Politics & Government

$7 Billion Fairfax Budget: Higher Taxes, No Employee Raises

In final FY 2014 spending plan, homeowners will pay $216 more on average; public safety positions will be restored.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors formally adopted a $7 billion budget Tuesday for Fiscal Year 2014, a plan they called conservative thanks to sequestration and other uncertainties.

The plan will hike the average county homeowner’s real estate taxes by more than $200 on average, increasing the real estate tax rate from $1.075 per $100 of assessed value to $1.085.

Read: Fairfax County 1-Cent Tax Increase: Penny for Your Thoughts

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Though the board approved the budget during a markup session last week, it finalized the plan with a 9-1 vote Tuesday morning. Supervisor Pat Herrity was the sole vote against the budget.

With the slow recovery from the recession and the impacts of sequestration hurting the commercial real estate tax base, officials said they had no choice but to adopt a more conservative plan this year.

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“A great amount of effort and compromise went into this year’s budget,” Chairman Sharon Bulova said in a statement. “During difficult economic times, our Board has agreed to invest in important County priorities such as education, public safety, community services, and critical transportation improvements while keeping taxes affordable for our residents.”

Both employment and day services for special education graduates of Fairfax County Public Schools and early intervention care for infants and toddlers with disabilities are funded. The budget also restores public safety positions and funding for equipment.

“There is a lot that is good about this budget,” Bulova said, adding that it “struck a balance” that would continue to let residents enjoy the quality of life they’ve come to expect.

Fairfax County Public Schools were given a higher transfer this year, though not as much as the School Board hoped for.

The expansion of Head Start, a pre-kindergarten program designed to prepare children from low-income families for the school system, is also left unfunded. And county employees won’t see market rate adjustments to their pay.

Representatives from Fairfax County employee unions, including police, fire and paramedic personnel issued a joint statement after the decision to adopt the budget, expressing their frustration and disappointment.

“By passing a budget that fails to attract the best and the brightest, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has put the services our residents depend on at risk,” they said in a statement.

Bulova said she would work to remedy the issue during next year’s budget process.

“The Board appreciates that employees have continued to provide quality services to our residents with professionalism and dedication, even in the face of pay freezes and tough economic times,” she said. “The creation of a fair and sustainable compensation package for implementation in FY 2015 is a critical element in the long-term stability of the County workforce.”


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