Letter: Request- Lower Tax Rate by 10 Cents to $1.04
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Letter: Request- Lower Tax Rate by 10 Cents to $1.04

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

 

Request: Lower Tax Rate by 10 Cents to $1.04

My wife and I have been homeowners and taxpayers in Fairfax County since 1968. We are retired and living on a fixed income. Therefore, I wish to protest the increases in the Fairfax County budget and real estate taxes.  From the year 2000 to 2020, real estate taxes have increased approximately three times the inflation rate and household income. This year my assessment increased 12.84%. The County Board wants to keep the real estate tax rate at $1.14 per $100 of assessed value which means that the average tax bill would increase by $666. Based on the tax rate of $1.14, my tax bill will be $1,142 greater than last year which is outrageous.  I understand that overall tax assessments increased an average of 9.5% countywide. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (inflation rate) for the year 2021 was 4.7%. So, for many years I have seen the real estate taxes usually increase two to three times the inflation rate, year after year and decade after decade. 

I request that you lower the tax rate by 10 cents to $1.04.

Last year in FY22, the Adopted Budget Plan of General Funds Disbursements was $4,527,325,441 and for FY2023 the General Funds Disbursements is $4,776,728,869, an increase of $249,403,428. or 5.2% over FY 2022 Adopted Budget Plan. This increase is greater than the inflation rate of 4.7% for calendar year 2021. For many years, I have seen the County and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) budgets usually increase two to three times the inflation rate, however this year is an exception.  Nevertheless, in an overall $9 billion budget, you should be able to reduce it.

The County is proposing to issue more bonds in 2023 and future years. For FY 2023, the County debt for bond interest is $43.9 million or 2.8% of the county budget. In the good times as the economy booms, why does the County feel they must keep issuing bonds? I have read that Fairfax County wants taxpayers to approve a $180 million bond issue for WMATA this November but has so far failed to respond on how these funds will be used.  Is this true?

The FCPS has had reductions in students over the past two years and is now down to approximately 178,000 students. As I understand, the FCPS has had a reduction of around 10,000 students and yet the FCPS budget continues to rise. Why is that?


Charles McAndrew 

Oak Hill                

Board Member of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance

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