I AM Modern Magazine for Moms

What does this mean? It means that you will pay 18 cents higher than the current rate of 96 cents per $100 of your home’s assessed value. According to Loudoun Times, the tax rates may also be going to get higher next year. I recently had a correspondence on this issue with Jim Burton, Loudoun County Board of Directors member from Blue Ridge District. I am able to publish it, since all correspondence to government officials becomes part of the public record and may be subject to inspection under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Click "Read More" to see my correspondence and his response.

To whom it may concern,

I found out that you may be considering raising our tax rates to $1.26. I
have always been outraged by the way that the county government has
benefited from "on paper high property values" by taxing us to death. Now
the property values are going down, so you decided to increase the tax
rates? Are you for real? What planet do you live on?

I love your business plan; you make money when my property value goes up, and
you also make money when it goes down. It is a win-win situation for the
County government. You taxed us to death based on "vapor ware high home
prices" the last few years. We, the tax payers, never realized the benefits
of high real estate prices, because we did not sell our homes. Do not play
games and raise our tax rates now. We will not forget this during the next
elections.

Sincerely,

Murat Aksu

Jim Burton responded to this:

Thank you for your email. The Board is well aware of the current economic situation. As a result, we are working very hard to find ways to lower the County Administrator's proposed tax rate to a more manageable and acceptable level. At the Board's last work session I handed out a memo suggesting ways that we could achieve a tax rate of $1.13 with a note that I was still searching for additional ways of lowering even that rate. The Board concluded the work session by asking the County Administrator to return this week with a proposal that would be funded with a tax rate of $1.07 for the Board's consideration.

I hope this information is helpful and that you will continue to follow the process.

Best regards,

Jim Burton
Supervisor, Blue Ridge District


Notice: Please be advised that all correspondence to government officials becomes part of the public record and may be subject to inspection under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

As you can imagine, I had latched on to that $1.07 rate. But it is not be this time around. County taxation and spending trends are making this place harder to live than ever before. Do we need to build so many schools while the County population growth is declining? Can the County officials cut cost by eliminating wasteful spending? I have to believe that they can.

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