Testimonies to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the County Budget - 04/22/2025
The Board of Supervisors held its final public hearing on property tax increases on April 22. (Local proposals: FxCo $1.14/$100;) Members of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance made strong protests over the proposed 7.5% tax gouge:
- Charles McAndrew - FCTA board member at Budget Hearing
- Charles McAndrew - FCTA board member at Tax Rate Hearing
- Rod Dyck - FCTA board member at Budget Hearing
- Rod Dyck - FCTA board member at Tax Rate Hearing
- Rod Dyck - FCTA board member at Meals Tax Hearing
- Jeff Leach - FCTA board member at Budget Hearing
Testimony from Charles McAndrew (Oak Hill) at Budget Hearing
| To: | Mr. Jeffrey McKay Chairman, Fairfax Co. Board of Supervisors 12000 Government Center Pkwy Fairfax Co. VA 22035-0071 |
| Mrs. Kathy Smith | Sully District Board Supervisor | 4900 Stonecroft Blvd | Chantilly, VA 20151-3808 |
My wife and I have been homeowners in Fairfax County since 1968. I am a Board Member of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance (FCTA). I have been protesting both the budget and taxes for over 50 years! I am here to protest the outrageous salaries of executives of the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). I understand that the Chief Experience and Engagement Officer is paid $244,255 and the Chief Equity Officer is paid $248,693. This is more than the U.S. Secretary of Defense who is paid $221,400 and is responsible for a trillion-dollar budget and millions of military and civilian employees. The Superintendent is paid $407,832. That is more than the President of the United States who makes $400,000 annually! These are examples of overpaid executives! Keep in mind that a Senator and Congressman makes $174,000 annually. The Majority and Minority Leaders in Congress as well as the President Pro Tempore make $193,400 annually.
I understand that Mr. Chairman that you had a real problem with this FCPS budget. I believe that you stated, "the FCPS requested for the school transfer of $165 million is unrealistic" which I certainly agree! This transfer to the school should be substantially reduced especially that they expect a 6% salary increase which should not have given to the top 25 high paid executives of the FCPS. The advertised budget of $3.8 billion that includes an increase of 8.6% over the previous budget of $301.8 million even though the enrollment is estimated to rise 1%. In the meanwhile, the latest nationwide inflation rate (cost of living) is 3.5% and yet the FCPS wants their budget more than double the inflation rate. This is outrageous!
Recently the FCPS Board Members were given raises to $48,000 annually and the Chairman at $50,000. How many hours per year do the School Board Members do they work?
FCPS spending has increased six times faster than enrollment since the. year 2000 through FY2024. So, my request is to cut the transfer of funds to the FCPS by $100 million!
I look forward to your written response and also responses from the Superintendent and School Board Members that I am forwarding this presentation to at this time!
Charles McAndrew, FCTA Board Member
Copies to the Superintendent of FCPS and all Board Members and County Supervisors
Testimony from Charles McAndrew (Oak Hill) at Tax Rate Hearing
| To: | Mr. Jeffrey McKay Chairman, Fairfax Co. Board of Supervisors 12000 Government Center Pkwy Fairfax Co. VA 22035-0071 |
| Mrs. Kathy Smith | Sully District Board Supervisor | 4900 Stonecroft Blvd | Chantilly, VA 20151-3808 |
My wife and I have been homeowners and taxpayers in Fairfax County since 1968. I am here to protest the outrageous increase in the real estate tax assessments! As I understand, the Supervisors proposed a 7.5% increase real estate tax hike, the largest increase in the past 10 years costing the average homeowner approximately $650. With inflation around 2.5%, real estate taxes continue to increase along with household income three times year after year and decades after decades! For example, real estate taxes has risen 287% since the year 2000 to 2025 while inflation and household income only went up 88%.
In the past 10 years, my real estate taxes from the year 2015 to 2025 has gone from $7,609 to $11,770 estimated for this year for an overall 65% increase. This was an increase of three times the rate of inflation during that time period. It is time for a reasonable common sense tax increase no more than an annual increase in household income and inflation!
