Stafford keeps tax rate flat in face of millions in budget loses, coronavirus

They sat in silence for three minutes — no one willing to make a motion. 

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors on during its Tuesday, April 21 meeting had to make a decision on a tax rate in order to ensure the Real Estate tax bills would go out 30 days before the deadline on June 5. 

In a 5-2 vote, the Board decided to keep the tax rate at the .97 cents per $100 of assessed Real Estate property value. It’s an equalizing rate that, essentially, keeps both the tax rate and the tax bills flat, meaning the county won’t get any more tax revenues than it did last year. Supervisors Tinesha Allen and Cindy Shelton were the dissenting votes. 

The average Real Estate tax bill for a single-family home in Stafford County is valued at $325,000 will be about $3,186.65. Homeowners may still expect around a $75 increase in their tax bill as there will be some variation in the tax bill residents can expect to receive, officials said.

That average bill a far cry from what the Board of Supervisors had discussed back in February when they talked about increasing the tax rate to $1.03, which would have generated a tax bill about $170 more per household.

While the county is facing millions in lost revenue in the wake of the coronavirus, there should be funding available for the full implementation of planned raises for the county’s sheriff’s deputies, and fire and rescue crews.

“These people are working now, they’re dealing with all kinds of stuff. I’m pleading with you, they need this,” Rock Hill District Supervisor Crystal Vanuch said.

The .97 cent rate will also allow the Board of Supervisors to move forward with plans to build the county’s planned sixth high school, estimated to cost about $130 million.

Renovations planned for Drew Middle School and the county’s courthouse may need to be postponed, and the tax lower rate ensures the county won’t be able to afford to hire new sheriff’s deputies, or purchase new fire and rescue vehicles.

A full budget will be voted on at the Board meeting on May 5.

The Board has also set the personal property tax at the $6.46 equalized rate. Initially they were considering raising the rate to $6.69. 

The 1.5 percent water/sewer user fee rate increase proposal was unanimously denied by the Board. 

The Garrisonville Service District tax increased from .082 cents to .085. 

The Lake Carroll Service District decreased from .27 cents to .26. 

The Lynhaven Lane Service District decreased from .20 to .155. 

The Lake Arrowhead Service District decreased from .10 to .093. 

The Hidden Lake Service District decreased from .368 to .347. 

All other tax rates remained unchanged.