Gov. Youngkin calls on Fairfax County, local jurisdictions to scrap vehicle tax

WJLA

By Nick Minock

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — On Thursday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed $1 billion in tax relief and more spending for teachers, law enforcement, nurses, and behavioral health.

Shortly after Youngkin’s budget presentation to state lawmakers, 7News Reporter Nick Minock asked Youngkin if he would consider scrapping the annual property tax on vehicles that many Virginia drivers dread paying each year.

“As much as I would like to, it is a local tax,” Youngkin told 7News. “And so the counties need to go reflect on the fact that the number one complaint that we get is the car tax, and yet the counties continue to charge it. I think it’s a matter of tax reassessment on behalf of so many counties around the Commonwealth to see what they are doing in order to tax their citizens as well. Taxes are a stack of local taxes, state taxes and federal taxes. The state taxes have overwhelmed companies and individuals [and] I can fix that and I think local government needs to get to work on their own tax structures.”

“What message do you have for the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County that are thinking about raising taxes as we’re maybe going into a recession?” Minock asked Youngkin.

“Virginia is already too expensive,” answered Youngkin. “We see it everywhere. We are heading into a recession. And I think that government leaders need to recognize that it’s individuals’ money, not theirs. That in fact they we need to find a way to be more prudent in what we’re spending. That’s exactly we’re doing at the state level. Last year, we found $1.2 billion that had been appropriated that didn’t need to be spent and we’re willing to give that back to the people that in fact, let us use it in the first place: the taxpayers. And we’re going to refund it back to them.”

Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity says Fairfax County has increased taxes despite the county receiving hundreds of millions in COVID cash.

“Taxes in Fairfax County went up almost seven percent last year which given inflation, high gas prices, and the stimulus money is really unforgivable,” said Herrity.

Meanwhile, Fairfax County Board of Supervisor Chair Jeff McKay is proposing to spend taxpayer money on building a COVID-19 memorial which “remains a high priority for the county” according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.

This year, Youngkin signed legislation empowering localities to lower car tax rates to help prevent “huge tax hikes driven by dramatic increases in used vehicle values.”