|
I was the only opposing vote to the 6% tax bill increase for the average homeowner - a $450 increase for the average taxpayer. This is on top of a 56% increase in taxes over the last decade, not to mention numerous new fee increases. More disappointing than the fact that the Board did not come up with any funding reductions was that they refused to even consider my proposal to do a deep dive into the budget to identify savings and efficiencies. Instead of accepting responsibility for their own budget increases, they blamed the state for underfunding our schools. As I have done in prior years, I proposed common sense reductions in the budget from the $1.1M increase in Board office budgets that no one requested, to the general fund contribution of $42M and five new positions for government subsidized housing. The County continues to provide less in services (from park maintenance to fewer Advance Life Support ambulances to de-staffing its fire department tankers) at a higher cost, a trend we need to reverse.
My Proposed Budget Solution: Deep Dive on the Budget
Recognizing that next year is predicted to be worse than this year and that unsustainable taxes are a big reason that domestically more people are leaving the county than coming to the county, I again asked the Board to convene a group of citizens and/or consultants to conduct a deep dive review of the budget for areas where the County can provide services more efficiently and reduce the tax impact on residents. This group would be comprised of residents with demonstrated budget expertise from diverse backgrounds with the goal of reducing the cost of government and the tax burden on County residents and businesses by:
- Providing recommendations on how the County can provide quality services in a more cost-effective manner
- Identifying options for revenue diversification
- Benchmarking with other jurisdictions
- Reviewing areas the budget has grown
- Providing options to address the reduced commercial tax base
Our businesses are conducting this kind of common-sense review given all the changes being brought about by the pandemic and supply chain and staffing issues. Many of our residents are being forced to have tough family discussions on how to make ends meet and what they can and cannot afford to do. Unfortunately, not a single member of the Board would second the motion for such a common-sense review. Even the new School Board has agreed to take a deep dive into their budget but not the Board of Supervisors.
The Board’s Budget Solution: More Taxing Authority
To add insult to injury, the Board approved budget guidance that indicates the Board’s solution to the growing tax burden for residents is “broader taxing authority…to diversify our revenue base” with no mention of reducing the actual tax burden on residents (see full guidance on page 10). This Board has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, which is proven by the fact that the County’s budget year-to-year has grown faster than the population and inflation combined.
The Chairman and several Board members spent significant time at our budget meeting blaming the state’s perpetual underfunding of Fairfax County Public Schools for increasing the local tax burden on our residents. While I agree that we are not getting our fair share from the state, as a State Senator recently reminded me – this is nothing new. Blaming the state for the uncontrolled spending by the Board doesn’t help our taxpayers. The Board presented no significant cuts to the proposed budget that would relieve taxpayers beyond savings found by the County Executive included in the advertised budget and approved a budget that is significantly larger than last year on the backs of our taxpayers. Last I checked, the Board of Supervisors approves the budget and sets the tax rate, not Richmond.
Less for More. My final proposal at budget mark-up was to remove the elimination of the Animal Protection Police from the FY 2025 budget. The Board heard significant testimony from a broad constituency opposed to eliminating the Animal Protection Police. There is still no concrete plan for staff’s proposed animal services consolidation. Despite significant uncertainty about the new proposal’s implementation, particularly as it relates to wildlife services, the Board kept the elimination of Animal Protection Police in the budget. The Board moved away from the “Gold Standard” for domestic and wildlife care (see my last newsletter). This continues a trend of not listening to our residents and of significantly increased taxes for reduced service including:
- Fewer Advance Life Support ambulances with paramedics – over 20 at last count
- Elimination of staffing for HAZMAT units and 3 fire department tankers
- A reduction in park maintenance to the point I have used my office budget to try to help offset
- Elimination of the Celebrate Fairfax Fair
- Elimination of Free Shred events
- Increased fees for senior centers
- No capital funds for new park facilities or sports tourism facilities to meet resident needs and diversify our revenue
Finally, I am very disappointed that the tax rate and fee increases for the approved FY 2025 budget are being spun as a “reduction” from the advertised rate and fees. While the advertised budget proposed up to a 7% increase, the “reduction” to 6% was entirely from a change in assumptions and not from any reductions or tough decisions made by the Board.
| 
