A New Year's Message from Mayor Read
As the calendar flips to 2026, I want to take a moment to share some of the highlights of the past year that many of you may not be aware of. The achievements, awards, and projects completed by our enormously committed and talented city staff deserve celebration. Despite budget cuts, economic uncertainty in the region, and the longest government shutdown in history, they remained focused on the needs of our residents, business owners, students, visitors, and regional partners. Their professionalism, care, and high standards of service continue to make this city a gem at the very heart of Northern Virginia.
Leadership Changes
Our year began with the arrival of Acting City Manager Bryan Foster, who ably guided the city council, with five new members on the dais, through their first budget process. The council worked through many issues this year and together passed an updated gun ordinance that mirrors those of surrounding jurisdictions. The council also conducted a successful search for a new city manager with the assistance of Acting City Manager Melanie Zipp and HR Director Fatina Williams. Daniel Alexander will join us on Jan. 5 as the new permanent city manager.
Accredited Public Safety Agencies
Being a city where people feel safe is a priority here, and the city’s public safety professionals received national recognition in 2025. The City of Fairfax Police Department, helmed by Acting Chief Natalie Hinesley, and now by Chief Raul Pedroso, attained a level of excellence that fewer than 5% of law enforcement agencies across the country have achieved: accredited status from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The City of Fairfax Fire Department was accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. I find it comforting to know that our brave men and women in public safety are among the best in the country.
Fiscal Responsibility
Municipal budgets and audits are complex documents, but our Finance Department, under the leadership of Chief Financial Officer JC Martinez, strives to present the data accurately and transparently. The Government Finance Officers Association awarded Fairfax City the Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (on our first submitted report), the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award (31 consecutive years), and the Certificate in Financial Reporting (44 consecutive years). Additionally, the city received the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement and maintained its AAA bond rating from two ratings agencies.
Keeping the City Fleet Moving
The city’s fleet management team, under the expert guidance of supervisor Lee Hall, was named one of the Top 50 Leading Fleets in the Nation. From CUE buses to police cruisers, fire engines, backhoes, snowplows, and lawnmowers, the city’s mechanics keep our fleet of vehicles operable and available. Our city property yard remains a priority in our capital improvement program that must be addressed in upcoming budgets for the safety of our employees and the investment we’ve made in equipment and vehicles that are constantly threatened by flooding.
Addressing the Housing Crisis
Our new housing program manager, Jamie Ergas, recently presented the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, which provides a framework to guide future policy, partnerships, and investment in affordable and workforce housing in the city. This was followed by a presentation by the city’s newly formed Housing and Healthy Communities Advisory Board, with recommendations to look into home sharing and development of a housing trust fund. We continue to work on an ordinance for detached accessory dwelling units in the city. All of this is to address the rising cost of housing in our city and the shortage of units that our workforce, families, young people, and seniors can afford. Our city residents, as well as the region and the entire country, continue to identify affordable housing as a priority.
Partnerships with George Mason University
The city continues to benefit from our many partnerships with George Mason University. These relationships with the Costello School of Business, the College of Public Health, the athletics programs, and the College of Science, among others, continue to create opportunities for Mason students and enhance the city’s quality of life. City resident Matt Rice, who is a faculty member in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, received the 2025 Jack Wood Award for bringing Mason students and programs together with the city’s staff, boards, and projects to create opportunities for experiential learning and problem-solving. Rice organizes an annual GIS Day on campus and invites speakers from the city to share what they do in municipal government and to provide career advice.
Strong Relationship with Fairfax County
Fairfax County, our most important partner, delivers many services to Fairfax City residents through agreements and contracts. The city owns and maintains our four school buildings, and staffing, curriculum, bus transportation, special education, and administration are provided through the special services agreement with Fairfax County Public Schools. As part of FCPS Region 4, city students are afforded the same educational and athletic opportunities as county students. Similarly, the city has contracts with the county for health and social services and judicial administration, services our small city cannot provide on its own. Reductions to the federal workforce, canceled federal grants and contracts, and the recent government shutdown are all straining the county’s budget, and services our residents depend on may be impacted.
