The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is proposing a shocking 7% increase in combined real estate taxes and assessments for the 2025 budget, adding to the inflation burden already hurting Fairfax County families. A series of public hearings on this proposed tax hike and budget will be held this week, beginning on Tuesday, April 16 at 4:00 pm through Thursday, April 18.

But we CAN fight back!

We have an important opportunity in the next few days to let the Democrat-majority Board hear from us about this enormous increase to our real estate taxes and property assessments, that will impact everyone! 

The sole Republican Supervisor on the Board, Pat Herrity, urged residents to speak out against the real estate tax increase in his most recent newsletter:

“This year’s increase comes on top of a 56 percent increase over the last 10 years….
…I have heard from many of you who are concerned about the lack of affordability in Fairfax County, but it’s important that my colleagues on the Board also hear from you. Many of you have shared with me that you are planning to leave Fairfax County because of the tax increases. Census data show that, domestically, more residents are leaving Fairfax County than are coming here. Whether you have had to think about leaving Fairfax County, or you are impacted by the budget in another way, please consider signing up to testify at the budget public hearings.”

What can you do?

Email the entire Board of Supervisors via clerktothebos@fairfaxcounty.gov
Provide testimony – multiple options for in-person, phone, written and video statements
Testify in person
Submit a written statement
Submit a video statement

Don’t delay!
There are various deadlines, beginning on Monday, 4/15 at 9:00am, for the options to submit your feedback on the tax proposal. You can watch the public hearings on Channel 16.

To help you prepare, here are some additional resources on the damaging effects of the real estate tax increases and assessments, along with links to local news coverage on the tax rates:

Tax Increases Combine With Assessments For A Total 7% INCREASE To Your Yearly Bill: The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance published an analysis of the projected tax increase for 2025: “This continues the Supervisors’ quarter-of-a century habit of increasing residential taxes three times faster than household income. They are advertising a 4-cent increase in the real estate tax rate, from $1.13 to $1.17 (includes the 3-cent stormwater tax), on top of a nearly 3% average increase in residential assessments. Unless they hear from residents, the Supervisors will probably adopt a rate of $1.16 when they finalize the budget on April 30, in hopes that you will be relieved that the rate increased 3 cents instead of 4 cents.” 

High Taxes Force Families To Leave Fairfax County: In the last 3 years, 33,553 more people moved out than moved in. Births added 22,642 to our local population, but the county lost a net 10,911 people since the 2020 census. That’s not a one-time event; this is a trend that the Board of Supervisor tax policies will accelerate. Cardinal News, New population estimates show a rural renaissance while Fairfax County loses big and data from UVA’s Cooper Center for Public Service.

First Population Decline Since 1840:  2021 marked the first negative population growth recorded since 1840, according to the County’s own records.

Housing Costs Are Rising At Double The Rate of Income: According to the independent Neilsberg Research Reports, which analyzed the housing market in Fairfax County from 2019-2021, the market value of housing continued to go up faster than household income in 2022.  Housing costs jumped 14% in Sully District. Even Hunter Mill District, which had the lowest increase, residents experienced a 7.8% spike in prices. 

Meanwhile… The Neilsberg Report estimated that “Fairfax County’s median household income only increased 4.5% between 2019 and 2021 — growing only half as fast as housing costs,” according to the 2021 American Community Survey. With hikes in real estate taxes in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and now planned for 2025, housing costs are skyrocketing while incomes lag far behind.  Your elected county Supervisors are taxing you out of the housing market!

Incomes Have Fallen In The Past Decade: Fairfax used to be a growing county. No more, at least not for the “forgotten middle” – the families earning the median income. Our families are getting poorer even as the rest of the country does better. According to the Neilsberg report, “From 2010 to 2021, the median household income for Fairfax decreased by $4,016 (3.04%), as per the American Community Survey estimates. In comparison, median household income for the United States increased by $4,559 (6.51%) between 2010 and 2021.”   

Higher Taxes And Housing Costs, Vs. Lower Incomes Price Out Ordinary Families: Fairfax County government officials even admitted in 2024 that housing sales are declining: “Based on data from Bright MLS, 14,484 homes were sold in Fairfax County during 2022, a 25.4 percent decrease from the 19,407 sold in 2021 and the least number of homes sold since 2014. The number of homes sold peaked in 2004, when 25,717 homes were sold and hit a low point of 12,640 in 2011.“

High Taxes Prevent Three Out Of Four Families With Median Income From Buying Homes: At the median income of $152,100 for a family of four, “residents at that income level or lower could only afford 28% of the homes sold between 2020 and 2023, according to sales data collected by HR&A Advisors.” FfxNOW.com – Fairfax County Could Lower Income Ceiling Of For-Sale Workforce Housing Policy

If we want to save our community, we have to speak up!

Your voice needs to be heard during the public hearings on April 16, April 17 and April 18!