Fairfax County has formally allotted tens of millions of unspent income from the earlier 12 months’s price range for objects like restrooms for varsity stadiums and a lift of the county’s hiring program.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors assembly on Tuesday (Oct. 11), the board voted 7-1 to allocate $7.5 million in carryover funds to assist set up everlasting restrooms at 15 Fairfax County Public College out of doors highschool stadiums.
“At its coronary heart, this can be a matter of fairness. Regardless of which faculty a pupil goes to in Fairfax County, it’s anticipated they obtain not solely a high-quality training, however that they’re supplied high-quality, accessible services as nicely,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay wrote in a press release.
The varsity board has already agreed to pitch in half of the funds wanted for the brand new services.
The board additionally authorised an extra $2 million for a “complete hiring incentive program,” which may grant as much as $15,000 in bonuses for brand new hires in essential county positions. In complete, the reserve contains greater than $4 million, however precisely the place the cash will go stays to be decided.
“A portion of all of the funding may very well be used for all businesses, however we have no idea precisely how a lot of the allocation will probably be in direction of hiring incentives till the County Government studies on the design of this system,” McKay’s workplace instructed FFXnow.
The transfer comes because the Fairfax County Police Division and different public security entities face historic emptiness charges and employees shortages.
Tammie Wondong, a 32-year county worker and president of SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax, lauded the board for amending the carryover bundle to create a hiring incentive program as an alternative of funding raises for high executives.
A current “benchmark examine” of the county’s govt and managerial positions discovered salaries have been typically under market price. Employees really useful that the pay scale be simplified and adjusted to be extra aggressive on the Board of Supervisors’ personnel committee assembly on July 26.
“The Board clearly heard workers’ voices as a result of they modified the carryover bundle to put money into a hiring incentives reserve, as an alternative of govt pay,” Wondong mentioned. “Nonetheless, the county should do extra to make sure honest pay for his or her hard-working workers who received our group by the worst of the pandemic.”
The union delivered tons of of petitions urging the county to keep up transparency round using carryover funds, relieve wage compression, and guarantee all county workers are engaged in future benchmark research.
Dave Lysons, govt director of the Fairfax Staff Coalition, mentioned the county is now not aggressive for a lot of jobs, including that its present emptiness price is 13% general with a 17% price in public works.
“Fairfax County is now not aggressive for these jobs…We will’t proceed like this,” Lyons mentioned.
Different allocations embody roughly $25 million for pedestrian and bicycle security enhancements, a part of an general dedication to fund $100 million in initiatives over six years.
Supervisors had requested that funds be supplied particularly for new sidewalks to Huntley Meadows Park and path enhancements in Gum Springs, however these objects didn’t make the ultimate lower.
“The sidewalks weren’t part of this present bundle however could also be thought-about as a part of the continued $100M dedication to pedestrian security,” McKay’s workplace mentioned by e-mail.
Amongst different wants, the county additionally allotted $175,000 to design and assemble a picnic shelter, ADA-accessible pathway and picnic tables and benches for Justice Park within the Mason District.
