Fairfax County executive proposes a lean budget for FY 2025
Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill presented a proposed 2025 budget to the Board of Supervisors that would increase the real estate tax by 1.5 cents and cut spending by $60 million.
The FY 2026 Advertised Budget Plan would provide a $125.3 million increase in funds for Fairfax County Public Schools – far below the $268.3 requested by FCPS.
According to Hill, fully funding the FCPS request would require a 4.5 percent increase in the tax rate. He said the impact on taxpayers, the need for balance with other priorities, and the potential for additional state funding were all factors in determining the transfer amount.
The 1.5-cent real estate tax increase, which would bring the rate to $1.14 per $100 of assessed value, is projected to generate $50.93 million. Meanwhile, residential real estate assessments are up an average of 6.65% for 2025, further adding to homeowners’ costs.
Hill recommends the BoS consider a 4% meals tax, which would generate $65.1 million. The proceeds could be used to reduce the real estate tax rate to $1.12 or fund county priorities. He calls for the board to advertise a public hearing on the proposed food and beverage tax to coincide with the public hearings on the budget in April.
The budget proposal would increase the transient occupancy tax by 2 percent. That is expected to raise $13 million, with half allocated to tourism promotion.
Related story: Real estate assessments are up 6.6%
The budget allocates $123.6 million for employee pay and benefits, including fully funding collective bargaining agreements, a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment, performance-based pay increases, and longevity increases.
The budget would increase the county’s investment in affordable housing by $8.5 million.
Some of the major proposed funding cuts include the following:
- $11.5 million would be cut from the Police Department, including a $7.9 million reduction to realign staff workloads and $842,000 to eliminate crossing guards at high schools.
- The Fire and Rescue Department would be cut by $12.1 million, including a $5.6 million reduction in overtime pay
- $3.2 million and 12 full-time positions would be cut from the Department of Family Services, affecting public assistance programs, behavioral health assistance for children, and other programs.
- Funding for the Park Authority would be cut by $1.5 million. That would result in reduced maintenance of trails and athletic fields and fewer summer concerts, among other cuts.
- Funding for the Health Department would be cut by $2.1 million due to a proposed redesign of the school health program.
- $6.7 million would be cut from the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, including elimination of the $3.9 million middle school afterschool program, decreased funds for adults with disabilities at senior centers, and elimination of the $440,000 Partners in Prevention program aimed at curbing youth violence.
- Funding for the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board would be reduced by $9.1 million by closing the Cornerstones and New Generations residential treatment programs for addicts and cutting services for people with developmental disabilities.
Hill told the board the budget cuts are necessary in light of the economic uncertainty caused by the reduction of the federal workforce. Fairfax County has more than 50,000 federal employees and numerous contractors.
“Even when revenue growth is sluggish, we cannot ignore our community’s desire for high-quality services or our employees’ expectations for fair pay increases,” Hill said. “Responsible budgeting is about balance, and this proposal seeks to strike the right balance in funding necessary expenditure increases, finding sensible reduction opportunities, and managing the impact on our residents.”
Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez is hosting a town hall on the budget on March 26.
