Board of Supervisors Authorizes Advertised Tax Rate of $1.105

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized advertisement of a real estate tax rate for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 of $1.105 per $100 of assessed value. The current FY 2014 rate is $1.085. In addition, the Board approved the advertisement of the FY 2014 Third Quarter Review.

The Board voted 8 - 2 Tuesday to advertise a tax rate for FY 2015 of $1.105; Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity voted against the advertised increase in tax rate, as did Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth. 

If approved, a tax rate of $1.105 would represent a 15.5 percent tax increase over the last three years, and would be the single largest increase (8.5 percent) in the real estate tax bill of the average homeowner since 2007, Herrity pointed out in a news release.

"I continually hear from our homeowners that they are being taxed out of their homes," he said in a statement. "This year, I also heard it from my aunt, a lifelong resident of the area, who will be leaving the area largely due to the tax burden. We are forcing people out of their homes in order to subsidize bringing people in. This year’s increase falls hardest on those who can least afford it; the owners of townhomes, condos, and apartments."

"More than any other year that I have been on the Board, our priorities have been way off the mark," he said. "From a $30m bank bail out on an unsecured loan, to a budget devoid of spending reductions on the County side."

"We can meet our commitments to our citizens, our employees, our teachers and our schools without an increase in the tax rate," he noted. "With the $34m additional schools funding provided by the County, the $30m additional schools funding provided by the state, and another $25m from a more accurate calculation of staff turnover*, our schools have the funds to meet their request and begin to return our teachers to the best paid in the region.

Advertising an increase in the rate does not prevent the board from lowering any advertised tax rate, but a higher tax rate cannot be imposed without advertising the higher rate, according to a news release from the Board.

Each 1 cent increase in the real estate tax rate impacts the average residential taxpayer’s annual bill by approximately $50. The value of a penny on the Real Estate Tax Rate is $21.9 million in FY 2015.

A public hearing on the effective tax rate will be held Tuesday, April 8, 3 p.m., at the Fairfax County Government Center Board Auditorium.

Public hearings on the proposed FY 2015 Budget, the advertised capital improvement plan (CIP) and the proposed tax rate are:

• Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 9, at 3 p.m.  
• Thursday, April 10, at 3 p.m. 

Those wishing to speak at a public hearing can sign up online to place their name on the speakers list, or contact the Office of the Clerk to the Board at 703-324-3151, TTY 703-324-3903. The public hearings will be held in the Board Auditorium, Fairfax County Government Center, and will be televised live on Fairfax County Government Channel 16. 

Town hall meetings are being held throughout the county to give residents the opportunity to ask questions and provide input.

You can also provide feedback and comments on the proposed budget through mid-April at dmbinfo@fairfaxcounty.gov.  Given the volume of comments, individual responses will not be possible.

For more information, see:

• Proposed FY 2015 Budget details and information
• Budget Primer 
• Information on Real Estate Tax assessments