Virginia Briefing

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

ALEXANDRIA

Council Votes to Raise Tax Rate

The Alexandria City Council unanimously passed a $530 million operating budget last night that raises the property tax rate by 5.8 cents and will increase the average homeowner's tax bill by $76 a year.

The average real estate tax bill will rise to $4,303, based on a rate of 90.3 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Yesterday's vote restored some social-service funds cut earlier, pushed the cigarette tax up 10 cents to 80 cents and cut 117 city positions. The city also cut its funding for schools by $3.4 million. Overall assessments, including commercial property, fell about 2 percent this year, and officials expect a sharper drop next year.

-- Michael Laris

FAIRFAX COUNTY

Budget Cuts Jobs, Raises Fees

Fairfax County supervisors unanimously approved a $3.3 billion spending plan yesterday that cuts 300 positions, raises a host of fees and establishes a real estate tax rate of $1.05 per $100 of assessed value.

The Board of Supervisors on Friday finalized its budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Yesterday, it formally adopted the spending plan. The tax rate is up 13 cents from this year's rate, including a penny for stormwater management.

Because of falling home values, most homeowners' overall tax bills will decrease, but some will be hundreds of dollars more.

-- Sandhya Somashekhar

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

Dumfries Driver Dies in Crash

A 48-year-old Dumfries man was killed Sunday after he had an apparent medical emergency while driving, drove onto a concrete median and hit a road sign and a guardrail, Prince William County police said yesterday.

Kinnedy Garner was westbound on Wellington Road in the Manassas area about 6:30 a.m. when he lost control of the car, police said. A passerby called 911, and Garner was taken to a hospital, where he died, police said.

-- Jonathan Mummolo