Diminished Actual Property Tax Price Proposed In 2024 Vienna Funds

VIENNA, VA — A lower real estate tax rate is proposed in the Town of Vienna’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget.

Town Manager Mercury Payton presented the budget proposal to Town Council Monday. The town’s $50.1 million budget proposal includes four operating funds: general, water and sewer, debt service and stormwater. The proposal is a 2.9 percent increase over last year’s approved budget of $48.7 million.

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“This proposed budget is based on direction from the Town Council early in the process and recommendations from the staff budget committee over the course of the last few months,” said Payton in a statement. “The result is a legally balanced proposed budget that addresses priority operational concerns, and provides continued support for day-to-day operations in all Town departments.”

The budget calls for reducing the town’s real estate tax rate from 20.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 20.25 cents per $100 of assessed value.

According to Payton, the average residential tax bill would be $2,041, an 8.6 percent increase from last year due to increased assessment values.

Town of Vienna property owners pay the rate on top of Fairfax County’s real estate tax rate. Fairfax County’s budget proposal from County Executive Bryan Hill would keep the tax rate at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value. Even with a flat tax rate, tax bills would increase for property owners whose assessment values rose.

Water and sewer rates are proposed to increase by 10 percent due to “infrastructure investment requirements and general cost increases.” Quarterly residential service charges would increase from $32.80 to $35 per quarter, and the average annual bill would increase by $20.25 a quarter or $80 annually.

According to a town news release, the budget includes compensation increases for eligible employees, addresses inflationary increases in operating costs, restores a senior compliance officer position in the Planning and Zoning Department, and adds a civil and capital projects engineer position to the Public Works Department. To account for inflation affecting town employees, a 3 percent cost of living adjustment is proposed as well as a 2 percent merit increase for general employees or 2.5 percent step increase for sworn law enforcement.

According to Payton, town departments were asked to request program funding and operational expenses “as closely as possible” to the last budget. Town Council discussed requests for new programs and additional funding in a conference session in December.

Town Council will begin discussions on the budget proposal on Saturday, March 11. All meetings will be open to the public at Vienna Town Hall. Residents can provide comments during public hearings.

Key budget dates include:

• Budget Conference Session: Saturday, March 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Budget Conference Session: Monday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.
• Proposed Budget, Tax Rate, Water & Sewer Rates Advertised Online: Thursday, March 23 (no meeting)
• Public Hearing – Proposed Budget and Water & Sewer Rates: Monday, April 10, 8 p.m.
• Public Hearing – Proposed Tax Rate: Monday, April 24, 8 p.m.
• Adoption of Budget, Tax Rate and Water & Sewer Rate: Monday, May 15, 8 p.m.