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Fairfax County supervisors informally backed a $5.9 billion general fund budget on April 28, advancing a plan that slightly lowers the real estate tax rate while restoring some human services funding and increasing the county’s recurring investment in affordable housing.

The Board of Supervisors approved the fiscal 2027 budget markup and add-on package in an 8–2 vote. The proposal reduces the real estate tax rate by one-quarter of a cent, from $1.1225 to $1.12 per $100 of assessed value.

Despite the lower rate, rising property assessments would increase the average homeowner’s tax bill by about $337. Chairman Jeff McKay said the quarter-cent reduction saves the average homeowner approximately $20 compared with leaving the rate unchanged.

The board began its markup with $23,167,079 available in the general fund and distributed that money through several adjustments. Those changes included partial funding restorations of $250,000 for a low- and moderate-income home repair pilot, $200,000 for a part-time preschool contract, $130,588 for home-delivered meals and $310,000 for the BeWell program.

The nearly three-hour meeting also produced an $8.8 million recurring increase for affordable housing, equal to another quarter-cent of the real estate tax rate. McKay said that raises the county’s permanent baseline commitment to approximately $52.7 million, or the equivalent of 1.5 cents on the tax rate.

Two Supervisors Oppose the Plan

Supervisors Pat Herrity of Springfield and Walter Alcorn of Hunter Mill voted against the markup, but they objected for different reasons.

Herrity argued that the tax burden remains too high despite the rate reduction. He said taxes have increased 60% over 10 years and criticized the addition of a meals tax, contending that roughly $20 in relief from the quarter-cent rate cut does little when residents’ overall bills are still increasing.

Alcorn opposed reducing the tax rate while services for vulnerable residents were also being cut. In a separate statement, he said the plan supports important county services, schools and a larger recurring affordable housing investment, but that he could not endorse the combination of a rate cut and service reductions.

Vice Chair Kathy Smith supported the markup while expressing regret that the county needed a reserve for economic uncertainty, saying the circumstances went beyond ordinary budgeting.

Supervisor Dalia Palchik described the changes as a compromise between affordability and targeted restorations for essential human services. Supervisor Rodney Lusk noted that the board has lowered the real estate tax rate five times in six years, while Supervisor Dan Storck characterized the budget as a reflection of the county’s priorities.

Schools Face a Nearly $44 Million Gap

Fairfax County Public Schools proposed a $4.1 billion fiscal 2027 operating budget focused largely on employee compensation and maintaining existing standards rather than launching new programs. Superintendent Michelle Reid described it as a needs-based, essentials-only proposal shaped by the county executive’s call for a “budget of reality.”

The county’s marked-up plan provides $43.8 million less than the School Board requested. FCPS receives more than 51% of the county budget, totaling more than $3 billion, but the School Board will still have to revise its spending plan to account for the nearly $44 million difference.

The Board of Supervisors was scheduled to formally adopt the budget on May 5, 2026. Final School Board decisions were expected in mid-May.

The supervisors also directed FCPS to continue its middle school after-school program, including a sliding-scale fee. Budget guidance warned that the associated county funding would be withdrawn if the school system did not preserve the program.

Another planned change affecting students with disabilities was delayed for one year. The county postponed transferring transition services for high school students with individualized education programs to FCPS, allowing additional time for coordination and an effort to prevent service disruptions.

Reserves Grow as Future Pressures Mount

As part of the fiscal 2026 third-quarter review, supervisors directed a remaining $1.7 million into a reserve for economic uncertainty. County leaders said the fund is intended to help Fairfax respond to instability connected to federal activity in Washington.

The budget also covers Fairfax County’s required fiscal 2027 Metro operating subsidy without adding general fund money. Instead, it uses one-time state aid balances held by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. County guidance warned that Fairfax could face additional pressure in fiscal 2028 if Virginia does not establish a long-term funding solution.

Officials said county agencies have absorbed approximately $124 million in reductions over four consecutive years, even as the general fund grew by about $868 million during the same period. Budget guidance cautioned that future efforts to maintain structural balance could require more consequential steps, including eliminating programs, closing facilities, reducing assistance for some nonprofits and limiting certain services to state-mandated minimums.

Supervisors also asked staff to study community center use, governance and fees, acknowledging that consolidation or other facility changes may eventually be considered.

Transportation Services Among the Cuts

The markup eliminates high school crossing guards, a service Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said no other Northern Virginia jurisdiction provides. Lusk nevertheless raised concerns about the effect on safety near high-crash corridors.

Fairfax Connector service would be reduced by $7.2 million through the elimination or restructuring of routes with low ridership. Bierman pointed to one route carrying about 144 riders per day at an annual cost exceeding $1 million as an example of the system’s costly underused service.

Several supervisors said revenue from the county’s food and beverage tax helped make the real estate tax rate reduction and other investments possible while limiting the need for a larger property tax increase. Even with that additional revenue, the marked-up budget leaves residents facing higher average property tax bills and the county confronting difficult choices about schools, transportation, facilities and human services.