17 months ago
LEESBURG, Va. (WUSA) -- How do you raise the tax rate while cutting the average person's tax bill? That's what Loudoun County Supervisors say they've done.
It starts with falling home prices.
In the heart of Leesburg, Steve Conger's 4 bedroom colonial on a big corner lot has been on the market just over a year.
He started out asking just under a million.
"Now we can't even get 750,000 for it.... If we could find a buyer."
Falling home prices have cut deeply into the county's budget, so the Board of Supervisor's just voted to boost the property tax rate by ten and a half cents.
Even with the now highest rate in Northern Virginia, the county assessor says falling values will cut the average homeowner's tax bill by almost $300.
Not that Conger's buying it. "I'm almost thinking of emigrating to another country, but I can't sell my house."
"On average, again, there'll be a reduction," says Scott York, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors. "But that's not true for everyone. Some people will see a tax increase, and others will see a large tax decrease. Some as much as $500 in their tax bill."
The Board majority says it's trying to protect services in the fast growing county, things like the new rec center at Claude Moore Park. When the kids playing at the rec center get back from spring break, they'll return to a school system that's taking a $34 million hit.
"I'm more concerned with my kids getting the best education possible," says Patti Massey, a mother of three. "That's what I pay taxes for, and I'm willing to pay more to keep that school system in place."
The Board vote was 6 to 3, with critics complaining that foreclosures here are still at a record level. They say the last thing the county ought to be doing is adding to the burden on hard pressed homeowners.
9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com
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