We caution the Falls Church City Council as it approaches its hour of decision Monday to determine the tax rate for the new $70 million fiscal year budget that will go into effect July 1. Going into its stretch run of deliberations that began months ago, a majority on the Council now seems intent on dismissing the recommendation of City Manager Wyatt Shields for a one cent increase, and adopting a budget that keeps the tax rate at its current level of $1.01 per $100 assessed valuation. The latest thinking is that this can be achieved by cutting into contingency funds on both the City and school sides of the budget. But this sets a dangerous precedent that will come back to haunt the City in the immediate years ahead. While Council member Hal Lippman conceded this Monday that the tax rate has to do with “symbolism,” we would modify that to say it has to do more with “expectations.”
