president of the Reston Citizens Association, told the state lawmakers that the board of supervisors has not sought casino development authority.

"Previous casino bills have infringed on local land use authority," she said. "Of importance is your support for the establishment of a Virginia Gaming Commission and the implementation of a moratorium on new gaming facilities and online platforms until the commission becomes fully operational is crucial. As the gambling industry in the state expands and changes, it is essential to have a centralized commission ensuring effective regulation and oversight and advancing consistent policies regarding problem gambling and accountability."