Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, holds up his 2023 letter concerning a bill for a casino in Fairfax County at Friday’s Legislative Committee meeting. "Nothing really has changed, and I think it would make sense for us to recirculate the letter."
A senator's comments Monday to the Virginia Senate Subcommittee on Gaming regarding SB982 (Casino Gaming; eligible host localities) led the chair of the No Fairfax Casino coalition, Lynn Mulston, to email the senators a letter titled "URGENT: SB982 Reaction to Chief Patron's Comments." In a 5-2 vote, the gaming subcommittee reported SB982 to the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee, moving it forward. They are scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon.
Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) is the chief patron of SB982. “Fairfax County Board is continuing to talk to us, and they're waiting for a bill, and we're discussing changes to it, but they have not taken a position,” he said.
"Senator Surovell's remarks to the Gaming Subcommittee are confusing and disturbing as they tend to distort the circumstances surrounding the stance of Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors,” Mulston wrote. She explained that SB98 proponents have been confusing the issue of Fairfax County's real estate tax increases in recent years.
"The record should clearly reflect that the Board of Supervisors' stance on real estate tax increases has been driven by the necessity to compensate for the state's inadequate funding of public education," Mulston wrote. Mulston noted in her letter that the Legislative Committee of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors addressed SB982 at its Jan.17 meeting.
According to the publically available video of the Jan. 17, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee Meeting, Chairman Jeff McKay said, "I've seen several statements from in this case, at least two senators in Richmond who suggest that this is a way to prevent future real estate tax increases that have burdened our residents. And I think we need to make it clear in here that real estate tax increases, at least in the last couple of years, have been to overcome the state's negligence in funding public education."
McKay said the "problems are with public education funding." He clarified why Fairfax County real estate taxpayers bear the burden. McKay referenced Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study (2023) but did not go into detail.
McKay held up his 2024 letter. "I particularly love this letter since I signed it," McKay said. "Nothing really has changed, and I think it would make sense for us to recirculate the letter."
Moments before, Supervisor Jimmy Bierman (D-Dranesville), a former litigation attorney, confirmed, questioning county staff, the following:
* Fairfax County did not seek authority for a casino.
* Fairfax County had not been substantively involved in developing a casino.
* There has been no percentage change in the casino gaming tax revenue split between the state-70 percent and local jurisdiction-30 percent. Bierman said that is relevant because Fairfax "can generate significant local tax revenue without a casino."
* The 2025 bill is "less expansive," meaning it is more restrictive to the casino's location and concept than the 2024 bill.
"This has been our position now for a year," McKay said. "This has been our position that has not changed. And I think we need to clarify that with at least certain members of our delegation that seem to have not either don't remember getting this letter or have chosen to ignore it."
Based on the Jan. 17 board discussion that followed, its planned next steps are to modify the letter, get board approval to resubmit, and ensure the board's position is communicated to relevant state senators.
The JLARC study outlined Virginia's education costs, detailed the inadequacy of state funding formula flaws, and offered near- and long-term recommendations. The state's funding formula is outdated and shortchanges Fairfax County Public Schools. According to Fairfax County Public Schools," the vast majority of JLARC-related legislation introduced during the 2024 Regular Session was "tabled" for the 2024 session, with the content of the legislation being referred to the Joint Subcommittee for longer-term consideration.”