Fairfax County supervisors swallowed a long list of individual grievances Monday to unanimously pass a $3.3 billion budget that leaves few completely happy but balances county spending by closing a $650 million shortfall.
It is the first spending plan approved since Democratic Chairwoman Sharon Bulova took the reins of the 10-member board. The budget’s loudest detractors came not from the board’s Republican minority, but from Democrats unhappy with what they believed to be a retreat from the county’s commitment to affordable housing.
The $20 million “penny for housing” fund, set up in 2004 to buy or otherwise preserve low and moderately priced rental units, was cut in half to save public safety and human services jobs.
Detractors have long called the housing program a waste of money, and more so now because affordable living space is no longer being converted into pricey condos. Supervisors Gerry Hyland and Cathy Hudgins protested the cut, however, calling the housing dollars critical.
“Four years ago, we as a board said putting a penny [on the real estate tax rate] aside for housing is quite frankly the least we can do because of the magnitude of the problem,” Hyland said.
The board was able to pass a budget that scales back the 524 positions cut in County Executive Anthony Griffin’s original proposal to 306, according to Fairfax County spokeswoman Merni Fitzgerald. How many of those cuts will translate to layoffs has not been determined, she said.
The budget gives the public school system the same amount of funding as last year’s, though school officials had requested a $21 million increase. Supervisors said they expected federal stimulus money for education would help bridge the gap.
The plan increases the real estate tax rate from 92 cents per $100 value to $1.04, plus a 1 penny tax to fund storm water projects.
Because of the precipitous drop in home values, officials said the average tax bill would decrease slightly, despite the rate increase.
The board will formally adopt the budget later this month.
