The Connection

Town Manager Arthur A. Anselene presented the Proposed FY 2017 Herndon Budget to the Town Council Tuesday night, April 12.

“What’s more fun than for me to tell you how to spend $55 million,” said Anselene. “I think it’s a lot of money and a lot of work goes into it.

“The $55 million budget continues the town’s focus on the development of the downtown, planning for the transit-oriented development near Metrorail’s Herndon Station and maintenance of the quality of our town,” according to Anselene.

The Town Council will hold a public meeting on April 26 to give the opportunity for the public to voice feedback on the proposed budget.

“We’ve heard from quite a few of you,” said Mayor Lisa Merkel. “I do encourage all interested residents to provide your input to us. We want to hear how you would like us to spend your tax dollars.

The Town Council hopes to adopt the 2017 Budget on April 26. It must be completed by June 30, according to Town’s spokesperson Anne Curtis.

The budget serves four key roles for the Town, Anselene said before the Council.

“First of all, it is a planning document of what we are going to do in the upcoming year. It serves as your blueprint of what we do and how we evaluate our strategic goals and what we accomplish,” he said.

“It’s a financial document that defines the costs necessary to achieve all the initiatives and goals you undertake in the next year; it’s an operation document that our staff use throughout the year as they implement the budget and realize your goals and objectives; and it’s a community document for what your intent is and how we extend to our residents the Town’s resources for the upcoming year.”

THE PROPOSED BUDGET maintains the current real estate tax of 26.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, Herndon last increased the real estate tax in 2011 and reduced slightly in 2013.

The Town will continue its progress toward undergrounding of utilities in the downtown, spending $2.9 million on downtown utility relocation.

“It will be a dramatic change to the skyline,” said Anselene.

The Town will also eliminate the vehicle decal requirement and change it to a vehicle registration fee to eliminate the need for residents to obtain vehicle decals.

The Town will also begin the second phase of its future automated trash collection system to include purchase of a refuse truck and collection containers.

UNLIKE FAIRFAX COUNTY, Herndon does have a meals tax which will remain at 2.5 percent.

The cigarette tax remains at 75 cents per pack.

The sewer service base rate at $5.05 per 1,000 gallons of water consumption and sewer availability remains at $7,490 for new, single-family homes. Water availability remains at $4,863 for new, single-family homes and the base rate remains at $2.90 per 1,000 gallons consumed.

Recycling remains at $16 per year.

Herndon’s average residential property is projected to be $365,430.

The average residential real estate tax bill is $968.39.

The total budget is $55,486,261 for all funds, including the general fund, water and sewer fund, golf course fund, Chestnut Grove Cemetery Fund, Downtown Enterprise Fund and the Capital Projects Fund.

See more at www.herndon-va.gov.