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THE BIG IDEA

Could a casino save Fairfax County from a tax nightmare?

Fairfax County homeowners are facing a $450 property tax hike this year.

To counter this, the infamous Tysons casino bill is in talks to be re-introduced (after being rejected earlier this year).

So why the sudden re-interest in Lady Luck? 🎲 

It's simple: MONEY! Or rather, a lack of it. 

Fairfax County has been facing a financial crunch lately (because commercial tax revenue has been plummeting, among other things).

State Senator D. Marsden puts it this way:

In plain English: Remote work is emptying office buildings faster than pai gow empties my wallet — and this is hurting the county’s total revenue numbers.

So, how would a casino help?

It would be a new revenue source for the county, which would ease the tax burden on homeowners — but not everybody is ready to go all-in.

Senator J. Boysko says the location should be for new Fortune 500 headquarters like Capital One and Hilton. Bill Comerford (a member of the No Casino Coalition) says the casino would alter the identity of the community — for the worse.

But here's the million-dollar question:

Is a casino really the ace up Fairfax County's sleeve, or just a roll of the dice? Ultimately, that’s going to be up to the voters.

Bulletin Board 📌 

Reader Restaurant Recommendation: One of our readers, Victoria, recommends you guys check out Trattoria Villagio in Historic Clifton.

Victoria says this quaint spot is one of her favorite restaurants because of the delicious food and nice ambience.

QUICK HITS

• Shaboozey (raised in Woodbridge) has hit the #1 spot on the U.S. charts for his song A Bar Song (Tipsy) 📈 

• George Mason University received a one million dollar grant to launch the nation’s first AI innovation center for small businesses 🤖 

• Governor Youngkin signed an executive order to establish cell phone-free education policies in schools📱 

• Arlington native swimmer Torri Huske has qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris 🏊‍♀️ 

• Stephen Strasburg’s $9.75M McLean house is back on the market after announcing his retirement in April ⚾️ 

• Loudoun County officials are being investigated after using tax-payer money to fund luxury travels 🕵️

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

• Summer Movies on the Lawn | The Library of Congress is doing an outdoor screening of the The Wizard of Oz (1939) tomorrow night 👠 

• Kids Pizza Making Class | Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap (Alexandria) is hosting a weekend pizza-making class for kids age 5 and up 🍕 

• One Piece Symphony | Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the legendary anime with a performance of iconic songs from the show at Capital One Hall ☠️ 

• Together Again Summer 2024 | Janet Jackson and Nelly are performing at Capital One Arena on Friday🕴

• Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony | The National Symphony Orchestra is continuing their summer season at Wolf Trap with Beethoven’s Ninth 🎻 

• Alexandria’s 275th | The city of Alexandria is having a water side celebration of their 275th birthday with food vendors, music, and fireworks 🧨 

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