MCC Board Proposes Miniscule Tax Decrease

The McLean Community Center Board, with a $12.6 million in the bank, has proposed giving taxpayers a wee tax decrease in the coming fiscal year.

The board has proposed lowering the tax rate from 2.3 cents to 2.2 cents per $100 of assessed value after much discussion of its growing surplus and funds needed to operate the center.

If your home is valued at $700,000, you will pay $161 this year and $154 next year, a savings of $7. Owners of homes valued at $800,000 will pay $184 now and $176 next year, an $8 savings. Owners of a $1 million home: $220 down from $230 this year, a $10 savings.

The board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget for fiscal 2013 on Sept. 20 at the Community Center.

When the Community Center was built 35 years ago, the county created a special tax district. Residents, about 40,000, living within the tax district pay an extra property tax to finance the center. The tax district include parts of Great Falls but does not include Tysons Corner.

"We have accumulated a significant surplus that grew rapidly during" most of this decade, said David Sanders, Finance Committee chair. Sanders asked the board to approve a 2-cent tax rate, approved by the Finance Committee. He added that meant proposing a budget with a tentative $1 million deficit.

"Over the course of history ... we've collected nearly $12.6 million more from the residents than we have delivered in service," Sanders said.

Several board members recalled that last year they adopted a budget with a deficit only to end up adding to the surplus at the end of the year.

They also recalled that they have lowered the tax rate ever so slightly for the past two years while the surplus has grown from $11.7 million in fiscal 2009 to $12.6 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Board members Robin Walker and Susan Bourgeois expressed concerns about the proposed deficit. Sanders kept reminding them of the surplus.

"Having a surplus is great," Walker said.

Board Chair Kevin Dent said, "We have discovered that there were years" when the center actually spent less money than had been budgeted.

The board voted down the 2 cent tax rate. Opposed: Dent, Bourgeois, Jay Howell, Risa Sanders, Walker. For: Sanders and Chad Quinn, a member of the Finance Committee.

Walker then proposed the 2.2-cent rate. "I like to err on the side of caution," she said. Sanders seconded it. That rate passed unanimously.

The board then passed its proposed operating budget of nearly $5 million for 2013. That amount plus the $12.6 million surplus give the board a nearly $18 million budget.

The board has not posted any budget documents on its website for taxpayers. Dent said the proposed budget would be posted by Thursday.

Background:

The entire board must adopt a 2013 budget and property tax rate by the end of September and send it to the county for inclusion in the Fairfax County budget. The Community Center is an agency of Fairfax County government and reports to Dranesville Supervisor John Foust and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

The 2012 budget, which took effect July 1, calls for spending about $5.5 million and a 2.3-cent tax rate, according to the budget documents.