Fairfax County Taxpayer's Alliance Watchdog of the Taxpayer's Dollar Since 1956

THE BULLETIN Vol. 64 No. 6 May 16, 2024

Testimony of FCTA president Arthur Purves at the May 14, 2024, Fairfax County School Board public hearing on the FY2025 approved budget. Only six people testified. Speakers are given only two minutes. Mercia Hobson, reporter for the Connection Newspapers had an excellent article about the hearing. The hearing was poorly attended even though the school board had just decreased next year's raise from 6% to 3%, since the supervisors did not fully fund the schools' budget request. The school board will approve their FY2025 budget on May 23.

Superintendent Reid and Members of the Board:

I am Arthur Purves, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance.

This year's 3-cent increase in the real estate tax rate is actually a 6-cent increase, due to the 3 percent increase in residential assessments. When car taxes are included, the average household's tax bill this year increased from $8700 to $9250.

Since 2021 this retiree's real estate tax increased 20%, from $8,400 to $10,100 while income increased 7%. Inflation was 12%. I don't think I'm alone.

Since 2000, real estate taxes have increased three times faster than homeowner income. If real estate taxes had increased at the same rate as homeowner income, taxes would be $4,000 less.

The extra $4,000 would be worth it if taxes made things better. They don't.

In education it is game over by third grade. Many children who haven't mastered reading and arithmetic by third grade are socially promoted. They rarely catch up academically and are condemned to life-long poverty. Instead of fixing the curriculum, standards are lowered. Teachers, who must teach unprepared students, are also victims.

In history students are turned against our Constitution by attacks on the Founding Fathers. Do students learn, for example, that John Jay, the first Chief Justice, was an abolitionist? As was Benjamin Franklin?

The Portrait of a Graduate omits self-sufficiency.

Even the federally mandated high-carb low-fat school meals contribute to the pandemic of early onset diabetes II in American youth.

There is no evidence that we are losing teachers to the private sector due to pay. The problems are a shrinking workforce due to depopulation and teacher frustration.

Freeze salaries until the curriculum is fixed. Use some of the savings to increase police salaries, whose job is made more difficult by the schools' failure to teach reading and arithmetic by 3rd grade.

Thank you.

Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance - fcta.org