County board to reduce real estate tax rate, though bills will still go up

Property tax bills are poised to go up — but somewhat less than initially expected.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ budget policy committee discussed a plan on Friday (April 22) to set the property tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed property value, a 3-cent decrease from the current rate.

However, due to increased assessments, property tax bills will still increase by $465 on average, or 6.7%, according to a county projection.

The board is also planning to provide relief for personal property taxes on vehicles, following a staff recommendation. Those bills would only be taxed at 85% of an automobile’s assessment, meaning the average bill would be $307. That’s a $78 increase from the current year.

The proposed budget for fiscal year 2023, which begins July 1, also increases sewer service and base charges.

The board kept the record open for comments following three days of budget hearings April 12-14. Many people called for more funding to parks and other initiatives, while others called for property tax relief.

The board is also moving to provide higher compensation increases than what County Executive Bryan Hill included in the advertised budget released in February. It hopes to improve employee recruitment and retention amid a 15% vacancy rate as of mid-March.

Other planned changes from the advertised budget include more funding for parks, nonprofits, and the arts.

The board will mark up the budget at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) and is slated to adopt it May 10.