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Board still at impasse on tax rate
After four failed attempts to hammer out a preliminary tax rate last week, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors didn't even try on Tuesday.
The supervisors were set to vote Tuesday night to advertise a public hearing for the tax rate. The advertisement must include the maximum real estate tax rate that the supervisors will consider. The board can then adopt a lower rate than advertised, but it cannot adopt a rate that is higher.
They were actually supposed to vote last week, but after they repeatedly hit gridlock in an attempt to reach a consensus, they called it a night and said they'd try again on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, however, they didn't really try.
After all other business had been discussed, Chairman Corey Stewart (R-at large) asked if anyone wanted to make a motion on the tax rate advertisement. No one did. Then he asked if anyone wanted to go home for the night. Everyone did.
According to County Attorney Ross Horton, the legal deadline for a decision is March 18, so the board will try again at next Tuesday's meeting.
The four proposals that were shot down last week ranged from 96.8 cents, which would mean the average homeowner would see a 3-percent real estate tax bill increase, to $1.03, which would mean a 10-percent increase.
At $1.03, the school budget is completely funded and the county will be able to fund merit-based pay raises, more police officers and firefighters, safety improvements for the fire department and a crackdown on illegal immigration.
At $1.01, the school budget will be about $6 million short, but the other proposals are still funded. That rate would mean the average homeowner's real estate tax bill will increase by about 8 percent.
Less than that, and things may need to be rearranged.
When County Executive Craig Gerhart proposed a $1.01 tax rate, it was based on two priorities: $3.8 million for firefighter safety and $6.4 million for illegal immigration enforcement.
Gerhart's proposed budget prioritizes firefighter safety, which can be funded with a 99-cent tax rate. However, that rate does not also cover illegal immigration.
“At 99 cents, the way I laid out the budget, you don't have the first dollar to do illegal immigration enforcement,” Gerhart said Tuesday.
Of course, supervisors could reorder their priorities, but firefighter safety is unlikely to be cut.
Last April, firefighter Kyle Wilson died while battling a house fire, and the ensuing investigation revealed that there are a number of problems with staffing, communication and training that are jeopardizing the safety of firefighters. The $3.8 million would help correct those problems.
Gerhart has said that the firefighter money is a “moral imperative,” and some of the supervisors have agreed.
“I don't want to see Kyle to have died in vain,” said Dumfries Supervisor Maureen Caddigan (R), indicating that she would support a higher tax rate to ensure firefighter safety is funded.
The lowest rate considered last week also got the highest number of votes.
Four supervisors voted in favor of a 96.8-cent rate, which would mean no money for illegal immigration enforcement or for firefighter safety. It would, however, ensure that the average real estate tax bill rises by only 3 percent.
At that rate, however, supervisors are likely to reprioritize to find money for illegal immigration enforcement at the least.
Though the tax rate will not actually be set until later in the spring, the preliminary vote is important because once the supervisors advertise a certain rate, it cannot be increased. So if the board advertises $1.03, they could later lower it to 96.8 cents, but if they advertise 96.8 cents they can never go any higher.
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