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4. The Solution: Cut Tax Rates and Freeze Salaries

FCTA's four concrete demands to the Board of Supervisors: lower the FY2027 tax rate to $1.08, put the proposed rate on assessment notices, freeze county salaries until averages are published, and freeze school salaries until SAT scores recover.

FCTA's Four Demands

1. Lower The Tax Rate To $108
   Residential property assessments increased 4% this year. Under Virginia law, supervisors have full authority to lower the tax rate to offset assessment increases and keep taxes flat. The revenue-neutral rate is approximately $1.08. The proposed rate of $1.1225 is a 4% tax increase in disguise. Every homeowner in Fairfax County will pay more next year unless the rate is cut.

2. Put The Proposed Tax Rate On Assessment Notices
   Every year, Fairfax County homeowners receive an annual assessment notice showing their property's assessed value. What that notice does not show is the proposed tax rate -- meaning most homeowners have no idea what their actual tax bill will be until it arrives. FCTA demands that the proposed rate appear directly on the assessment notice, alongside the assessment, so residents can calculate their bill and act before the vote.

3. Freeze County Salaries Until Averages Are Published
   Fairfax County does not publish average employee salaries in its advertised or adopted budget documents. Taxpayers are asked to approve billions in compensation spending without knowing what the average employee earns. FCTA demands a freeze on all county salary increases until average salaries -- by department and pay grade -- are published transparently in both the advertised and adopted budget, giving the public the information it needs to evaluate whether compensation is appropriate.

4. Freeze School Salaries Until SAT Scores Recover
   FCPS average SAT scores dropped 35 points between 2019 and 2025. Thomas Jefferson lost 82 points in 2025 alone. Only 5 of 25 high schools score above the competitive college threshold. FCTA demands a freeze on all FCPS salary increases until: (a) the 35-point county-wide SAT drop is fully reversed, (b) the 82-point TJ drop is reversed, and (c) academic achievement is high for all student demographics. Salaries should follow outcomes — not the other way around.

Email Your Supervisor -- Include Your Name and Address

Supervisors respond to constituents. Including your name and street address in your email identifies you as a Fairfax County resident and increases the chance your message is read and counted. (Don't know who is your supervisor? Go [here])

FCTA's Broader Reform Agenda

Beyond the four immediate demands above, FCTA supports a comprehensive set of structural reforms to bring Fairfax County spending under control for the long term:

• Limit annual RE tax hikes to twice the 1% base in Virginia code
• Align county benefits with private-sector equivalents
• Appoint an independent external auditor for county finances
• Cut Metrorail subsidies; replace with free bus service
• End bond spending; fund all improvements from operating budgets
• Add school choice; restore merit-based academic standards
• Create mobile home park zoning for affordable housing
• Require average salaries published in all budget documents