As springtime approaches, the pace of life picks up as we shake off the winter snow and cold and look forward warmer weather and the opportunities the new year will bring. So it is with the Braddock District Council. First off, we have a very exciting meeting planned for 19 March, featuring our elected School Board representative, Rachna Sizemore Heizer, who will bring us up to date on the many issues facing Fairfax County public schools. Be sure to circle the date and plan on attending so that you can pass on important information to your communities.

This is the first of two meetings where we will have the opportunity to meet elected representatives. The second such event is the popular Legislative Review meeting with our Richmond delegation, which the Council co-sponsors with the supervisor. The date has not been determined as yet, but will probably be in April, contingent on the schedules of the many delegates and senators who represent parts of Braddock District in Richmond, so please stay tuned for more details. As a prelude to this event, I attended a Town Hall held by Delegate David Bulova and Senator Saddam Salim on 1 February. Topics discussed included the budget, constitutional amendments, car tax rollback and income tax credit changes, the effect of Trump administration cutbacks on the Commonwealth, K-12 education funding, minimum wage, firearms safety, the Tysons casino, data centers, and  many more issues. This meeting occurred before Cross-over Day, so at best participants received a running fix on how things were trending. Now that the General Assembly has adjourned, we will get the final scorecard on what passed and what didn’t and what it means for us. This popular annual event epitomizes democracy in action as we get to listen to our elected officials but more importantly, they get to listen to us directly. Please plan on attending.

The Aging in Place “Braddock Storytellers” presentation on 4 February was well-attended. It featured Jim Bever (Hickory Farms), a retired Career Minister who chronicled his 30-plus year career in the State Department and specifically USAID in various countries around the world.

The Corporate Transparency Act issue continues to be a bouncing ball. The most recent “bounce” is that the requirement to report is back on with a 21 March due date. This information was provided to members on 20 February. For the latest information, the direct link to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Center (FinCEN) is: https://www.fincen.gov/boi

An additional resource is the Community Associations Institute website at:

https://www.caionline.org/advocacy/advocacy-priorities-overview/corporate-transparency-act/

Since there are still court cases in various stages of pendency, it would not be surprising to see another bounce of the ball. But the best advice at this point is to submit the report.

Looking ahead, the final regular business meeting of the 2024-2025 BDC operating year is 18 June, which is when the annual election of officers is held. Per Article VII of the Bylaws, nominations (of oneself or another) can be made to the Secretary at any time prior to 1 May. The Secretary will prepare a slate of candidates to present to the Executive Committee for approval. The President must send official notification of the election (date/time/place and the slate of candidates) no later than one month prior to the June election. Therefore, you are interested in appearing on the slate of candidates or would like to nominate someone (with their permission, of course), please send Secretary Susan DiMaina an email at bdcfxsecretary@gmail.com to include the office sought, a short biography that covers your civic involvement (education and professional accomplishments are optional, but desired), and a brief statement of why you are interested in serving as a Council officer. Just as your own association needs people to step up and take their turn leading your community, a strong and sustainable Council needs new people periodically to volunteer their time and talents to strengthening the role and effectiveness of the Council. I can speak from my own experience that serving on the BDC leadership team is very rewarding and I am confident the other members of the Executive Committee would agree with me.

Bob Cosgriff

President, BDC