By Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors, struggling with the costs of being one of the state's fastest-growing counties in an era of slumping real estate values, agreed yesterday to advertise a 27 percent increase in the county property tax rate.

Acting in an emergency meeting that ended a month-long deadlock, the supervisors set the tax rate at $1 for each $100 of assessed value. If adopted, it would boost average homeowner tax bills by 8.25 percent in the coming budget year.

As real estate values have fallen and home foreclosures have increased, government officials have been coping with budget shortfalls. Prince William has been hit particularly hard, because the costs of growth are going up at the same time.

Supervisors will adopt a final rate after they approve the budget next month, and several predicted the rate would be lower.

"We will work to get it down lower," said Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large). "We still have differences on the budget. It's going to be a long month."

Stewart had fought for weeks to advertise a lower rate to force the supervisors and county staff to cut the budget before going through a series of public workshops. But the board said the budget could still be trimmed after it hears from the public.

"Compromise doesn't mean you abandon position; it means you give a little to get a little," said Supervisor Michael C. May (R-Occoquan). "We certainly need to move on and give the community reasonable expectations that we can run this county."

County Executive Craig S. Gerhart gave the board some unsolicited advice before the vote. "Now is the right time for you to come together," he said. "We've labored hard to position the county where it is today. We really ought not lose that."

Four members of the board resorted to a little-used law last week to request a special meeting to end the stalemate. Supervisors considered four tax rates, starting at $1.03 for each $100 of assessed value, before working down to $1. The rate passed 5 to 3, with John T. Stirrup Jr. (R-Gainesville), W.S. Covington III (R-Brentsville) and Stewart voting against it.

Supervisors said they were influenced by a letter from School Superintendent Steven L. Walts, who said he trimmed his proposed budget by $12 million. Walts took into account revised projections of state aid, decreased enrollment and reduced capital improvement projects.

Last month, Gerhart proposed a budget with a real estate tax rate of $1.01 for each $100 of assessed value, up from 78.7 cents.

Members of the Prince William Professional Fire Fighters Local 2598 showed up to pressure the board. "We want them to know we are watching. Their actions affect our livelihood," said Paul J. Hebert, the union's president. "They want our support when they are running for office. We want their support when it comes to the budget."

Gerhart's proposed budget recommends that the fire department spend $3.8 million to increase staffing in response to an investigation into the death last year of a county firefighter, the first in the department's history.

It also includes $6.4 million for the enforcement of an illegal-immigration initiative that directs county police officers to check the citizenship status of people suspected of breaking the law, no matter how minor the crime.

Public safety staffing is "nonnegotiable," said Supervisor Martin E. Nohe (R-Coles), adding that he hopes the board has gotten "conflict out of the way" by agreeing to an advertised rate. "This represents a recognition that while we need to be responsible in our actions," he said. "Our biggest mistake is inaction."