Tax rate required to offset 60-percent increase in assessments: 76 cents
Arthur G. Purves, president of the Fairfax County
Taxpayers Alliance, today accused the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
of raising real estate taxes $1000 since the last supervisors’ election,
in 1999. "Prior to the last election, Supervisors Kate Hanley and Gerry
Connolly explicitly denied any plans to raise taxes after the election,"
Purves said. "Since then the typical Fairfax County household has seen its
real estate taxes increase by $1000, and that is after adjusting for inflation.
Real estate taxes increased more during the last four years than they did
in the previous 19 years." Without adjusting for inflation the four-year
increase is almost $1300. These figures assume a proposed real estate tax
rate of $1.16, five cents below the current rate of $1.21.
Moreover, the $1000-dollar increase in real estate taxes dwarfs the typical homeowner’s savings from the car tax rollback, which is about $550. "Supervisor Connolly repeatedly stated that taxpayers could afford to pay higher real estate taxes since they were paying lower car taxes," Purves said. Purves continued: "Fairfax County spending per resident, even when adjusted for inflation, is at an all-time high. Public school inflation-adjusted spending per student is at an all-time high. Real estate taxes are at an all-time high. And what’s improved? We’re paying higher taxes for crowded roads and schools." Purves called the supervisors’ proposed real
estate tax rate reduction from $1.21 to $1.16 "too little too late." "While
assessments increased over 60 percent in four years, the supervisors made
only a token reduction to the tax rate. To eliminate any tax increase arising
from the 60-percent increase in residential assessments, the supervisors must
set the tax rate at 76 cents, not $1.16," Purves concluded. To see $400
million in wasteful county spending identified by the FCTA, visit the www.fcta.org
home page. |
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