| MCA came out with their mufflers on for a cool Winterfest 2025 celebration. Doug Taylor, Education & Youth Committee Chair; Glenn Harris, First Vice President and Transportation Committee Chair; Merrily Pierce, Board member; Judy Manhan, Board member; Bernadette Donofrio; Debbie Sanders, Board member; Sarah Bloom, Board member; Steve Donovan, Second Vice President and Membership Committee Chair; Patrick Smaldore, Public Safety & Seniors Liaison; Ainsley Taylor. Not pictured (manning the MCA table), Camille White-Partain, President; Hilde Kahn, Corresponding Secretary; Martin Smith, Board member; Don Sumihiro, Martha Vera. View the MCA Winterfest 2025 album. |
Dear MCA Membership:
As we welcome 2026, our committees and liaisons remain busy with open business from 2025, such as keeping a casino out of Fairfax County (see No Casino, below). I wish to thank the Board of Supervisors for listening to those of us who testified and for making clear the Board's opposition to forcing a casino on a jurisdiction that does not request one.
MCA was pleased to support the January 6th Town Hall discussion with Senator Jennifer Boysko and Delegate Rip Sullivan and hope many of you were able to attend the event (see Town Hall, below) and get your questions answered.
MCA will continue to support our membership, so please become as active a participant as your life allows. We have many committees that are always looking for fresh ideas.
Thank you to all who have volunteered this past year and thank you also to those who attended Winterfest and walked in the parade with MCA. I hope to see more of you next year.
Winter weather is upon us; therefore, be careful and stay warm.
Have a very happy and healthy New Year!
Camille
|  | MCA Hosts Town Hall with Senator Boysko and Delegate Sullivan
On Tuesday, January 6th, MCA hosted a Pre-Legislative Town Hall at the McLean Community Center's Community Hall with State Senator Jennifer Boysko and State Delegate Rip Sullivan. The two local representatives discussed their priorities for the upcoming legislative session in Richmond and responded to questions from the audience.
Senator Boysko's priorities included women’s reproductive health, marriage equality, and common sense gun legislation to protect kids from accidental injury or death by firearms kept in the home.
Delegate Sullivan's included redistricting, budget impacts to health programs and transit as a consequence of federal funding cuts, illegal loud mufflers, and renewable energy.
Most of the hour and a half was devoted to a vigorous Q&A session, where questions touched on: abortion, clean energy, Tysons casino, the JLARC report on school funding, in-state tuition for undocumented students, prescription Psilocybin for suicide prevention, long-term care insurance rates, mental health issues in the local public schools, veterans education, intrastate cooperation, AI, and general budget issues.
A video of the Town Hall is available on Rip Sullivan's Facebook page. | MCA Urges Virginia to Adopt JLARC Funding Formula
MCA approved a letter addressed to the Virginia legislative committees on education reaffirming its support for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the 2023 JLARC Report on Virginia’s K-12 Funding Formula. The letter explains that a funding formula that more accurately takes account of differences in both school staffing and the cost of living throughout the state will better meet student needs than the current formula, particularly in divisions like Fairfax County that serve large, diverse populations.
Note: For those interested in the boundary review process, there will be a public hearing on January 10th at Luther Jackson MS. A summary of the consultant's recommendations appears in the attached FFXnow news article.
The MCA Education & Youth Committee (E&Y) typically meets on the third Monday of the month; the Committee's next meeting is January 12th. For more information, contact E&Y Committee Chair Doug Taylor. | Environment, Parks & Recreation
| County to Hold Public Forum on Unified Sanitation Districts
Fairfax County will host a public forum with the solid waste industry on Wednesday, January 21st from 4:00 - 6:00 pm at the Government Center Board Auditorium. Representatives from residential and commercial waste collectors that have a county certificate-to-operate are invited to attend. The forum will be broadcast on Channel 16.
MCA received the attached letter from the County urging HOA representatives to attend.
This forum is part of a process where staff were directed to develop potential options, with a comprehensive outline of the pros and cons of each; convene a public forum with staff, licensed haulers, and HOA representatives to establish a shared understanding of the options: and create a process for the Board of Supervisor's consideration and possible implementation of options.
The MCA Environment, Parks & Recreation Committee (EP&R) typically meets on the second Wednesday of the month; the next meeting is Wednesday, January 14th. For more information, contact EP&R Committee Chair Ed Monroe.
| Note the Following Public Meetings:
Accessory Living Units
Beverly & Elm Project
The Fairfax County Department of Planning & Development will hold a series of virtual community meetings to discuss proposed changes to standards for Accessory Living Units (ALUs), dwelling units that are subordinate to single-family detached dwelling units. The first two meetings will take place on January 20th at noon and January 21st at 7:00 pm. See the Planning & Development website for details.
The project developer will hold a community meeting to discuss the 1368 Beverly Road Redevelopment Project (at Beverly & Elm) on January 21st at 7pm at the McLean Community Center. The Planning Commission's public hearing is scheduled for February 25th and the Board of Supervisor's hearing for March 17th.
The P&Z Committee will be discussing both matters and more at our next meeting on January 27th. Meetings are typically held on the fourth Tuesday of the month. For more information, contact P&Z Committee Chair Bob Perito. |  | SUPERVISORS SAY NO TO A CASINO BILL!
THANK YOU - OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS PAID OFF
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) included language in the 2026 Legislative Agenda proposed by Supervisor Alcorn to oppose legislation that would authorize a casino in the County unless such authorization is specifically requested by the Board. The vote was 5-4, with Chairman McKay and Supervisors Alcorn, Bierman, Lusk and Palchik voting yes!
Why it matters:
The BOS has formally opposed a Tysons casino, citing concerns over local economic development and planning authority. This stance is part of the County’s 2026 legislative package and signals opposition to any state legislation authorizing a casino in Fairfax County. The board’s position may also influence how the General Assembly votes in Richmond.
Next steps:
The Virginia 2026 Legislative Session starts January 10th. As of this writing, no casino bill has been filed. We estimate the cutoff date for bills to be introduced will be January 23. Should a bill be introduced, we will need your help! Take this opportunity to Join MCA to receive timely call-to-action communications.
|  | Greater Tysons Citizens Association Meets with Planning & Development Team
The Greater Tyson Citizens Coalition December met with Suzie Battista, Fairfax County Department of Planning & Development (DPD) Urban Centers Section Director, and staff. DPD staff gave a presentation on the status of the Tysons Plan's implementation, covering development trends, housing statistics, and park progress, while discussing challenges in park development and housing affordability. The conversation ended with discussions on infrastructure concerns, office market trends, and future planning efforts, including those related to transportation, with participants addressing questions about the Tysons Tracker and community engagement. An update on casino issues was provided during the follow-on business meeting. Click here for links to more information. Watch the video here.
GTCC's next meeting will be a joint meeting with MCA's Transportation Committee, held on Tuesday, January 13th at 7pm via Zoom. Contact GTCC Chair and MCA GTCC Liaison, Sally Horn, for more information. | |