Fairfax County Exec Requests $3.52 Billion

At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, Fairfax County Executive Anthony H. Griffin proposed a General Fund budget of $3.52 billion for Fiscal Year 2013 (July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013), an increase of 1.71 percent from the FY 2012 Revised Budget Plan.

Excluding adjustments in the current fiscal year, the increase from the FY 2012 Adopted Budget is 4.26 percent. The total of all appropriated funds is $6.7 billion. The proposed budget keeps the real estate tax rate at $1.07 per $100 of assessed value — the same as it was last year.

“The fundamental difference as we move toward FY 2013 is that we are now ready to focus on the future in a much more concrete way as opposed to merely seeing what was on the horizon while we exerted most of our energy and effort to successfully manage day-to-day operations during the midst of the ‘Great Recession’,” Griffiin said in a statement.  “Now is the time to plan ahead in order to move forward with these challenges and the complexities of a growing, diversified population.”  

The recommended transfer to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) operations is $1.68 billion, an increase of 4.5 percent over the FY 2012 Adopted Budget Plan.  However, the transfer request approved by the Fairfax County School Board, is $1.75 billion, an increase of $135.8 million, or 8.4 percent over the FY 2012 Adopted Budget Plan transfer. Including transfers for school debt service, the total proposed transfer to FCPS is $1.85 billion, which represents a 52.5 percent of total county General Fund Disbursements.

Griffin noted in his presentation that the average price of homes sold in Fairfax County increased an estimated 3.3 percent from last year, although the total number of home sold fell 13.1 percent. Residential real estate revenue accounts for approximately 74 percent of the total tax base. Nonresidential values increased 8.21 percent.

Griffin will be available in an online chat on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. To submit questions click here.

For more details on the budget and Griffin's presentation, click here.