Higher Real Estate Tax Rate Ruled Out By Fairfax County Supervisors

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors ruled out a higher real estate tax rate by setting the advertised tax rate Tuesday.

The advertised real estate tax rate is $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. That is the county's current rate and was proposed to remain the same under County Executive Bryan Hill's fiscal year 2024 budget proposal.

The same rate or a lower rate can be adopted during the budget process, but a higher rate can not be considered.

Even with a flat tax rate, property owners whose property assessment values went up would see higher tax bills. Fairfax County homeowners had an average increase of 6.97 percent in their 2023 real estate assessments. The average tax bill will increase just over $520 under the current tax rate.

There may be some support for a lower tax rate. Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the lone Republican on the board, has pushed for avoiding tax increases caused by increased assessment values.

Chairman Jeff McKay wrote in his newsletter that he will seek a lower rate, noting the county's revenue burden falls too heavily on homeowners.

"The County Executive’s Advertised Budget includes a flat tax rate, and I will work with my colleagues on the Board to lower that rate," McKay. "To be clear, I will not support a budget that does not reduce the tax rate."

The chairman added that a diversified tax base and taxing authority would help address affordability. Fairfax County and other localities are limited by the Dillon Rule, which means taxing authority must be granted by the Virginia General Assembly.

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said in a recent newsletter he supports a lower real estate tax " to better balance the increase in home valuations homeowners are seeing in their assessments."

Virginia law requires a public hearing on the real estate tax rate if assessments would result in a 1 percent increase or more. Fairfax County exceeds that standard with an average increase of 6.97 percent for residential properties and 1.65 percent for non-residential properties. The tax rate hearing is scheduled for April 11.

Other rates proposed to increase in the budget are:

• Refuse collection services assessment from $475 per household unit to $490 per household unit (county collection customers);
• Refuse Disposal Services assessment from $70 per ton to $72 per ton;
• Service fee for Basic Life Support transport from $500 to $750, $650 to 950 for Advanced Life Support, level 1 transport, $800 to $1,175 for Advanced Life Support level 2 transport, and $12 to $18 per mile for ground transport.

Rates proposed to remain the same are:

• Leaf Collection Districts at $0.012 per $100 assessed value;
• Reston Community Center at $0.047 per $100 assessed value;
• McLean Community Center at $0.023 per $100 assessed value;
• Burgundy Village Community Center at $0.020 per $100 assessed value;
• Commercial and Industrial Tax for Transportation at $0.125 per $100 assessed value;
• Special service district for pest infestations at $0.0010 per $100 assessed value;
• Rail to Dulles Phase I Transportation Improvement District Levy at $0.09 per $100 assessed value;
• Rail to Dulles Phase II Transportation Improvement District Levy at $0.20 per $100 assessed value;
• Reston Transportation Service District at $0.021 per $100 of assessed value;
• Route 28 Taxing District Levy at $0.17 per $100 assessed value;
• Tysons Transportation Service District at $0.05 per $100 assessed value;
• Stormwater Service District Levy at $0.0325 per $100 assessed value.

The board is also advertising public hearings for sewer rates. The proposed increase would change the base charge from $40.14 to $44.81 per quarter, or $160.56 to $179.24 per year. The sewer service charge would increase from $8.09 per 1,000 gallons of water consumption to $8.46 per 1,000 gallons of water consumption. The sewer availability fee will increase from $8,592 to $8,860 per new home constructed. This public hearing on the sewer rates is also scheduled for April 11.

Here is the full budget process timeline:

• Feb. 21: County Executive presents FY 2024 Advertised Budget Plan
• Feb. 23: School Board adopts FY 2024 Advertised Budget
• Feb. 28: Joint Board of Supervisors/School Board Budget Committee Meeting
• March 7: Board of Supervisors authorizes advertisement of FY 2024 tax rates
• March 21: Board of Supervisors authorizes advertisement of FY 2023 Third Quarter Review
• April 11-13: Board of Supervisors holds public hearings on FY 2024 Budget, FY 2024-FY 2028 Capital Improvement Program, and FY 2023 Third Quarter Review
• May 2: Board of Supervisors marks-up FY 2024 Budget, FY 2024-FY 2028 Capital Improvement Program, and FY 2023 Third Quarter Review
• May 9: Board of Supervisors adopts FY 2024 adopted budget
• May 16: School Board holds public hearings on FY 2024 budget
• May 25: School Board adopts FY 2024 approved budget
• July 1: FY 2024 budget year begins