County executive proposes a $5 billion budget for FY 2024
Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill presented a proposed FY 2024 budget to the Board of Supervisors Feb. 21 that would retain the existing property tax rate of $1.11 per $100 of assessed value.
Due to rising assessments based on equalization, however, the average annual tax bill is estimated to increase by just over $520.
The proposed $5 billion budget reflects a 5.76 percent increase over the budget adopted for FY 2023.
The budget would provide a $144.1 million increase for Fairfax County Public Schools. Transfers to FCPS – totaling $2.6 billion – would make up 52.2 percent of the proposed county budget.
The budget proposes $92.73 million for county employee pay and benefits. That includes a 2.0 percent market rate adjustment for all employees and $16.57 million for merit and longevity pay increases for eligible uniformed public safety employees.
Another $18.05 million is proposed to compensate for inflation and contract rate increases for a number of county programs.
Related story: Real estate assessments rise again
The budget calls for $5.31 million for new facilities, including the South County Animal Shelter, the Pet Assistance and Wellness Clinic in Lorton, the Workforce Innovation Skills Hub at the Hybla Valley Community Center, and the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Seven Corners.
Another $8.57 million would support funding increases for various county initiatives, such as the Tysons Community Alliance, landscaping services to offset the elimination of the Community Labor Force, four new positions in the Police Department, three new positions to support climate-related programs, the Park Authority’s social equity initiatives, and the Healthy Minds program for children and families.
The local economy continued to recover last year following the pandemic, Hill reports. In Northern Virginia, the number of jobs as of December 2022 increased by 30,700. or 2.0 percent compared to last December and now exceeds the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
Some sectors have still not fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic. For example, the number of leisure and hospitality jobs is still down by 6.5 percent compared to 2019.
In Fairfax County, the December 2022 unemployment rate was 2.2 percent, compared to 2.3 percent in December 2021.
Each of the county’s supervisors will host a town hall meeting on the budget. The Mason District session will be March 9, 7 p.m., at the Mason Government Center.
The Board of Supervisors will hold public hearings on the proposed budget April 11-13 and will adopt a final budget on May 9. Fiscal year 2024 begins July 1.
Please all attend – overflow March 9 at Mason District – I would argue a starting point is to reduce the budget 10% across the board – The County Executive and BOS and Fairfax Public Schools have wasted millions on things that did not improve one life…See e.g. changing school names, 1619 Library sermon, changing street signs…..
Save Lake Accotink !
Folks with good jobs, federal employees, are being priced out given the crazy assessments and wasteful spending. Well, so at least this year the board is admitting it wants to tax everyone more. That’s better than when they messaged a reduction in the rate, knowing full well that all assessments were up sky high so the collected more taxes. Regardless rate can and should be reasonably reduced given how crazy assessments are. Hopeful for a better outcome but not holding my breath.
Save Lake Accotink!!! What a windfall the county will have with the unused money that was allocated to dredge Lake Accotink. The surrounding property owners property values will decline. Instead of a lake used by many, we’ll have a 55 acre mud hole infested with mosquitos.