‘It keeps increasing’ | Fairfax County homeowners get hit with another tax increase

WJLA

By Nick Minock

FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — Fairfax County homeowners are getting hit with increases in their property tax payments, which are due on July 28, 2023.

Some homeowners are telling 7 On Your Side it’s getting harder to live in Fairfax County with the rising cost of living.

Allen Wilson and his wife are retired educators living in Fairfax County.

“We’re hanging out with the hope of being able to age in place,” said Wilson.

But rising property taxes are making that difficult. The Wilsons are tutoring to make extra money. But Allen isn’t sure how long they can keep that up. He said retirees in his neighborhood have been pushed out of Fairfax County because of increased taxes.

“They had to [move],” said Wilson. “They could not afford to continue to live here.”

After the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the county budget, the Wilsons were hit with a $11,000 tax bill on their home.

“It keeps increasing,” said Wilson. “Our property taxes this past year were $11,000 and that’s an increase. There’s been an increase every year that we’ve lived here since 1991. Assessments do go up and sometimes the tax rate goes down. But that doesn’t really help people who are living on set incomes like my wife and I. It’s pushing people out of Fairfax County.”

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Fairfax County homeowners are getting hit with increases in their property tax payments, which are due on July 28, 2023. (7News)

On Friday, 7News asked Fairfax County Chair Jeff McKay, “Is the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors going to increase property taxes again next year?” and “When, if at all, can Fairfax County homeowners expect a decrease in their property taxes?”

McKay did not respond to 7News in time for this story.

The Wilsons aren’t alone in their concerns.

Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity said people across the county are calling his office — people who are shocked about the increase to their property tax bills.

“They’re just that they’re devastated, especially our seniors that are on fixed incomes,” said Herrity. “We’re looking at inflation and everything else that’s going on. They just don’t need this right now.”

ALSO READ | Fairfax County homeowners’ tax bills may go up with new 2024 budget proposal

Fairfax County homeowners are getting hit with increases in their property tax payments, which are due on July 28, 2023. (7News)

Supervisor Herrity said the rest of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors doesn’t see rising property taxes as an issue.

“They don’t see this as an issue,” said Herrity.

Herrity said property taxes have increased by 50% in the past ten years in Fairfax County.

“Fifty percent increase over the last 10 years is unsustainable,” said Herrity. “People’s incomes aren’t rising by 50% over the last 10 years. We’ve got to work to turn this around. We’ve got to reverse the trend of people voting with their feet and start bringing people back into Fairfax County.”

And Allen has an idea for the board of supervisors to consider.

“To get Fairfax County to offer tax deferment for retirees and disabled people,” said Wilson, who added the property taxes could be paid when a home is sold.

Herrity adds it’s not just homeowners who are feeling the impact of rising taxes, renters are too when landlords pass increases in property taxes onto renters in their leases.

“Renters don’t feel it and see it directly,” said Herrity. “But they are getting hit just as hard. Those that are on fixed incomes are really getting hit hard. We’re literally taxing our seniors out of Fairfax County. And our young graduates who can’t afford to live here either.”

“There could be a big tax decrease,” added Herrity. “So we got to focus on priorities. We gotta get back to focusing on priorities in Fairfax County on the budget. And I put an alternative budget on the table every year that shows the board how we can do it by focusing on priorities including employee wages and police raises, and they haven’t shown interest in that and they haven’t shown interest in the reduction side of that.”