I also oppose the proposed "MEALS TAX"!
I look forward to a written response to my presentation. Thank you for your attention!
Charles McAndrew, Board Member of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance
Copies to Board of Supervisors, the FCPS Superintendent and the school board.
Testimony from Rod Dyck (Fairfax) at Budget Hearing
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Board:
I am Rod Dyck and address you on behalf of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance.
Next year’s proposed tax increase continues the 25-year trend of raising real estate taxes three times faster than household income and increasing inflation-adjusted school spending three times faster than the rate of student enrollment.
The supervisors are proposing the largest real estate tax increase in a decade, which would boost bills by an average 7.5%, raising the average bill to $9,312. Even with the new proposed meals tax, real estate taxes would still increase 6.2%.
The mounting tax burden on county taxpayers is the result of overspending, not from legitimate educational costs or rising property values.
A primary driver of these spending increases are steep raises for the over 50,000 county and school employees. Although inflation was at 2.5%, supervisors demand new revenue to fund salary increases averaging over 4%. Additionally, the county oƯers generous and costly pensions and medical benefits.
What do these soaring taxes get us?
- Falling educational outcomes, SAT scores continued to drop each year, even after the pandemic ended -- dropping a total of 40 points between 2018 and 2024, while school spending increased $600 million.
- Since 2019, Fairfax County has experienced a significant exodus of taxpayers while the county's population numbers were increased by an influx of international migrants. The primary reasons cited by those leaving were rising costs, including property taxes.
- Almost half of FCPS enrolment is now made up of low-income and ESL students as the county's tax base is fleeing the county.
- The supervisors often tout programs for aƯordable housing, all the while making housing increasingly unaƯordable because of mounting real estate bills.
- In an apparent effort to show how difficult it is to cut spending and to justify higher taxes, the supervisors have proposed cuts to public safety by eliminating 70 vacant positions and overtime -- both essential to maintaining safety -- across the Fairfax County Police Department, the Sherriff's Office, and the Fire and Rescue Department.
- In 2021, the Boad of Supervisors instituted a so-called Trust Policy that prohibits cooperation with administrative ICE detainers for those released from the county jail. By refusing to cooperate on more than 1,150 detainer requests over the past 2.5 years, Fairfax County ranks third highest in the nation. This policy obviously has the effect of promoting crime within Fairfax County.
- And because the Trust Policy also restricts data on immigration status, associated costs for public services, such as for health care, education, and social services, are hidden.
- There is a conflict of interest by supervisors who accept employee union campaign contributions while funding unreasonable union employee raises and benefits.
- The budget chair for the Fairfax County School Board is being sued by Blue Label Aviation, where he served as treasurer, for allegedly embezzling $175,000 to fund his school board campaign, vacations, and strip clubs. This alarming news should be a wakeup call for the county to finally conduct a comprehensive and independent audit of its spending, with a proposed budget of $5.7 billion and $2.93 billion going to the Fairfax County Public Schools.
Fairfax County should:
- Cut the property tax rate so that property taxes will not increase faster than household incomes.
- Run a quality school system, cut costs, and take action to attract new businesses with lower taxes and less regulation -- where household incomes increase faster than inflation. To fund above-inflation raises, employees must earn their raises.
- Conduct a comprehensive and independent audit of its spending and an emphasis on objective educational outcomes. That spending is now proposed at $5.7 billion. Audit school programs and administrative staffing, not just county programs. For example, school curriculum specialists should be returned to the classroom.
- Audit pension management -- why are pensions only 68% funded after rate hikes and a soaring stock market?
- Transition new non-uniformed employees to 401(k)-type plans, similar to those adopted by private companies, to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
- Replace the two raises that county and school employees get (Cost of Living Adjustment and the step increase) with a single merit-based raise, as in the private sector.
- Rescind the County's Trust Policy.
- End the downward spiral of asking for more and more money from fewer and fewer taxpayers for fewer and worse services.
Thank you.
