Anti-Fairfax Casino Advocates in Virginia Encourage County Supervisors to Align with Their Movement
Opponents seek to rally Fairfax County Board of Supervisors against a proposed casino in Tysons, Washington, D.C.'s metro area.
A local community group, "No Casino Coalition," comprises Fairfax County residents, remains adamant about preventing a casino in Tysons. Although state initiatives in Richmond to designate Fairfax as a qualified host county for a casino fell through this year, the coalition expects negotiations to restart during the 2025 legislative session.
Every year, Virginia counties compile legislative agendas to submit to their state representatives in Richmond. Members of the "No Casino Coalition" aim to highlight the Fairfax government's opposition to a casino in these agendas.
The clash over casinos is far from over, stated Sally Horn, a member of the group, during a meeting of the Sully District Council of Citizens Associations last week. Her statements were initially reported by the Fairfax Times.
The "No Casino Coalition" website boasts the backing of 12 homeowners associations and local municipalities. These include the Clarks Crossing Homes Association, Fairfax Federation of Citizens Association, Great Falls Citizens Association, Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition, Mason District Council, McClean Citizens Association, McClean Hunt Homeowners Association, Reston Citizens Association, Shouse Village Community Association, Sully District Council, Vienna Council, and Western Fairfax County Citizens Association.
Supervisors Pursue Objection
The "No Casino Coalition" is urging Fairfax Supervisors to appeal to state lawmakers, particularly state Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax), who spearheaded the 2024 casino initiative. Such a petition would likely be well-received, given that a majority of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors expressed their opposition to Marsden’s casino push in January.
County Chair Jeff McKay informed the public during a meeting that the supervisors were excluded from Marsden's dealings, which he was coordinating with regional real estate firms Comstock Companies and Clemente Development. Both entities are controlled by members of the Clemente family.
“The situation,” McKay stated at the time, “is that people worked on a plan in isolation and went to Richmond without coordinating with Fairfax County. None of those groups have formally approached us and asked, ‘Hey, here’s what we’re proposing. Will Fairfax County engage in conversation with us?'”
Casino Advocates Emphasize Diversification
Fairfax County and Tysons, where Marsden proposed allowing Comstock/Clemente to construct a casino on the site of a former auto dealership along Route 7, rely heavily on office real estate to sustain their economy. However, a significant portion of the area’s extensive commercial real estate has been deserted since the pandemic.
Marsden argues that this results in reduced property valuations of the office complexes and diminished property tax income for the county. Marsden argues that maintaining the quality of life that attracts many D.C. businesspeople to Virginia's suburbs necessitates that homeowners shoulder the tax losses.
This perspective is echoed by state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), who is the majority leader of the Democratic Party.
There's an urgent need to find a solution toaddress the property tax shortfall that's on the horizon,” Surovell stated in January. “If we aim for good schools, the responsibility of compensating for lost tax revenue could fall on homeowners. The county requires additional revenue sources.”
Read also:
- Leverkusen claims victory in the cup, securing a double triumph.
- Alonso achieves a double victory after consuming a German brew.
- Does the SVolt factory in Saarland face stability issues?
- Furor surrounding Sylt scandal footage