Revenues in Arlington County’s FY 2014 Proposed Budget

Last Thursday, February 28. the Arlington County Board held it’s second budget work session with the County Manager. The meeting focused on revenues and such general government function as the county attorney, technology services, and management and finance.

Highlights from the County Manager’s “revenue overview” presentation included the following:

• FY 2013 to FY 2014 Proposed revenue changes

• Real Estate Taxes -- 3.4% increase (base rate only)
• Personal Property Taxes -- 5.9% increase
• BPOL -- 1.6% decrease
• Sales Taxes -- 6.2% increase
• Meals Taxes -- 5.8% increase
• Transient Occupancy -- 0.0% change
• Other Taxes -- 0.3% decrease
• Charges for Service -- 4.7%
• State -- 0.5% decrease
• Federal -- 13.7% decrease

• Tax & Fee Burden on Average Household (Total Residential Taxes & Fees)

• CY 2012 -- $6,726
• CY 2013 (with no change in RE tax rate) -- $6,820 (1.4% increase)
• CY 2013 (proposed $0.032 increase) -- $6.988 (3.9% increase)
• CY 2013 (advertised $0.050 increase) -- $7,082 (5.3% increase)

• Regional Tax Advertisement & Budget Schedule. The Manager provides a useful schedule of Northern Virginia jurisdictions tax rates, assessment changes, proposed tax rate changes, and dates when FY 2014 budgets will be adopted by their governing bodies.

• Jurisdiction Tax Rate Comparison

• Arlington -- $0.971 Current; $$1.021 Advertised.
• Alexandria -- $0.998 Current; $1.053 Advertised.
• Fairfax County -- $1.110 Current; %1.131 Advertised.
• Fairfax City -- $1.020 Current; $1.091 Advertised.
• Falls Church -- $1.270 Current; Advertised not available.
• Loudoun -- $1.235 Current; $1.230 Adversied.
• Prince William -- $1.286 Current; $1.272 Advertised.

• Average Single Family Home Assessment (Arlington County only). Has ranged between $369,600 in CY 2004 and $541,800 in CY 2006. For 2013, the average assessment is $524,700.

• General Fund Comparative Tax Burden, Residential vs. Commercial Tax Base. An interesting chart that shows how the two portions of the tax base were close to 50-50 in CY 2002, and now in CY 2012 and again in CY 2013 are near 50-50. It also shows that in CY 2006 residential was 60% and commercial was 40%%.

in the "related reports," the work session agenda provides the pages in the budget that were discussed by the Board masterminds and the County Manager. I hope this information was helpful.