Testimony from Rod Dyck (Fairfax) at Tax Rate Hearing
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Board:
I am Rod Dyck and address you on behalf of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance.
Next year's proposed real estate tax increase continues the 25-year trend of raising real estate taxes three times faster than household income. The proposed tax increase would average 7.5%, the largest in a decade, raising the average property tax bill from $8,659 to $9,312.
The supervisors don't acknowledge that they are proposing an average 7.5% hike in real estate taxes.
This year's residential assessments increased an average of 6.2%, which means that the average tax bill automatically increases 6.2%, unless the supervisors lower the tax rate. Just because property values went up 6.2% doesn't mean wages have gone up by that much and doesn't mean the county must increase spending by that much.
Yet even a 6.2% tax increase is not enough for the Board of Supervisors. Instead of lowering the rate to offset the assessment, the supervisors propose to increase the rate from $1.125 per $100 of real estate value to $1.140. With the stormwater rate, also included in real estate bills, the proposed rate is $1.1725.
Even with the new proposed meals tax, real estate taxes would still increase 6.2%.
The taxation facing county taxpayers is the result of overspending, not legitimate educational costs or rising house values.
County taxpayers deserve relief. Cut the tax rate so that property taxes will not increase more than household income, or better yet, not at all because of past excessive tax increases.
This tax-rate hearing is important. It's supposed to give owners of the county's 338,000 residential properties the opportunity to testify on the real estate tax rate.
However, few people are aware of this tax-rate hearing. It's not mentioned on the assessment notices, which only list the 4 p.m. budget hearing on the back.
Do the supervisors really want to hear from homeowners, who collectively pay $3 billion in real estate taxes?
Homeowner's are kept in the dark about the supervisors' proposed tax hikes because the assessment notice doesn't show the proposed tax rate. Instead, it says "TBD".
Last year The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance asked the supervisors to do as Utah does and include the proposed rate on assessment notices. That would permit county residents to know how much their real estate tax might increase. The supervisors refused.
In addition to stating what the proposed tax rate is, budget literature should:
- Say that the tax increase is 7.5%.
- Show the percent increases for the past ten years for comparison.
- Say that the new average tax will be is $9,312.
- Include the stormwater tax that is included in real estate tax bills.
Put all this on assessment notices, which go to 338,000 homeowners, and replace TBD with the proposed rate.
Homeowners are required to pay real estate bills that have been increasing far faster than household incomes and inflation. It appears that efforts are being made to obscure the true extent of these tax increases and to limit public awareness and participation in related hearings.
Thank you.
Testimony from Rod Dyck (Fairfax) at Meals Tax Hearing
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Board:
I am Rod Dyck and address you on behalf of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance.
The supervisors are proposing a 3% or 4% meals tax to take effect on January 1, 2026.
Voters in Fairfax County have previously rejected adding a meals tax, in 2016 and 1992, by wide margins. In the 2023 election, supervisors did not campaign on adding a meals tax; now it is being sprung on us.
There are several rationalizations for the meals tax:
First, that it would provide relief from high real estate taxes. Not really. Because average residential assessments increased 6.2% this year, homeowners will have an average real estate tax hike of 6.2%. Instead of reducing the tax rate to offset higher assessments the supervisors actually added 1.5 cents to the tax rate, resulting in a 7.5% tax increase. That is the highest real estate tax increase in a decade.
The Chairman offers the meals tax as an alternative to the 1.5 cent rate hike. In that case, real estate taxes would still increase 6.2% due to assessments, which still exceeds the increase in household incomes.
After its first 12 months, meals tax revenue would only increase with population and inflation and would reduce the tax rate by less than a quarter of a penny.
Therefore, even with a meals tax, real estate taxes will continue increasing three times faster than household income. As Chairman McKay stated on the WAMU "Politics Hour" show, the meals tax "... is not the solution."
A second reason for a meals tax is to diversify the tax base. Fairfax County already has 177 taxes, licenses, fines, permits, and fees, including dance hall and fortune teller licenses. Adding another tax simply adds to the burden.
