County budget document is often vague on specific spending
by James Simpson

Potomac News
Friday, March 26, 2004

Chairman Connaughton has a link on his website titled "Lowering Taxes." This just blows me away. Every year since he won election as Chairman to the Board of County Supervisors (BoCS) he has INCREASED our taxes.

On his "Lowering Taxes" web page Chairman Connaughton states that during the 1990's: "Low property values and a weak commercial sector meant that individual property owners were loaded up with taxes to compensate for the County's weaknesses."

Now that we have higher property values and a recovering commercial sector, what does Chairman Connaughton want to do? Load us up with taxes, of course. This reminds me of the chorus of the classic rock song "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley, which goes: "kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down, Kick 'em all around".

Readers may want to note that higher property values don't mean anything unless a person sells their home.

Chairman Connaughton's website states: "County tax revenues have increased from practically every source, thus bringing relief to property owners..." He can't be serious, can he?

During Chairman Connaughton's tenure, real estate tax revenues have risen from $193.9 million in FY 2000, to $318.7 million in FY 2004 - a 64.3% increase.

If Chairman Connaughton gets his way again this year, during his tenure the average tax bill will have risen from $1881 to $2873 - an almost $1000 increase.

How in the world can he actually consider this "Lowering Taxes" or "relief"?

Chairman Connaughton's website states that since taking office, he has: "Lowered the tax rate 20 cents per $100 valuation" An inaccurate statement (see below) but I still say ... so what?! At the end of the day it is not the "rate" that matters, but the "bill." And everyone's tax bills are set to increase significantly, YET AGAIN!

Some people insist on continuing to spread misinformation regarding the tax rate. The following is a simplified list of facts:

1. By state law (Va. Code 58.1-3321) the property tax rate will be adjusted to the level that would bring in 101% of last year's revenue unless a majority of the Board of Supervisors vote for a higher rate.

2. The tax rate that would generate 101% of the revenues produced by the real property tax last year is stated to be $1.007 per $100 assessed value. (Actually it is more accurately around $96.7, but that is a topic for another column.)

3. A vote for ANY rate above $1.007 per $100 assessed value is a vote for a TAX INCREASE.

4. Every single tax rate that has been adopted since 2000 (when it was set at $1.36 per $100 assessed value) has been a vote for a TAX INCREASE.

Please carefully consider point 1 before contradicting point 4. A vote to set the rate to $1.34 per $100 assessed value in 2001 was not only a vote for higher taxes (from an average tax bill of $1,861 to $1,941), but it was, in fact, a vote for a TAX RATE INCREASE.

When politicians and journalists say that the tax rate has been lowered in previous years - they are making inaccurate statements. The tax rate, according to state law (see point 1 again), would be automatically adjusted to the level that would bring in 101% of last year's revenue, if not for a BoCS vote to increase the rate.

Even though the tax rate in 2001 ($1.34) LOOKS lower than the year 2000 rate ($1.36), it still increased revenues generated by 104% over the previous years' revenue and thus required a vote by Chairman Connaughton and other BoCS as it would otherwise have been left below the $1.34 rate according to state law (see point 1 again).

I hope folks will think about these facts when Chairman Connaughton asks for your support in his bid for the Lieutenant Governor seat. Do we really want someone in higher office who says one thing while doing another?

The Taxpayer Protection Pledge DOES NOT call for a CUT in taxes! It specifically states that candidates who sign it will: "Vote against any property tax rate that would increase in a single year the residential property tax revenues of the county by more than the greater of 5% or the combined rate of inflation and population growth." This year the pledge permits an INCREASE in property tax revenue sufficient to offset inflation of 1.9% and a population increase of 4.1%, i.e. to allow tax increases of 6%, or at least $20 million. Considering the increases in other taxes not affected by the pledge, the county budget can grow by over $40 million.

This is NOT A CUT in taxes. This is NOT A CUT in services. This is simply NOT A CUT. Where do people get off asking Supervisor Stewart or anyone else what cuts they want made when the proposal to REDUCE THE INCREASE has nothing to do with CUTS?!

James Simpson can be reached at JamesSimpson@aol.com.