WASHINGTON — Fairfax County supervisors have sent a budget forward that could hit homeowners hard. When it’s adopted May 1, the Virginia county’s real estate tax rate will rise and the average homeowner can plan on paying hundreds of dollars more.
“The the budget mood this year was harmonic — thanks to an advertised budget that I believe hits the right notes,” said Sharon Bulova as she opened her statements about the fiscal 2019 budget.
Bulova, the chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, announced a 2-cent increase in the real estate tax rate, which will mean an additional $241 on the average annual tax bill.
The $4.29 billion budget is 4.69 percent or $192.32 million more than the current spending plan.
The real estate tax rate would increase from the current rate of $1.13 to $1.155 per $100 of assessed value.
“I believe the additional revenue is an important investment needed to shore up the foundation on which our quality of life in Fairfax County rests,” Bulova said.
Supervisor Pat Herrity calls the more than $49 million generated from the real estate tax alone unacceptable.
“It is clear taxpayers were an afterthought and not the priority in this budget,” Herrity said in a statement.
The amended budget, which passed the board on an 8-to-2 vote, also allocates money for gang prevention, fully funds compensation for county employees and raises teacher salaries to competitive levels with neighboring jurisdictions.
“Overall support for our school system is increased by $91.49 million, or 4.22 percent over fiscal year 2018. With 52.8 percent of our overall budget going to the schools,” Bulova said.
See the full budget markup.
