A re-post from the Falls Church Patch on the cost of living in Falls Church.  Do these numbers seem correct based on your expenses for housing, food and transportation?  We would like to hear from you. Click on the link above for more details.  Below is a synopsis: The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in the City of Falls Church would need to earn a combined $103,536 per year — or $8,628 a month — to live comfortably. Here’s how the group breaks down that number: Housing: $1,694 per month Food: $911 per month Child Care: $1,612 per month Transportation:Read More →

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There is no Internal Audit for either entity by Ira Kaylin Ira Kaylin is a former City Council Member and, among other positions, was the Internal Auditor of the Inter-American Development Bank. It was recently reported by Hunter Kimble, as directed by the Justin Castillo led School Board, that our Auditors Brown Edwards have done a careful review of the City and School financial disclosures and found them to be satisfactory; that is, they accurately reflect revenues and expenses and that both entities adhere to formal accounting principles. For all intents and purposes the presentation might well have been made by Justin Castillo or JohnRead More →

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Two concerned parents addressed the City Council last night in reference to the letter they helped author outlining what they believe are school budget compliance issues.  Letter is posted below. May 9, 2016 Dear Falls Church City Council Members, We are part of a growing group of citizens that are concerned about our school system’s budget. We are concerned that the more that people begin to question the budget’s transparency, the more deflection and pushback takes place. We are seeking your help because we want to protect our schools and we must point out that the Superintendent, Dr. Toni Jones and School Board have notRead More →

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If, like many reasonable people who live here, you find yourself feeling a level of disgust and revulsion you never thought possible with the affairs of this small city when you moved here, stemming from the cumulative effects of: gross mishandling of the Mt. Daniel construction project, the very real possibly that the expansion portion of the project will be terminated, and debt service payments on an $11 million bond that is currently yielding no benefit to the city, efforts by the Superintendent to micromanage and accelerate funding of construction projects while losing interest in follow-through after funding is acquired. Cost overruns at Thackeray, TJ,Read More →

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GMHS Student Kate Karstens posted an article on the GMHS online newspaper, The Lasso, on June 14, 2015 stating that maintenance is substandard.  It is disturbing to learn from Ms. Karstens that the female students do not have adequate privacy: “When asked about why money is being allocated towards STEAM subject areas as opposed to the three out of eight stalls in the girls bathroom that won’t close, Dr. Jones explained that since our school will be rebuilt in the next 12-36 months, there is no reason to allocate funds to maintenance. In fact, according to Dr. Jones, the maintenance budget for the 2016 schoolRead More →

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Did you know…FCCPS Superintendent Toni Jones is getting a 5.7% raise in this year’s budget? Are we getting a good value compared to our neighboring jurisdictions? Source: Adopted FY16 Budget (p.57) Also, the City Manager is a 5.7% increase. Do you know anyone in private industry that is getting this kind of raise?  Read More →

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