Prince William Democrats retract support for tax hike, advocate for flat rate

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler did an about-face on Monday.

She said she would advocate for keeping the county’s $1.125 per $100 of assessed Real Estate tax rate right where it is for the Fiscal Year 2021. That’s the rate approved by the Board of County Supervisors in 2019  when it was under Republican control.

It’s a far cry from what she proposed on February 18, and the four other newly elected Democrats on the Board of County Supervisors supported — a higher advertised tax rate of $1.170 per $100 of assessed home value, that would have hiked the average homeowner’s property tax bill by $550.

While Supervisors don’t have to adopt the higher rate when they approve the budget later this month, Wheeler made it clear on February 18 that the additional funds generated at that rate could go to fund some $29 million in unmet needs identified by County Executive Christopher Martino — including more funding for the county school system.

The $1.1170 advertised rate was approved in a party-line vote on February 18 with all five Democrats supporting the proposed tax hike, while two Republicans — Yesli Vega and Peter Candland voted against it. A third Republican, Jeanine Lawson, was absent from the meeting.

Just before the vote, Martino had just presented his $1.3 billion budget proposal to the Board of County Supervisors, and with a proposed tax rate of $1.145, which would have hikeed the average property tax bill by just $254.

If the $1.170 advertised rate is passed, and it technically still could be, it would be the highest tax rate in Virginia, said Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega. On March 17, Vega joined Candland, and Lawson to advocate leaving the tax rate at $1.125. They argued that, with the onset of coronavirus, now was not the right time for a tax increase.

In an email to constituents sent early Monday, April 13, 2020, titled “Where I stand,” Wheeler retracted her support for the $1.170 rate.

“I want to provide what sense of stability I can for the people of Prince William County during this difficult time. Therefore, I cannot support the real property tax increase that the current proposed budget, even with adjustments, is constructed on,” penned Wheeler in an email to constituents.

However, Wheeler, on Monday, maintained her support of increasing the programmable computer equipment and peripherals tax rate (a tax on the growing number of data centers in the county) from $1.25 per $100 to $1.35. It’s a move her predecessor Corey Stewart unsuccessfully lobbied for last year.

Also, she continues to advocate for increasing personal property license fees from $24 to $33 for cars and trucks, and $12 to $20 for motorcycles.

Even if the Real Estate tax rate remains flat, the average tax bill is set to increase about $177 due to rising home values that sparked higher property assessments in the county.

While Republicans didn’t respond to Potomac Local News’ request for comment following Wheeler’s statement, fellow Democrats seemed to support her decision.

“…I am in full support of keeping our residential rate $1.125 for homeowners, but it also means we need to find the revenue to provide aid and services to other members of our county such as renters, the homeless population, and our small businesses. That means raising revenue in other areas such as the computer and peripheral tax. This will ensure that we have the funding for our schools, while also focusing on human and social services for residents in need,” Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin penned in an email to Potomac Local News.

Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey echoed her support.

“It is imperative during the COVID-19 Pandemic era that we as a board are sensitive to the needs of our county collectively in helping to sustain and protect all constituents from a survival[-basis] economically, health-wise, and services standpoint…to create that stability, we need to sustain the real property tax at its current rate of $1.125 to eliminate the creation of more stress and anxiety for constituents,” Bailey penned in an email to Potomac Local News.

During a Board of County Supervisors meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight, Martino is set to recap the budget, including the expected losses in revenue brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

At 8 o’clock tonight, supervisors will begin hearing comments from the public that were submitted online via the county’s Speak Up Prince William website. Opportunities for public input during the meeting have been closed, according to the county’s Speak Up Prince William website.

Supervisors will hold another public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16. The “Speak Up” website can also be used to submit comments about the budget for supervisors to read and be used to sign up to speak in person during the meeting. However, speaking in person is strongly discouraged due to the coronavirus outbreak.

County officials said Supervisors would also accept call-in comments from residents during the meeting; however, they did not provide a phone number for residents to call.

Residents can watch the meeting live online.