Fairfax Might Raise Property Tax Rate to Help Schools

"What's at stake is provision of our free, confidential hotlines for the region," Carol Loftur-Thun, CrisisLink's executive director, said in a telephone interview, noting that Fairfax accounts for 74 percent of the agency's calls in Northern Virginia. "Fairfax's support allows us to provide 24-7 services."

Both Bulova, who leads the board's Budget Committee, and Connolly said that further cuts are in order. Connolly said he is adamant about reducing Griffin's proposal to add 41 positions plus the necessary office space, at a cost of almost $9 million, to the county's transportation department.

"This is the wrong year to expand," Connolly said. "This is the wrong year to make new endeavors."

At least two board members -- Pat S. Herrity (R-Springfield) and Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) -- would like to cut even further. But as the board's only Republicans, they are likely to be outnumbered.

Still unresolved is whether the final budget will tap into the county's rainy day fund, which is reserved for emergencies but which Bulova, Griffin, Herrity and business leaders say should be left alone because next year's budget cycle is expected to be even worse ("Some of us plan to be on the board next year," Herrity said, a dig at Connolly's campaign for Congress this year).

Connolly supports using part of the reserve fund and perhaps raising the tax rate by only 2 cents . One compromise, he said, would be to leave the fund alone but insert language in the county budget giving Griffin broader latitude to use it during the year if the county's financial health worsens.

Also unknown is whether the county will follow Griffin's recommendation to impose a 12-cent surcharge on the property tax rate for commercial land owners. State lawmakers authorized local governments to impose the surcharge as part of landmark transportation legislation last year to pay for road and transit projects. But with the economic downturn still worsening across the region, business leaders have asked the board to raise the tax by 10 cents this year.

"We want to keep Fairfax County competitive," said William D. Lecos, president of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.