Growls

The “Revenue Summary and Detail” pages of Section A (Budget Summaries) of the Arlington County Manager’s proposed FY 2012 budget (page 95 in the "book version" of the budget) contains the following comment at the top of one page (the web version does not contain page numbers):

“The following chart compares the major residential taxes and fees for the Northern Virginia jurisdictions for the average household using Calendar Year 2010 rates and assessments.”

The chart that follows the above statement shows the tax burden for three taxes and three fees that Arlington and its neighbors in Northern Virginia have in common, and appears designed to show just how much more taxes and fees burden the citizens of Fairfax County, Falls Church, etc. than weigh down the citizens of Arlington County.

Unfortunately, the chart's designer used the average single family home value in Arlington, i.e., $503,200 for CY2010, to compute the real estate taxes paid in the other Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Consequently, the chart shows that the average single-family home owner in Loudoun County paid $6,893 in real estate taxes rather than $5,028.

If the chart’s designer had turned the page, he or she would have found another chart on page 96 -- labelled “Comparison of Northern Virginia Jurisdictions’ Real Estate Tax Bill for the Average Single-Family Home” -- showing the “ average assessed value for five of the six jurisdictions on page 95. Recomputing the real estate taxes paid on the average single-family home, using the “average assessed values” on page 96, produces a much different comparison. For example:

• Fairfax County: Instead of $5,560 in real estate taxes, the figure should be $4,778. The amount for the six taxes and fees should be a total of $6,600, or $258 less than Arlington (3.8%). However, the chart on page 95 of the Manager’s proposed FY 2012 budget shows Fairfax County’s tax/fee burden is $525 more than Arlington (7.7%).
• Prince William County: Instead of $6,615 in real estate taxes, the figure should be $3,306. The amount for the six taxes and fees should be $5,116, or $1,742 less than Arlington (25.4%). However, the chart on page 95 of the Manager’s proposed FY 2012 budget shows Prince William County’s tax/fee burden is $1,567 more than Arlington (22.9%).
• Loudoun County: Instead of $6,893 in real estate taxes, the figure should be $5,028. The amount for the six taxes and fees should be $6,652, or $206 less than Arlington (3.0%). However, the chart on page 95 of the Manager’s proposed FY 2012 budget shows Loudoun County’s tax/fee burden is $1,658 more than Arlington (24.2%).

So instead of residents of Alexandria paying 1.8% more than Arlington residents for those six taxes and fees, those Alexandria residents actually pay 6.1% less than Arlington residents pay.

Guess you don’t need to check your assumptions when you work for a world-class county, the claim made in the county’s vision statement.

HT Wayne Kubicki