WASHINGTON – Federal workers and those who work for government contractors have been hearing for weeks about possible furloughs because of the impending sequestration, but they won’t be the only ones affected.
In Fairfax County, everything from education funding to library hours to how often grass will be mowed at baseball fields will be affected.
And, about 80,000 jobs in the county are tied to the federal government.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova says sequestration could hit the county’s bottom line — tax revenue — where the impact of uncertainty is already felt.
Bulova says Fairfax County businesses are watching the situation to determine whether to expand their businesses or fill vacancies.
Those decisions, Bulova says, equate directly to Fairfax County’s tax revenue.
Commercial tax revenue has been flat. Next week, when the county budget comes out, the bottom line could mean cuts in local services, including for parks, libraries and public safety.
It also could mean a property tax increase.
“There is no growth and that very well could go tilt, depending on the severity of the sequestration,” says Bulova.
“I think it’s very irresponsible on the part of Congress to be behaving in this fashion.”
WTOP’s Hank Silverberg contributed to this report. Follow @hsilverbergWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.
