Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
February 15 - 21, 2024 Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXIV No. 1
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
Commercial Assessments Defy Region, Up 9% in F.C.
THE CHIEF TURNS 80
Contrasted to Collapse in Values Around N. Va. by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Commercial real estate assessments for the City of Falls Church released this week have gone up very favorably, in stark contrast to the “disastrous” commercial assessments being experienced by neighboring jurisdictions. So the chair of the Falls Church Economic Development Authority told the News-Press yesterday. Bob Young explained that “Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax have seen their office assessments reduced by billions with office vacancy rates over 20 percent as many office buildings have sold for 75 percent less than their assessments/values in 2019. It is really hurting their income.” By contrast, he said, “Falls Church is in a very comfortable and enviable position,” with the just-released assessments on commercial buildings being up 9.48 percent, according to City Hall. The annual Falls Church real estate assessments have been released at City Hall, and while residential assessments are up modestly, at 3.72 percent, less than the rate of inflation, predicted whopping increases in commercial properties have resulted in an overall rise of 9.48 percent. That adds up to a net increase of 5.33 percent, it has been reported. Individual property assessments will be posted in the mail
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FOUNDER, OWNER and editor-in-chief of the mighty Falls Church News-Press, Nicholas F. Benton celebrated his 80th birthday, becoming an “octopus” in his words, with a contingent of friends and family at the Italian Cafe at a party on February 9 that featured two fabulous drag performers. Guests included Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi and City Manager Wyatt Shields, along with Benton’s younger (not by far) brother Chris who flew in from Santa Barbara, California, and sister-in-law Jeannie who flew down from Boston, and others in the raucous group pictured here. The event coincided with the start of the News-Press’ 34th year of consecutive weekly publication. (Photo: Jonathan Harper)
Sen. Salim, Del. Simon Hold Town Hall Ahead of ‘Crossover’ by Brian Reach
Falls Church News-Press
Last Saturday was the first opportunity of Falls Church’s new State Senator Saddam Salim to report to his constituents here on what’s transpiring in the current legislative session in Richmond. Salim was joined by now-veteran State Del. Marcus Simon at a town hall held in the Council chambers of City Hall here in The Little City.
The event came just three days ahead of Tuesday’s “Crossover” in the Virginia Legislature, marking the halfway point in the legislative session when bills passed by the House of Delegates are sent to the Senate, and vice-versa. If a bill introduced by either chamber fails to pass by Tuesday evening, it is dead for the remainder of the session. Last November the entire Virginia legislature was on the ballot, and the result had led to Democrats
now enjoying razor-thin single-seat majorities in both the House and Senate. The 2023 election was a particularly transformative one for the legislature, with a number of seasoned lawmakers retiring, and newly drawn districts across-theboard resulting in dual-incumbent contests — and even for those with a single incumbent, a great deal of uncharted constituent territory, with some incumbents facing majoritynew districts. Thirty-seven of the
100 Delegates and 17 of the 40 Senators are new to their roles. The narrow advantage Democrats now hold in both chambers has had major implications on the current session, though the future of any bills that pass both houses will remain uncertain, as they must be signed by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin before becoming law. The Democratic majorities are not
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