The $9 Billion Question

Since 1975, while inflation increased 207%, Fairfax County per-capita taxes increased 385% and per-student spending by Fairfax County Public Schools increased 468%. Over the same period Fairfax County Public Schools standardized test scores remained flat at the 75th percentile. Since 1988, Fairfax County Public Schools SAT scores have been at the 65th percentile. County per-capita non-school spending has increased 385% since 1975. Since 1975, Fairfax County has collected $9 billion more in taxes than it would have if taxes and spending had not increased faster than population growth and inflation. Of the $9 billion, $5.5 billion went to schools and $3.5 billion went to county non-school spending.

This should concern taxpayers for two reasons:

• why did the government grow so much more than the population, and
  
• what can we learn from this experience to prevent similar explosive government growth in the future?

Upon identifying these relative growths in population, inflation county spending, FCTA raised this question with current Government leaders. The exchange is reproduced below.,

An Open Letter from the FCTA to the Chairmen of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board - This letter asks where the $9 billion in tax increases were spent.

9/3/97 Response from Fairfax County School Board Chairman Kristen J. Amundson - Attachment D of Chairman Amundson's letter identifies the FY98 costs, totaling $534 million, of all school budget items that grew faster than enrollment and inflation since 1975

9/15/97 Response from Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Katherine K. Hanley - Chairman Hanley's letter does not identify all county budget items that grew faster than population and inflation since 1975.