The Stafford Board of Supervisors adopted a $247,291,942 budget for FY13 that reduces taxes for Stafford County residents for the third year in a row. The FY13 Budget reduces the real estate tax rate from $1.08 to $1.07. Tax decreases over the last three years have resulted in a cumulative 11.7% savings for Stafford citizens.

“Our hard work over the past several years to strengthen our financial standing has allowed us to reduce the tax burden on our citizens while continuing to provide quality services,” said Susan Stimpson, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, of the adopted FY13 Budget. “We are funding our community’s priorities while being fiscally responsible and responsive to our citizens’ needs.”

In February of this year, the Board “reaffirmed” its priorities for the community at a special meeting. They are: Education, Public Safety, Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Service Excellence, all of which are encompassed by an overall theme of Fiscal Responsibility and Reducing the Tax Burden. The FY13 Budget was driven by the Board’s priorities for the community and increases in the Virginia Retirement System, maintenance of the public safety radio communication system, mandates in corrections, and the County’s financial policies.

In the Board priority of education, the budget includes a $5.2 million increase in the operating transfer. The budget passed by the Board enables the School Board to increase total spending by $10 million from FY12 to FY13.

The Board has reduced taxes since 2008, which, when inflation adjusted, has resulted in an 11.7 % savings for tax payers. Below is the average savings per year that families saw as a result of the reduced tax rates:

Year Tax Rate Inflationary Savings
2010 $1.10 $168
2011 $1.08 $262
2012 $1.07 $321

Highlights of the adopted FY13 budget include:

• Education - Provides the largest school operating transfer in Stafford’s history and is the largest increase in the FY13 budget at $5.2 million.

• Public Safety - Funds 1 additional court deputy sheriff and 2 additional telecommunicators, and provides full-year funding for radio communications system maintenance.

• Infrastructure - Provides an additional $300,000 for parks improvements and maintains funding in our capital improvement program for roads and parks bonds projects and school renovations.

• Economic Development - Provides a $100,000 increase for the Economic Development Authority for the Stafford Research and Technology Park at the Quantico Corporate Center.

• Service Excellence –Provides funds to open the Community Development Service Center and the 311 Center this summer, and restores Sunday hours at the Porter and England Run libraries.

The Board also passed the FY2013 – FY2022 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) this evening. The CIP includes projects for General Government, Schools, and Transportation.

Some of these projects include:

• Stafford High School rebuild
• Renovations to Stafford Elementary School, Grafton Village Elementary School
• Funding for parks bond projects and transportation bond projects as approved by the voters (Chichester Park, Curtis Park Pool, McDuff Green Park Phase 2, Musselman Park, and planning and design of a rectangular athletic field complex with land;
• Boswell’s Corner improvements (Route 1 widening);
• Falmouth Safety improvements (sidewalks)
• Bike trails along Warrenton Road
• Self-contained breathing apparatus for Fire and Rescue

The adopted FY13 Budget will be available online at http://www.staffordcountyva.gov.