Fairfax proposed budget calls for modest school transfer, pay hikes
http://www.insidenova.com/news/fairfax/fairfax-proposed-budget-calls-for-modest-school-transfer-pay-hikes/article_3d84ae7c-9f70-11e3-bee3-0019bb2963f4.html
Fairfax County Executive Edward Long on Feb. 25 proposed a nearly $7 billion fiscal year 2015 budget that would hold the county’s real estate tax rate steady, give $34.3 million more for school operations, add a net total of 13 employees and increase county workers’ pay.
The average homeowner would pay about $330 more this year in real estate taxes under the new budget, due to higher average assessments that also were released Feb. 25. The Board of Supervisors could reduce the increase by lowering the real estate tax rate from last year’s rate.
About $3.7 billion of Long’s proposed budget would be used for general-fund purposes, such as schools, public-safety operations, parks and libraries; the remainder would go to separate operations, such as water and sewer services, many of which have their own funding sources, Long said.
Since fiscal year 2009, the county has cut its general-fund disbursements by about $170 million and eliminated 650 staff positions, Long noted.
“Further across-the-board reductions cannot be made without affecting core services,” he said.
Long proposed transferring $1.75 billion to the school system for operating expenses, a 2-percent increase over the adopted fiscal year 2014 budget. The School Board, however, has requested a 5.7-percent increase – or nearly $65 million more –to pay for increased enrollment costs and higher employee salaries.
School Board Chairman Ilryong Moon (At-Large) said the school system’s transfer increases had averaged 1.1 percent for the last several years, but enrollment jumped by about 15,000 students.
“The county and schools have fiscal challenges, but how we address them has to be very equitable,” Moon said. The budget “is not equitable at all, in my mind,” he said.
Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) asked why the county’s general fund would rise about 3.4 percent under the budget, while the school system – which receives 52.1 percent of those moneys – would receive only 2 percent more.
Long said he based the school-transfer figure on supervisors’ budget guidance – an assertion confirmed by Board Chairman Sharon Bulova (D).
Long recommended $29.5 million worth of pay and benefit increases for county workers, including a 1.29-percent raise for all county employees, which would cost $14.1 million. If supervisors wish to grant a 2-percent increase instead, it would cost nearly $7.8 million more.
While the proposed budget was based on the current real estate tax rate of $1.085 per $100 assessed value, owners of residential properties would pay more because assessments are up an average of 6.54 percent this year.
Assessments for single-family homes rose an average of 5.8 percent, while those for townhouses increased 8.4 percent and ones for condominiums rebounded 10.5 percent.
Real estate taxes account for 63.2 percent of the county’s general-fund budget, while personal-property taxes bring in 15.6 percent and local taxes 13.5 percent. State revenues make up 2.6 percent of the budget and the federal government contributes just 0.7 percent.
The average household would pay nearly $332 more just for real estate taxes under the new budget. Some supervisors said county staff should compile an overall figure that also lists hikes in other taxes and fees.
Supervisors lamented the nearly 15-percent vacancy rate for commercial buildings in the county and were unhappy that assessments for non-residential properties fell average of 0.1 percent. Commercial-property assessments might not begin growing again until fiscal 2017, Long said.
Non-residential revenues make up 19 percent of the county’s real estate tax base. Supervisor Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield) said county officials must do more to decrease the burden on residential property owners.
The proposed budget would eliminate 45 positions as part of a staffing alignment for the School-Age Child Care program, but hire 58 more workers, including eight new public-safety employees, 13 in human services, 20 in community-development agencies, 11 to staff new facilities and six employees in other divisions.
Among the budget’s highlights:
* Long proposed raising $1 million by increasing fees for ambulance transportation by the county’s Emergency Medical Services division. The fees last were adjusted in 2008, the county executive said.
The basic life-support transportation fee would rise from $400 to $500, Advanced Life Support-1 (ALS-1) would increase from $500 to $650, ALS-2 would jump from $675 to $800 and the $10 fee per mile transported would be boosted to $12.
The fees would be covered largely by insurance companies, and no one would be denied such transportation services because of inability to pay, Long said.
* The county executive also would like to raise $500,000 by increasing School-Age Child Care fees by 1.3 percent and another $100,000 by increasing adoption-and-boarding fees at the county’s animal shelter.
While the county now charges $40 adoption fees for dogs and $30 fees for cats, the new fees would range from $50 to $175 depending on the animals’ ages, and will pay for mandatory spaying or neutering before adoption.
Boarding fees for dogs and cats would jump from $10 per day to $15.
* Residents living in the Sun Gazette’s readership area will see several new facilities open later this year and Long’s budget provides money to staff them. The new Wolftrap Fire Station would receive $4.16 million to become fully operational; Merrifield Human Services Center, which will open in September, would receive $1.67 million and seven employees; and Providence Community Center, slated to open in November, would receive $1.38 million and seven employees.
