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Fairfax County supervisors adopted a $5.7 billion fiscal 2027 budget Tuesday while advancing a proposal that could allow lower speed limits in some residential and business districts.
The Board of Supervisors approved the overall budget 9-1, with Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity casting the only opposing vote. The spending plan includes a small reduction in the real estate tax rate, from $1.1225 to $1.12 per $100 of assessed value.
That cut will save a typical homeowner about $20. However, rising property assessments mean homeowners will still pay an average of $337 more than last year.
Residential assessments increased by an average of 3.99%. Just over 81% of the county’s 340,000 residential parcels gained value, while about 11% were unchanged and 8% declined.
The average assessed value reached $1,012,504 for a single-family home, an increase of 4.8%. Townhouses averaged $612,580, up 3.9%, while condominiums averaged $387,560, up 2.9%.
Fairfax County’s total real estate tax base—including residential, commercial, industrial and other property—now exceeds $354 billion, a 3.9% increase from the previous year.
Supervisors voted 8-2 for the tax-rate reduction. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn opposed any cut, while Herrity argued that the rate should be lowered further. The votes matched decisions the board made during its April 28 budget markup session.
County considers 20 mph speed limits
The board also scheduled a June 9 public hearing on an ordinance that would give Fairfax County more authority to reduce speed limits in qualifying residential and business areas.
A 2024 change to Virginia law allows local governments to lower speed limits below 25 mph—but no lower than 15 mph—on roads in residential or business districts where the posted limit is currently 25 mph. County Executive Bryan Hill would have the authority to restore a speed limit that had previously been reduced.
The May 5 decision to schedule the hearing was included in a voice vote covering several unrelated administrative matters and passed without discussion. State law requires affected roads to have signs showing any new limit.
Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation is also preparing a nine-location pilot program that will reduce speed limits from 25 to 20 mph. The initiative, directed by supervisors in fall 2024, is expected to begin this summer.
After initially considering 12 streets, transportation officials settled on one road in each of Fairfax County’s nine supervisor districts. The program will be introduced in three phases and will track vehicle speeds, traffic volumes and public feedback.
Under Virginia Department of Transportation rules, the county must cover the cost of producing, installing and maintaining the new signs. That expense is estimated at $2,500 per location.
Once the pilot is complete, transportation staff will report their findings to supervisors, who will decide whether the locally reduced speed limits should remain in place.