Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Fairfax County residents hope city residents vote in favor of 2013 referendum to sell Falls Church Water.
Dick Rosenbaum is hopeful city residents will vote on a November 2013 referendum that would complete the transaction of selling Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water. As a McLean-area resident, Rosenbaum has been a Falls Church Water customer for some time and felt he was being charged too much for the service. Rosenbaum said he has written City Manager Wyatt Shields in the past about the prices the water company charged. He says it wasn’t the prices that were his biggest problem. “It troubled me that the money I paid went to supporting the City of Falls Church government,” Rosenbaum said. “When we found out they were transferring money from the water department to the city’s general fund, that upset me.” Others have voiced their optimism …
Friday, November 23, 2012
A deal was reached to sell the water company to Fairfax Water, pending a public vote in November 2013.
For months the city has tried to sell Falls Church Water and Tuesday, a deal was reached to sell it to Fairfax Water. The deal still needs a majority of the city’s resident’s support on a November 2013 referendum. Tuesday, the city agreed to sell the water company to Fairfax Water for $40 million, $4 million less than the original minimum bid. Selling the company to Fairfax Water would see rates drop for current Falls Church Water customers. According to a graph on the Fairfax Water website, their customers pay $60.19 per 24,000 gallons over a three-month period. Falls Church Water customers, according to the same chart, are paying $86.55 for the same services. If the deal goes through, Falls Church Water’s boundary with Fairfax County …
Monday, August 13, 2012
A recent attempt to sell the Falls Church water system to Fairfax Water failed. Are you disappointed?
Last week, the City of Falls Church decided to end discussions with Fairfax Water to sell the utility company. That leaves Falls Church Water customers, including many who live in McLean, with no choice but to pay higher rates than residents in other parts of Fairfax County. McLean resident Kirk Randall complained that Falls Church uses Fairfax County customers like a personal ATM machine. Patch reader Rob Jackson wrote, "In my opinion, the City of Falls Church is violating state law by refusing to justify its higher rates for water with Fairfax County" What do you think about the botched deal? Let us know in the comments section. Related Content: City Will Continue Operating Falls Church Water
Friday, August 10, 2012
Kirk Randall said Falls Church uses Fairfax County customers like a personal ATM machine.
The decision not to sell Falls Church Water has not settled well with at least one customer. McLean resident Kirk Randall has gotten his water from the water company since 1959. Randall said unlike utilities such as Dominion Power and Washington Gas, the Falls Church City Council can charge its county customers pretty much whatever it wants. "This means that over 120,000 Fairfax County customers will continue to pay nearly 50 percent more for their water than their neighbors," said Randall. The City of Falls Church decided to end discussions with Fairfax Water Wednesday to sell the 80-year-old utility company. Mayor Nader Baroukh said the city took a business approach to the negotiations but is happy to continue providing water. The city …
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
After months of considering a sale of the water utility, the city decides to retain the system.
Talks between Fairfax County, Fairfax Water and Falls Church Water have been discontinued. Since April when the City of Falls Church council started entertaining bids for the water system, Fairfax Water emerged as a potential suitor. The minimum bid was set at $44 million by the city. The city will now instead retain operation of the water system. “The city took a business approach to these negotiations,” Mayor Nader Baroukh said in a written statement Wednesday. “The goal was to explore the possibility of a sale agreement that would benefit city taxpayers and all of the customers of the water system. We did not reach such an agreement and we are happy to continue to provide vital public water services to the city and county as we have for…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Fairfax County a possible buyer
The City of Falls Church water authority, which serves the bulk of McLean residents, is up for sale. The City of Falls Church City Council voted unanimously Monday night to send out a "Request for Expressions of Interest" to see if public or private utility companies, including the Fairfax County Water Authority, would be interested in buying the Falls Church water system. The decision to sell the Water Authority comes after several years of fighting with Fairfax County over water rates. Ninety percent of Falls Church customers live in Fairfax County including most McLean residents. The fighting between the two jurisdictions culminated in December 2011 when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed taking control of all water rates …
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Most customers live in McLean, Fairfax County
The City of Falls Church City Council unanimously voted Monday night to increase water rates effective Oct. 1. Ninety percent of Falls Church's water customers live in McLean and Fairfax County. The City Council tentatively approved the 8 percent increase in water rates in June, the first increase since 2005. Then gave final approval Monday night. The increase takes effect Oct. 1. Falls Church and McLean have been sparring over this increase since the spring. Leading Falls Church officials, including the mayor and the city managers, visited the McLean Citizens Association's July meeting to talk to unhappy McLean customers. The Falls Church officials explained and answered questions about the proposed price increase and the ongoing …
Friday, August 19, 2011
Judge ruled plaintiffs filed in the wrong court.
After months of public meetings, discussions and hearings, a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge dismissed 14 consolidated refund cases against Falls Church Water on Thursday. Judge Jane Marum Roush ruled the right to seek a “tax” refund is created by statute and that the statute expressly required that the suit be filed in the city where the assessment is made. She also ruled the lawsuits were filed in the wrong court and that warranted the dismissal of the cases. According to court documents, based on the evidence, authorities and arguments of counsel, that the motions to dismiss should be granted. City Manager Wyatt Shields said the cases against the water company were filed in Fairfax County courts and should have been filed in …
John Strother
9:38 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
One is Gordon Road, the other is Gordons Road. They are not the same road. Cross the border as in going into another country? Must be if you mean Falls Church is a separate country than the rest of Virginia. The county and city line isn't a border. Gordons Road in Fairfax County was declare that it wasn't ever accepted by the Fairfax County in the early 1980's. Thus, it should had been returned … more ›