Supervisors will hold public hearings on the budget April 8 through 10, then adopt the budget April 29. Fiscal year 2015 begins July 1.
http://www.insidenova.com/news/fairfax/fairfax-proposed-budget-calls-for-modest-school-transfer-pay-hikes/article_3d84ae7c-9f70-11e3-bee3-0019bb2963f4.html
Fairfax County Executive Edward Long on Feb. 25 proposed a nearly $7 billion fiscal year 2015 budget that would hold the county’s real estate tax rate steady, give $34.3 million more for school operations, add a net total of 13 employees and increase county workers’ pay.
The average homeowner would pay about $330 more this year in real estate taxes under the new budget, due to higher average assessments that also were released Feb. 25. The Board of Supervisors could reduce the increase by lowering the real estate tax rate from last year’s rate.
About $3.7 billion of Long’s proposed budget would be used for general-fund purposes, such as schools, public-safety operations, parks and libraries; the remainder would go to separate operations, such as water and sewer services, many of which have their own funding sources, Long said.
Since fiscal year 2009, the county has cut its general-fund disbursements by about $170 million and eliminated 650 staff positions, Long noted.
“Further across-the-board reductions cannot be made without affecting core services,” he said.
Long proposed transferring $1.75 billion to the school system for operating expenses, a 2-percent increase over the adopted fiscal year 2014 budget. The School Board, however, has requested a 5.7-percent increase – or nearly $65 million more –to pay for increased enrollment costs and higher employee salaries.
School Board Chairman Ilryong Moon (At-Large) said the school system’s transfer increases had averaged 1.1 percent for the last several years, but enrollment jumped by about 15,000 students.
“The county and schools have fiscal challenges, but how we address them has to be very equitable,” Moon said. The budget “is not equitable at all, in my mind,” he said.
Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) asked why the county’s general fund would rise about 3.4 percent under the budget, while the school system – which receives 52.1 percent of those moneys – would receive only 2 percent more.
Long said he based the school-transfer figure on supervisors’ budget guidance – an assertion confirmed by Board Chairman Sharon Bulova (D).
Long recommended $29.5 million worth of pay and benefit increases for county workers, including a 1.29-percent raise for all county employees, which would cost $14.1 million. If supervisors wish to grant a 2-percent increase instead, it would cost nearly $7.8 million more.
While the proposed budget was based on the current real estate tax rate of $1.085 per $100 assessed value, owners of residential properties would pay more because assessments are up an average of 6.54 percent this year.
Assessments for single-family homes rose an average of 5.8 percent, while those for townhouses increased 8.4 percent and ones for condominiums rebounded 10.5 percent.
Real estate taxes account for 63.2 percent of the county’s general-fund budget, while personal-property taxes bring in 15.6 percent and local taxes 13.5 percent. State revenues make up 2.6 percent of the budget and the federal government contributes just 0.7 percent.
The average household would pay nearly $332 more just for real estate taxes under the new budget. Some supervisors said county staff should compile an overall figure that also lists hikes in other taxes and fees.
Supervisors lamented the nearly 15-percent vacancy rate for commercial buildings in the county and were unhappy that assessments for non-residential properties fell average of 0.1 percent. Commercial-property assessments might not begin growing again until fiscal 2017, Long said.
Non-residential revenues make up 19 percent of the county’s real estate tax base. Supervisor Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield) said county officials must do more to decrease the burden on residential property owners.
The proposed budget would eliminate 45 positions as part of a staffing alignment for the School-Age Child Care program, but hire 58 more workers, including eight new public-safety employees, 13 in human services, 20 in community-development agencies, 11 to staff new facilities and six employees in other divisions.
Among the budget’s highlights:
* Long proposed raising $1 million by increasing fees for ambulance transportation by the county’s Emergency Medical Services division. The fees last were adjusted in 2008, the county executive said.
The basic life-support transportation fee would rise from $400 to $500, Advanced Life Support-1 (ALS-1) would increase from $500 to $650, ALS-2 would jump from $675 to $800 and the $10 fee per mile transported would be boosted to $12.
The fees would be covered largely by insurance companies, and no one would be denied such transportation services because of inability to pay, Long said.
* The county executive also would like to raise $500,000 by increasing School-Age Child Care fees by 1.3 percent and another $100,000 by increasing adoption-and-boarding fees at the county’s animal shelter.
While the county now charges $40 adoption fees for dogs and $30 fees for cats, the new fees would range from $50 to $175 depending on the animals’ ages, and will pay for mandatory spaying or neutering before adoption.
Boarding fees for dogs and cats would jump from $10 per day to $15.
* Residents living in the Sun Gazette’s readership area will see several new facilities open later this year and Long’s budget provides money to staff them. The new Wolftrap Fire Station would receive $4.16 million to become fully operational; Merrifield Human Services Center, which will open in September, would receive $1.67 million and seven employees; and Providence Community Center, slated to open in November, would receive $1.38 million and seven employees.
Supervisors will hold public hearings on the budget April 8 through 10, then adopt the budget April 29. Fiscal year 2015 begins July 1.