A third and perennial argument is that schools are underfunded, as though more money would improve schools. SAT scores continued to drop each year, even after the pandemic ended -- dropping a total of 40 points between 2018 and 2024, while school spending increased $600 million. Increasing school spending rewards mismanagement and bad curricula due to administrators that feel no consequences when achievement falls. Competition would improve schools more than money.
A fourth reason is that the state is allegedly underfunding our schools by $600 million. However, the supervisors demand $300 million to give 4% raises to county and school employees which, if raised each year, would compound annually. Even if the county got $600 million of more state funding, that would only cover two years of raises. To illustrate, after 3 years, the cost of raises would be $900 million more for that year, but state funding would still be $600 million.
A fifth reason for the meals tax is that many neighboring jurisdictions have a meals tax. But why would we want to give up the competitive advantage of having lower taxes?
A sixth reason is that one-third of the meals tax would be paid by non-residents. While true, a meals tax raises costs for restaurant customers, making it more difficult for restaurant businesses.
A reason for high real estate taxes is that other revenue streams are stagnant because Fairfax County is business-hostile. Businesses already pay 16 taxes:
- Real Estate Tax
- Commercial and Industrial Tax
- Stormwater Tax
- BPOL Tax
- 1% County Sales and Use Tax
- 1.25% Schools Sales and Use Tax
- 0.70% Regional Transportation Sales and Use Tax
- 3% State Sales and Use Tax
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Workers' Compensation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Business Personal Property Tax
- Communications Sales and Use Tax
- Virginia Electric Utility Tax
- County Electric Utility Tax
The meals tax would make it 17 taxes and will solve nothing.
The meals tax is not part of the solution; it is, however, part of the problem. Instead, the county should cut costs and shore up the tax base with business-friendly measures like lower taxes and fewer regulations.
Thank you.
Testimony from Jeff Leach (Fairfax) at Budget Hearing
Chairman McKay and other Supervisors:
My name is Jeffrey Leach. I'm a Fairfax County citizen, taxpayer, and volunteer who has worked in law and business for over 30 years, running my own business (successfully) for ten of those years.
This budget is a car wreck -- not due to the work of the men and women in our Department of Management and Budget, who have done a beautiful job -- but due to County leaders who have been driving the car.
A call for a rise in taxes beyond inflation to cover our $271M deficit (which may soon turn into a $440M deficit if you continue to defy Executive Orders and lose federal funding) is a public admission of failure to manage taxpayer resources properly. Gross overspending began long before any of you came to sit on the Board and there's enough blame to go around between the two major parties.
Let me give one example. During the 40 years between 1985 and 2025, the number of students in the Fairfax County Public School system increased by 44%. During that same period, however, the total number of FCPS employees doubled at 94% (twice the student growth rate), the number of teachers almost tripled at 186% (over four times the student growth rate), and the number of assistant principals increased at a rate of 306% (nearly seven times the student growth rate).
Unsurprisingly, this enormous mushrooming of personnel has caused a corresponding rise in cost. In 1985, the county paid (in inflation-adjusted 2025 dollars) $7,651 for each student. Today, the total cost per student is $22,600 (most of which the County pays) -- almost three times higher.
During this same 40-year period, the cost of FCPS per household has almost doubled while real incomes have decreased when adjusted for inflation.
The argument that all these expenditures are necessary for a "state-of-the-art" education fails not only because FCPS was delivering state-of-the-art education in 1985 for one-third the cost (in inflation-adjusted dollars) (as detailed in this book by Dr. Daniel Duke of UVA) but also because, by objective metrics, FCPS' performance has been falling for years.
In addition, the situation is worsening now that the tax base is fleeing Fairfax County (over 2,000 households have left in the past year).
I implore you: do not continue down this road.
[But it's not enough to curse the darkness.] With input from many citizens across the political spectrum, I've sent to all of you a workable proposal that balances the budget, lowers (not raises) taxes, gives every household a $1,600 tax credit, and ends with a surplus. Please enact it.
Thank you.