FCTA to FCRC, Fairfax GOP BOS discussing tax increases
-- FCTA's Arthur Purves, February 26, 2017
Email to: Fairfax GOP chairman Ames, Fairfax GOP supervisors Herrity and Cook.
While the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance (FCTA) is pleased with the Fairfax County Republican Committee's (FCRC's) email opposing tax increases, without a tax increase the schools say they will have a $61M shortfall, which would require a 2.5 cent rate increase or a 2.1% tax increase. In addition the advertised budget has a built-in $23M tax increase due to the increase in assessments (not due to growth) of .97% (.68% residential and 1.85% nonresidential). Also, the county Market Rate Adjustment (MRA), costing $19.8M, is not funded, which means county employees will get 2%+ raises instead of 3.5% raises. Fully funding the school request would mean school employees would get 3.5% raises. So there would be pressure by the county unions to fund the MRA if taxes are increased to fund the schools' $61M and 3.5% raises.
To avoid a tax increase, requested spending increases need to be cut by about $61M + $23M = $84M and the MRA could not be funded (or $19.8M of cuts would have to be made elsewhere).
Do the FCRC and Republican supervisors oppose funding the county's $19.8M MRA and do they support cutting the school and county spending increases by $84M? If so, where would the FCRC and the Republican supervisors make the $84M in cuts?
You will be asked these questions by the media. We want to know if you are prepared with answers. I believe that Supervisor Herrity had identified $100M of spending cuts during the meals tax campaign, but I'm not sure what they are.
At Federal level, Republicans have campaigned for tax cuts and against Obamacare. However now that they're in position to do both, we're told they have no plan on how to do either. They seem unprepared to deal with criticism at town halls.
We wouldn't want to see that replicated at the local level.
County and school 3.5% across-the-board raises for 34,000 employees regardless of performance, pensions with retirement at 55 with 75% of salary, and Cadillac health plans are unaffordable. School staff is bloated. The atheistic "progressive" school curriculum that eschews phonics, drill, history, and God results in more remedial and disciplinary costs. The breakdown of family and marriage results in more dependency on welfare and a bigger demand for corrections and public safety. Tax hikes for compensation, welfare, and inefficient schools drive away taxpayers and deter businesses from bringing in high-paying jobs. See nomealstax.com.
It is only two years before the next supervisors election. Now is the time to build public support for tax cuts. Waiting until September 2019 is too late.
Respectfully,
Arthur Purves
President
Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance
www.fcta.org