New Park Foundation
The new Fairfax City Park Foundation was approved by the city council. This independent nonprofit organization was recommended by Parks & Recreation Director Stacey Sommerfield to support city parks through fundraising, sponsorships, and volunteering. With the foundation’s help, the city will continue to provide exciting recreational opportunities to residents of all ages and attract people to special events like the Independence Day celebration, Fall Festival, and Rock the Block. Don’t miss the Chocolate Lovers Festival next month!
Civic Engagement
City staff made several efforts to make local government more accessible to residents by partnering with the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce to provide Civic Connections, a resident academy in which more than 30 people learned how the city works. This successful program will be held again this year, so consider signing up. Two open houses were held to gather feedback on the annual budget, and many public meetings were held to engage residents on transportation projects and safety initiatives. We also conducted a community survey to help improve services, and we launched a new website based on users’ feedback and current best practices. At the urging of city council members, all public meetings now include closed captioning, and residents now have the option to submit video testimony for public hearings.
Recent Grants Augment City Budget
The city continues to seek grant funding through many different resources to address pressing issues, such as reducing the negative impacts of our changing climate. The council voted to adopt the C-PACE Program, a low-cost, long-term financing tool for commercial and multifamily building owners to make energy efficiency upgrades with minimal upfront costs. The city also received $16K through IRS Direct Pay for electric vehicles, an $80K clean fueling infrastructure grant, $350K for flood mitigation and resiliency studies, secured a $100K energy efficiency and conservation block grant, and implemented many other meaningful operational changes.
Completing the George Snyder Trail
The city is poised to receive the necessary additional funding to complete the George Snyder Trail. This fully grant-funded ADA-accessible trail completes an important missing link between the I-66 trail through the city to connect with the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail. It’s been on the drawing board since the mid-1990s and has been supported by city councils and mayors since that time. It’s a once-in-a-generation project funded by VDOT Concessionaire funding and will provide generations to come with a beautiful trail through our city.
New Health and Community Center
Another exciting project I expect to move forward in 2026 is the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center. This joint redevelopment project, the result of years of planning by the city and Fairfax County, will be located on the site of the now-closed Joseph Willard Health Center. With a physical connection to the Sherwood Center, the new center will be a single destination for multigenerational health, wellness, fitness, and childcare for city and county residents. Although the city has invested $4M to date, the project would not be possible without the county’s financial contribution (58%) and capital project management expertise. A major milestone was reached when the city council approved the zoning and land use requests on Oct. 14, 2025.
Supporting Our Business Community
Our economic development team continues to recruit new businesses to the city, and innovative programs like LIFFT and FIIG are helping retain the businesses already here. The city’s location in the heart of Northern Virginia continues to attract redevelopment opportunities, and the city’s retail and office vacancies remain among the lowest in the region. The recent Flex Card holiday promotion sold out in six hours! Flex Cards, our local gift card, can be redeemed at 56 local businesses. The Economic Development Authority saw a $128K return on its $20K investment, and every dollar spent benefited the city’s business community. The Mason Enterprise Center, a business incubator in collaboration with the university, recently reached 85% occupancy. Our ribbon cuttings for new businesses are numerous every month: watch them on the city’s YouTube channel.
Looking Forward to 2026
From the new playground at Pat Rodio Park to substantial progress on projects like Thaiss Park, Ashby Pond, Old Town Hall, and dozens of transportation projects, there are many reasons to be excited and hopeful in 2026. I am particularly excited by the 53% increase in CUE ridership since 2019! The bus remains free, which makes it the primary mode of transportation for many in our city, from service workers to students. It remains the most cost-effective way to get around the city, and into and out of D.C. via the stop at the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station.
Local government is what makes the wheels on the bus turn every day, literally and figuratively speaking. I endeavor to be a good steward of what I inherited from previous mayors and councils, understanding that continuity is important to achieve the city’s goals. We have a two-year, non-staggered, at-large election cycle, making 2026 an election year in which all seven seats on the dais are on the ballot. I encourage you to ask specific questions of candidates about the projects currently underway that require the support of the next council in order to be completed. When momentum is interrupted and delays ensue, the costs go up. As our city attorney has reminded us at various moments, the city council is a continuous body, as all legislative bodies are designed to be.
It is an honor and privilege to be your mayor. Have a very Happy New Year!
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