The Fairfax County executive and county attorney will not receive a pay raise this year as the county’s economic forecasts continue to turn sharply downward.
During a closed meeting Monday, supervisors gave County Executive Anthony Griffin and Attorney David Bobzien high marks for performance but nevertheless agreed not to increase their compensation. It is the first time in their tenure as the local government’s top two administrators that they haven’t received a pay raise, said Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross, who is chairwoman of the board’s personnel committee.
“Tony [Griffin] has done a very good job of letting us know how dire the budget is,” Gross said. “I couldn’t in good conscience recommend raises, because the budget forecast is so severe.”
County leaders are working to close an immediate $58 million shortfall this fiscal year. In fiscal 2010, they face a budget gap that now threatens to top $600 million, according to a local official who has been briefed on the situation.
A precipitous drop in real estate values, accelerated by thousands of home foreclosures, is expected to be especially damaging to county coffers. Particularly vexing for budget makers is that real estate and personal property tax data won’t be fully clear until after the end of the year.
Griffin and Bobzien last year saw their salaries increased 4 percent to $232,086 and 4.5 percent to $201,560, respectively. Griffin also was allowed to forego his county-provided vehicle for a $675-per-month allowance from the county.
The halt in pay increases for the top officials augurs poorly for the thousands of employees whose salaries and jobs hang in the balance as supervisors mull how to close the shortfall. Agencies have been asked to lay out how they would cut their bottom lines by as much as 15 percent, and supervisors have signaled that many, if not most, of the proposed cuts will need to be put in place.
Griffin is expected to brief the board next week on the latest financial data.
