Saturday, April 29, 2006
Va.: Smart Growth means lower taxes? Perhaps not.
There's often a lot of carrying-on about Smart Growth and lower taxes, thanks to "compact," high-density residential development.
Then we have Prince William County, Virignia. Not exactly an ideal Smart Growth community - in fact, very suburban, with a touch of exurban at some of its edges - a diverse county where many people have moved in search of the American Dream.
Compare and contrast with Arlington County, Virginia, home to the Ballston Corridor, Rosslyn, Pentagon City and Crystal City.
Now the Washington Post reports that Prince William's Board of County Supervisors has adopted a budget with a property tax rate that's lower than Arlington's.
On a 6 to 2 vote, supervisors shaved nearly 16 cents off the current tax rate, bringing it to 80.7 cents per $100 of assessed home value. With the average value of a county home at $423,403 -- 27 percent higher than last year -- the average homeowner will see taxes rise by $187 this year.
The new tax rate is lower than Arlington's, which until yesterday was the region's lowest rate, at 81.8 cents per $100 assessed value. Board members had approved the new rate last week.
Something to consider.
Then we have Prince William County, Virignia. Not exactly an ideal Smart Growth community - in fact, very suburban, with a touch of exurban at some of its edges - a diverse county where many people have moved in search of the American Dream.
Compare and contrast with Arlington County, Virginia, home to the Ballston Corridor, Rosslyn, Pentagon City and Crystal City.
Now the Washington Post reports that Prince William's Board of County Supervisors has adopted a budget with a property tax rate that's lower than Arlington's.
On a 6 to 2 vote, supervisors shaved nearly 16 cents off the current tax rate, bringing it to 80.7 cents per $100 of assessed home value. With the average value of a county home at $423,403 -- 27 percent higher than last year -- the average homeowner will see taxes rise by $187 this year.
The new tax rate is lower than Arlington's, which until yesterday was the region's lowest rate, at 81.8 cents per $100 assessed value. Board members had approved the new rate last week.
Something to consider.
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