Real estate tax increase gains traction among residents concerned about school budget cuts

Local residents who took part in a community dialogue on the Fairfax County budget at the George Mason library Nov. 14 seemed willing to accept a real estate hike to prevent deep cuts in public school funding. The meeting was part of a series of forums being held around the county to elicit community response on school funding for FY 2011. Representatives of the county government and Fairfax County Public Schools explained how the county is projecting a deficit of $315.6 million, requiring deep cuts in school and county programs. Nearly 54 percent of the county’s 2010 budget is transferred to Fairfax County Public Schools.

Parents and students representing the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education (FACE) was at the George Mason forum in force—participating in the dialogue and holding signs in front of the building—to protest a proposal to eliminate elementary band and strings programs.

After presentations by county government and school officials, the audience was divided into small groups to discuss which budget-balancing options are most and least acceptable and consider various strategies for cutting costs and raising revenue. Several people said property taxes should be raised, especially since declines in home values means most residents won’t see much of an increase. One resident seemed to express the mood of the audience when she said, “Fairfax County schools are above and beyond the national average. We have a school system that works. It’s obvious we need more funding, and that means a tax increase.” Real estate taxes make up 63.8 percent of the county’s revenue.

Several people proposed reinstating the decal tax for car owners, which the county abolished three years ago. Setting the fee at $33, the maximum allowed by the state, would generate $27 million, says Joe Mondoro, the county’s deputy budget director.

Here are some of the other recommendations from the public:
• Increase the fees for community use of school facilities.
• Increase the amount of funds the county transfers to the schools. (County officials say this isn’t likely to happen.)
• Minimize personnel reductions.
• Cut positions not related to the classroom, such as custodians.
• Protect the investment in children and minimize cuts that affect the most vulnerable children.
• Don’t increase class size.
• Require fees for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests and participation in athletics, but provide waivers to students from low-income families.
• End the half-day on Mondays for elementary students.

Sharon Bulova, chair of the board of supervisors, told the Annandale blog she’s been hearing from a lot of parents opposed to the elimination of elementary school music and foreign language programs, as well as people concerned about cuts in the county library and parks programs. She’s also heard from a lot of people supporting an increase in the real estate tax rate, nothing “the tenor of the discussion has been extremely constructive.”

The county is exploring some cost-saving options for merging school and county functions, such as trash and recycling and legal services, as well as more partnerships with the business community. Bulova says there has some interest in instituting a county meals tax. But if the county were to endorse that idea, it would have to be put before voters on a ballot referendum next November, which means it wouldn’t have an impact on the 2011 budget.

The county doesn’t have line item authority over the school budget, Bulova explains. The county makes a lump sum transfer of funds to the school system, and the school board will make programmatic decisions. The county executive will present a proposed budget to the board of supervisors in February, and, following public hearings, the budget will be adopted in April.