Fairfax County
Taxpayer's Alliance

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Vienna Notice of Proposed Tax Increase for FY2014-15

FCTA Note:The following notice was published in the Washington Times on 03/28/2014 and 04/04/2014. As noted by FCTA regarding Vienna's earlier Budget Notice and in the Sun Gazette, Vienna is proposing a large increase in your real estate tax bill! ( Virginia Code recommends actual tax billing increases of no more than one percent.)

FCTA has extreme reservations about the methodology used in Items 2 and 3. Fact is, assessed values have gone up significantly -- a sample of three unimproved south Vienna properties averaged close to 9 percent -- while the proposed tax rate remains unchanged from last year. So the Town Council should explain how the average effective tax bill increase will be only 3.8 percent!!!

The Town Council members who will decide the size of the increase in your tax bill are listed below. (Perhaps they would like to hear from you.)

NOTE: On 04/28/2014, The Vienna Town Council unanimously decided to adopt a real estate tax rate of the anticipated 22.88 cents per $100 of assessed value, which translates to the earlier proposed 7.5% increase on your next tax bill. The final vote to be finalized on May 12, after the town council elections on May 6.

-- David Swink, FCTA Board member and Vienna resident

Notice of Proposed Real Property Tax Increase
[for Fiscal Year 2014-15]

The Town of Vienna, Virginia proposes to increase property tax levies.

  1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, has increased from last year's total assessed value of real property by 4.17 percent.

  2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.2201 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the "lowered tax rate".

  3. Effective Rate Increase: The Town of Vienna, Virginia proposes to adopt a tax rate of $0.2288 per $100 of assessed value [same as last year's rate]. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed tax rate would be $0.0087 per $100, or 3.8 percent. This difference will be known as the "effective tax rate increase". Individual property taxes may, however, increase at percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.

  4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of the Town of Vienna, Virginia will exceed last year's by 2.7 percent.

A public hearing on the increase will be held on Monday April 28, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. at Town Hall, 127 Center Street S., Vienna, Virginia 22180. This hearing will be open to the public and the Town Council will permit all persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present oral testimony.

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Melanie J. Clark, CMC
Town Clerk

Publish Washington Times: March 28, 2014 and April 4, 2014

Posted at Town Hall: March 28, 2014

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