What is the Real "Flatline" Tax Rate?

When the Prince William Board of County Supervisors votes on Tuesday on the tax assessment rate for FY 2013, the real question is this:

What should the rate be to guarantee that homeowners will not pay one penny more in taxes this year than they did last year?

The answer is mired in an unknown figure at this point, and that mystery figure is what the assessment increase projection is for FY2013,

If the County Executive sticks to the projected and unrealistic real estate assessment increase of 3% for FY 2013, then the tax rate would have to be significantly LOWER than last year's rate of $1.204 in order to keep taxpayers from having to pay higher taxes.

Consider the fact that last year the County jacked up taxes by claiming the appreciation on our houses went up by 5.24%.  Now they want to add 3% and claim that it is a "flatline" tax proposal.

In the end, it becomes a cynical shell game where the taxpayer loses.

The County Executive does not want to tell us what the real flatline tax rate is, she hides it in some mythical "inflation adjustment" that is supposed to make us feel better.

It is all about government spending, and Prince William County government spending got back on steroids in FY 2012, and now appears to be addicted once again.

The combined spending increase for FY 2012, and the proposed tax increase for FY 2013, will increase County spending by a whopping 7.94%.  And that in the middle of a recession.

How many families in Prince William County have had a 7.94% increase in income?

Here is the kicker.  The proposed budget will add a third Assistant County Executive to handle human resources issues (at a pay rate of $212,660 per year).

And why is a new Assistant County Executive needed to handle human resources issues?

To handle all the new County employees?

In a year when the federal government, that typically leads in outrageous spending, is telling its employees their pay is frozen, Prince William County is proposing a 3% merit pay increases for County employees in FY 2013.

Taxpayers get no increase, but get their pockets picked with higher taxes.

No consideration is given to the reality that the recession is not over, and gasoline prices are expected to dramatically escalate because of global oil supply disruptions.

Prince William County taxpayers need to rise up and say NO!