County Board Votes To Advertise Flat Real Estate Tax Rate

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington homeowners will not see an increase in their property tax rate for 2021 provided the Arlington County Board adopts the new advertised rate it approved at its meeting on Saturday.

The board voted unanimously to advertise a flat real estate tax rate of $1.013 per $100 of assessed value. That's the number County Manager Mark Schwartz recommended in his Fiscal Year 2022 budget proposal, which he presented to the board on Thursday. Any increase a homeowner will see to their real estate tax bill will reflect the 5.6 percent increase in residential assessments.

“The pandemic has been hard on Arlington,” County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said, in a release. “Our residents and our businesses continue to deal with the fallout. The Board believes what we need now is a continued focus on responding to COVID and a budget that meets the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community. The Manager proposes closing the $26 million budget gap through targeted cuts and efficiencies, elimination of 56 vacant positions, and thoughtful, restrained use of one-time funding. That is a good starting point, given the challenging year we face and the important prospect of federal assistance, for the Board’s deliberations over the coming seven weeks.”

The Board also voted Saturday to advertise an increase in the stormwater tax rate from $0.013 to $0.017 for $100 of assessed value. That equates to an increase of $0.004 or $29 for the average residential property.

"I'm proposing an increase in that to cover the costs associated with debt and for bonds that the voters approved last November for some fairly significant investments to address flooding and stormwater problems that are a legacy of many years in the way we've gone about doing development," Schwartz said.

Once the board advertises a tax rate for the coming fiscal year, it can only lower the rate when voting to adopt the budget.

If the board chooses to adopt the advertised rates for both the real estate and stormwater tax rates, the annual impact for the average homeowner with an assessed home value of $724,400 will be $123, according to county estimates.

If the stormwater increase is adopted it will be the first time in a decade that the rate has been increased.

“Arlington has seen the damage that flooding can cause. The Board recognizes that we must act to improve resiliency. The increased Stormwater tax rate, if adopted after consideration over the coming weeks, would generate $1.6 million more for the County’s Stormwater Fund in FY 2021, and $3.2 million in FY2022,” de Ferranti said, in a release. “That money would help fund much-needed stormwater infrastructure projects approved in our FY 2021 Capital Improvement Plan to protect our residents and improve our resilience in the face of climate change.”

In November 2020, Arlington voters approved a $50.84 million bond referenda to fund near-term stormwater infrastructure improvements. If the rate increase is approved, it will help fund the following projects:

• Walter Reed Elementary School underground stormwater detention facility, in collaboration with Arlington Public Schools
• Spout Run watershed capacity improvements
• Lubber Run watershed capacity improvements
• Ballston Pond watershed retrofit
• Four Mile Run dredging, in collaboration with the City of Alexandria
• Dumbarton culverts

Schwartz told the board last week that he doesn't anticipate raising the stormwater tax rate again next year. Instead, he is working on a plan to move the county away from assessing a tax on property owners toward charging a stormwater fee. The fee would be based on the amount of impervious surfaces people have on their properties.

The board is hosting a public hearing on the proposed tax rate at 7 p.m., on April 8. Those wishing to speak at the hearing can begin registering online on April 1. They can continue to signup through 8 p.m. on the night of the hearing.

Also see ...

Arlington County Manager Proposes $1.36B 'Transition Budget'