Board plans tax increase
By Layla Wilder
A majority of Fairfax County's supervisors plan to support a property tax increase from 89 cents to 92 cents per $100 of assessed value to give the school system $40 million and help buttress other programs as revenues decline and the county's economic outlook worsens.At the board's budget markup session on April 21, Supervisors Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Michael Frey (R-Sully) introduced an alternate budget for the supervisors to consider that doesn't increase taxes and gives the school system about $19 million.
But the other supervisors took issue with the plan primarily because it doesn't give the School Board – which asked for about $64 million – enough money and eliminates funding for the county's affordable housing and storm-water programs.
The “penny taxes” for affordable housing and storm-water programs – allocating the equivalent of one penny on the real estate tax rate – are not efficient and are dispensable during tough economic times, argued Frey and Herrity, the only Republicans on the 10-member board.
The last thing the board should do is “increase taxes on people in a year when homeowners could begin to see a little bit of relief,” Frey said.
“The two things we have made our priorities are the basis on which this budget is balanced on,” Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D) said.
“Budgets reflect philosophies of government,” board Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-at large) said at the meeting. “I think it was overwhelmingly clear that the community supports the vision of the board.”
Because of declining assessed values, the average homeowner's tax bill will likely decline slightly, according to county staff.
The supervisors will vote officially to adopt the fiscal 2009 budget next week.
County Executive Anthony Griffin originally proposed a $3.3 billion budget, addressing the $120 million deficit in part by cutting county employees' compensation increases from 6 percent to 3 percent. Griffin also planned for no increase in schools funding.
The budget the supervisors will vote on next week gives the school system $40 million of the $64 million it asked for, and fully funds employee compensation increases and a third “strike team” for zoning enforcement.
It addresses a growing deficit that has now reached $177 million, in part because of lower interest rates, by increasing taxes and trimming meager millions from an assortment of funds.
Connolly – who is running for Congress and won re-election with about 60 percent of the vote – maintained that the county's proposed tax increase is minimal compared to surrounding jurisdictions. He accused Frey and Herrity of making the budget a “partisan issue” during the board's markup session on Monday.
“The only one making a partisan issue out of it is [Connolly],” Herrity said after the meeting.
Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay (D) is the only non-Republican who plans to oppose a major aspect of the proposed budget. Though he plans to support it, he said that giving the schools $40 million in a tough budget year is sending the wrong message to the community.
“In a bad year we are giving them $40 million more,” McKay said. “What are we going to give in a good year?”
Griffin is predicting a worse economic climate next year, and the supervisors are planning an extensive budget review to prepare for the challenge.
“If people think this year as far as revenue is bad, double that for fiscal year 2010,” Griffin said earlier in the county's budget process. “This year is not a cakewalk, but by comparison it's a lot easier.”