Board cuts tax rate by 3 cents
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a marked-up budget for fiscal year 2023 that cuts the property tax rate by 3 cents from the county executive’s initial proposal.
Under the budget markup, the tax rate would be $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. However, due to rising home values, the average taxpayer bill would see an increase by $465, or 6.7 percent.
The FY 2023 budget proposal submitted by County Executive Bryan Hill in February would have retained the current rate of $1.14. With average assessments up 9.57 percent, that would have resulted in a $666 increase on average.
The BoS is scheduled to vote on a final budget on May 10. Typically, there aren’t changes between the marked-up and final budget.
The board also agreed to reduce the assessment of personal property by 15 percent, meaning vehicles will be assessed at 85 percent of value. This will “limit any increases due to the unprecedented appreciation of used vehicle values during the pandemic,” said Board Chair Jeffrey McKay.
In other budget highlights:
- The BoS fully funded the transfer request for Fairfax County Public Schools. Those funds allow for capital improvements, increased staff pay, and additional school nurses and other support staff.
- The budget would provide for a 4 percent pay increase for all county employees.
- All eligible police, fire and rescue, and sheriff’s office uniformed employees will receive an additional step increase which, combined with longevity increases, could amount to a 14 percent pay raise for some first responders.
- Another $10 million was added for affordable housing by restoring the 1-cent set-aside from real estate tax revenues. In previous years, that set-aside was reduced to half a cent.
- The budget for the Park Authority includes more than $750,000 in additional support for natural resources, as requested by park advocates. The initial budget proposal would have provided just $50,000 for that. The budget also includes $500,000 for a park equity pilot program.
- The machinery and tools tax was cut from $4.57 to $2 of assessed value, in an effort to help small-scale producers such as craft breweries.
- An additional $250,000 is included for ArtsFairfax.
“This budget is about balance,” McKay said. “We are ensuring the county makes smart financial decisions to support services for our residents while being mindful of soaring residential assessments and the financial strain so many are facing in our community.”
In a ffxnow article they mentioned there were unspecified increases to “sewer and base charges” have you found anything about that?
Per the Board’s markup of the FY 2023 Ffx Co budget, pg 7:
In addition, this budget does contain some increases in Refuse and Sewer charges, including:
▪ An increase in the Refuse Collection fee from $400 to $475 per household
▪ An increase in the Refuse Disposal fee from $66 to $70 per ton
▪ An increase in Sewer Service Charges from $7.72 to $8.09 per 1,000 gallons
▪ An increase in the Sewer Service Base Charge from $36.54 to $40.14 per quarter
▪ An increase in the Sewer Availability Charge from $8,507 to $8,592
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget/sites/budget/files/assets/documents/fy2022/fiscal%20year%202023%20budget%20mark-up%20package%204-26-22.pdf
Thanks for putting it together, rusty. I’m surprised there is not more coverage of the nearly 20% increase in refuse collection. I have county trash and while it’s great it is already more expensive than commercial options.
I’m satisfied with my County-provided trash service and its corresponding value proposition, but then, I’ve never had private trash collection to compare it to. There are at least two neighborhoods that were so fed up with their private collection they petitioned to move to County waste pickup (https://annandaletoday.com/supervisors-approve-county-trash-service-for-two-annandale-neighborhoods/). Perhaps there are Ffx Co neighborhoods that wants to move to private collection, but I haven’t heard of any. So if private collection companies are indeed less expensive as you assert, their service levels must be so bad it’s worth paying more for public trash pickup.
If the Board is going to state any decreases in taxes, they should also list increases too. This is their typical lack of transparency.
The statement could just as easily be “Flash”: Due to increased values of Homes the board has seen fir to ease the out of pocket cost by lowering the tax rate—-Average increase now only around $450.00 for each home/condo………to be honest everyone is going to pay more and has less available funds by which to do it, the Board Strikes it rich, again.
An average payment increase of $666? Well, that’s just evil! 😄
I will attest private trash pickup is unreliable, comes at various times, leaves garbage when their truck is full, plus we have to contend with garbage everywhere when animals rip open flimsy trash bags as we have no garbage receptacles. Wish we had county service. Staffing shortages and the closing of a landfill results in additional costs for ALL garbage services.
Funny, I don’t like the county trash services at all. They look for any and all excuses to not pick up the special pickup…… even when you follow their exact instructions to the T. The last time they didn’t pick up, they gave 4 completely different excuses, one after the other, after I calmly and politely called them on their b.s.
No surprise that Pam Bolshevik prefers the government over the private sector though.