Fairfax County is in the middle of a “do more with less” budget cycle for 2027. The county entered the budget process facing a projected $131.5 million budget gap, cutting 107 county positions. Despite holding the tax rate steady, rising home values mean the owner of the average county home will pay more in property taxes in 2027. The county is struggling to close this gap, which represents the amount needed to maintain operations and fund its public schools.
“The Board of Supervisors is quick to point out the issues with revenue streams … without offering an alternative,” Emily VanDerhoff, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said at a rally at the site of the proposed Tysons Entertainment District on March 25. “Now, labor is presenting an alternative to raise revenues and support Fairfax’s working families and schools.”
The We Are Fairfax Coalition organized the rally at a vacant lot adjacent to the Spring Hill Metro station. Approximately 60 union workers gathered at 8546 Leesburg Pike, the site of a former auto dealership, to urge Gov. Abigail Spanberger to sign Senate Bill 756 by the April 13 deadline.
On March 14, Senate Bill 756, introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell, passed both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates. SB 756 is "enabling legislation" that aims to give Fairfax County the legal authority to hold a referendum previously prohibited by state law. If signed by the governor, the project still faces hurdles. Nov. 3, 2026, the General Election, is the earliest possible date for a referendum vote. For the question to appear on the 2026 ballot, the County Board of Supervisors would likely need to petition the Fairfax County Circuit Court by mid-August 2026.
Against a backdrop of the Silver Line Metro trains passing overhead on the rails, rally speakers said the entertainment district project is essential to creating the high-wage, unionized jobs residents need to afford to live in the county. Supporters at the rally said the proposed Tysons district would be “transformative,” creating roughly 2,000 union construction jobs and 3,000 permanent hospitality and service jobs.
“Being a union member means having top pay, best-in-class training, employer-paid benefits, retirement and safe working conditions, things every worker should have the right to,” said Maria Zoraya Silva, a union electrician and Burke resident.
Hanan Ahmed, a resident of Fairfax County and union worker, said she wants SB 756 signed by the governor and a referendum authorized. To Ahmed, SB 756 is not the “Fairfax Casino bill”; it is “We Are Fairfax — Let Us Vote.” Ahmed supports the entertainment development as a way to create more jobs in the community, sharing her experience working in both non-union and union hotels.
“Fairfax County [is an] incredibly expensive place to live. My people commute more than one hour into D.C. because the wages in Fairfax don't match the living,” Ahmed said. Before working at the Marriott Marquis, Ahmed worked at a non-union hotel where she said management cut hours. “They work me like a horse. I quit after 10 days because it was [a] terrible working environment.”
Ahmed and all other speakers never said the word “casino” in their remarks, but instead referenced the bill’s number or that the construction would be “an entertainment district.”
While SB 756 does not explicitly name the Tysons site, its specific language effectively limits the location of a casino to the Spring Hill Metro property now controlled by Comstock Holding Companies, and possibly one other site. This would be part of a "coordinated mixed-use" development of at least 1.5 million square feet located within a quarter-mile of a Silver Line station outside the Beltway. A pivot shifted from a pre-pandemic plan (2019), for "The View," a 3-million-square-foot development originally proposed by Clemente Development that featured the iconic tower, planned at 600 feet, an office-heavy space, luxury condos, and a "Rockefeller Center of Tysons" civic plaza.
Christopher Clemente, CEO of Comstock, is the son of C. Daniel Clemente, who founded Clemente Development; the two firms have shifted the focus from the father’s skyscraper vision to the son’s entertainment district, anchored by a casino with a 6,000-seat concert venue. Supporters say this shift is necessary to diversify the tax base following changes in the commercial office market after COVID.
As homeowners face an average 3.99% property tax increase due to rising assessments, some lawmakers, county voters and members of organizations believe Senate Bill 756 offers a potential fiscal solution. An independent market analysis commissioned by JLARC projects annual gaming revenue between $418 and $618 million. Proponents say the revenue would support county schools and county services through a 30-70% state-heavy split of tax revenue. The county’s portion would be earmarked for Fairfax County Public Schools, while a portion of the state's share is earmarked for the Virginia School Construction Fund to help fix aging school buildings across the state.
The cost of living in Fairfax County is roughly 42% higher than the national average and 36% higher than the Virginia average. Blue-collar hospitality and service workers at non-union jobs in Fairfax County often work two or three jobs without access to health insurance.
Nelson Aguilar, a 25-year Fairfax County resident, said, “The union gives us a voice on the job and protects our rights … We have a unique opportunity to train the next generation of carpenters and show them the path to the middle class.”
VanDerhoff noted that each year the union advocates for full funding for schools, yet the Board of Supervisors continues to underfund the school budget. She said the FCFT Executive Board voted to support the entertainment district to help fully fund schools and ease the tax burden on homeowners. “We're hopeful that Governor Spanberger will sign this bill into law and give the people of Fairfax County a chance to decide if this project is right for our community,” VanDerhoff said.
Ella Whitaker, a campaign researcher for UNITE HERE Local 25 and a spokesperson for the We Are Fairfax Coalition, concluded the rally.
“It is so moving to hear from these powerful union leaders from across the coalition. As a resident of Fairfax, I am inspired by the opportunity the county has to approve this project that would transform Fairfax for thousands of families,” Whitaker said.
Unions backing the proposal include: The Amalgamated Transit Union; Elevator Contractors Local 10; LiUNA; IBEW Local 26; Painters District Council 51; the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers; the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association; Operating Engineers Locals 77 and 99; the building and construction trades; IATSE; SMART Local 100; the Carpenters union; 32BJ SEIU; and the United Food and Commercial Workers.
Supporters say this new money, roughly 90% of it, would come from repatriated dollars currently being spent at casinos in Maryland and West Virginia. As the county faces a "structural deficit," proponents frame the entertainment district as a way to generate non-residential revenue to take the pressure off homeowners’ property tax bills.
What Might Voters’ Ballots Say?
While the March 25 rally signs focused on an "entertainment district" and the "right to vote," Virginia law requires specific language on the ballot itself. Following the 2022 Richmond Circuit Court order that finalized the wording for that city's referendum, any Fairfax County ballot must mirror that directness.
As part of the passage of SB 756, the Virginia General Assembly amended Virginia Code § 58.1-4123 to include counties.
However, the mandatory phrasing remains unchanged. Under Subsection D, the question must be printed as follows:
“Shall casino gaming be permitted at a casino gaming establishment in Fairfax County at 8546 Leesburg Pike as may be approved by the Virginia Lottery Board?"
[ ] Yes
[ ] No