A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church

Springtime is budget time in Fairfax County, and the Mason District Spring Town Meeting on the proposed county budget for Fiscal Year 2006 will be held on Tuesday, March 29, from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m., at the George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike in Annandale. The program will include a budget presentation by Fairfax County Executive Anthony H. Griffin and an economic overview by Chief Financial Officer Edward Long. A question and answer session will follow.

In presenting his proposed budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on February 28, Mr. Griffin noted that the FY 2006 Advertised Budget Plan “represents our collective commitment to preserve the high quality of life and exceptional services that residents have come to expect, while recognizing the challenge…of taxpayers’ ability to pay for them.” For the fifth consecutive year, average real estate assessments have increased by double digits. The Fairfax County experience mirrors assessments in the metropolitan region, where most jurisdictions are seeing increases of more than 20 percent this year alone.

Added to previous increases, some homeowners have noted almost a doubling of their real estate values in just the past four or five years. Because the state controls or caps most sources of local revenue, our local budgets for local services are heavily dependent on the real estate tax, putting a disproportionate share of the burden on the homeowner.

In his budget, the County Executive proposed a 10 cent decrease in the tax rate, from $1.13 to $1.03, and the Board of Supervisors has committed to finding more savings. However, it must be noted that, even with the decrease, the average annual tax bill will still be about $445 higher than in previous years. This will be the fourth consecutive year that the Board has cut the tax rate, for a total of 20 cents since FY 2002.
The proposed budget reflects the Board of Supervisors’ priorities, adopted during its retreat last winter: strong investment in education; public safety and gang prevention; affordable housing; environmental protection; transportation improvements; and revenue diversification to reduce the burden on homeowners.

The budget also addresses the core purposes, or vision elements, of county government: maintaining safe and caring communities, building livable spaces, practicing environmental stewardship, connecting people and places, creating a culture of engagement, maintaining healthy economies, and exercising corporate stewardship. Strategies and funding to address these priorities will be discussed by the County Executive at the town meeting on March 29, and will be part of the Board’s deliberations during budget workshops and the public hearings about the budget on April 4, 5, and 6 at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax.

The FY 2006 Advertised Budget Plan is available on-line at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb. Reference copies of all budget volumes also are available for review at all Fairfax County Public Libraries.

Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed here.