On average, Prince William County residents will see an increase of $258 on their annual household tax bills, based on calculations from the executive officer’s proposed fiscal 2009 budget released Tuesday.
That additional $258, which is an 8 percent jump from last year, brings the total yearly average tax per household to $3,473, the proposed plan shows, and is based on average values of single family homes at $344,000.
The proposed tax rate, meanwhile, is $1.01 per $100 of assessed real estate value, which is up from the current 78.7 cents.
In March, new assessment figures will be released, and bills could be swayed a bit either way by those numbers — but so far, the projected 16 percent decrease in single family values seems on track, according to budget paperwork and statements made at the Board of County Supervisors meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Initial budget discussions last year called for consideration of a 10 percent increase, but County Executive Craig Gerhart nixed that idea, saying it’s “clear to me when we got 10 percent [as a proposal] in the past, that created backlash.”
The 2 percent difference, he said, could be recouped as long as supervisors adopt and implement the included suggestions for savings — or else face a budget that requires $14.7 million in new funding.
“We’ve got some work to do,” Gerhart said. “If we’re not successful in doing this [these savings], a lot of [the budget] figures sort of come apart.”
In short, plenty of budget discussions are on the way, with the first of 10 scheduled for March 1. The nearly $470 million plan is about 4 1/2 percent higher than last year’s, and includes a 7 percent, or $923 million, increase in general fund revenues.
Included in this fiscal year’s expense planning are two new items, described as substantial in terms of actual costs: the proposal sets aside $6.4 million to enforce the illegal immigration measure and another $3.8 million to implement the Line of Duty Death recommendations for the Fire and Rescue Department.
Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.
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