The Board of Supervisors' decision today to set the advertised (maximum) tax rate at 4 cents is a huge relief to the taxpayers of Fairfax County because it guarantees that the schools budget must be reworked to remove irresponsible personnel costs. The BoS listened to the community exercising its rightful role in that conversation. Today's decision is encouraging for the thousands of community members who have reached out to the School Board and the Board of Supervisors this year to advocate for a voice in this very important conversation about values and priorities.

Nice that the BoS has shown that they are the responsible adults in this debate.

Does this signal the end of the war?

Good Job Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice that the BoS has shown that they are the
> responsible adults in this debate.
>
> Does this signal the end of the war?


NO. The school board will now threaten large classes, cuts in popular programs, and teacher layoffs.

Then they have to go back and create a responsible budget, having wasted six months doing nothing productive.

Not yet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good Job Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nice that the BoS has shown that they are the
> > responsible adults in this debate.
> >
> > Does this signal the end of the war?
>
>
> NO. The school board will now threaten large
> classes, cuts in popular programs, and teacher
> layoffs.
>
> Then they have to go back and create a responsible
> budget, having wasted six months doing nothing
> productive.


Correct. Don't forget the lobbying for a meals tax, and inevitable advertisements and other gimmicks designed to make the BoS look bad.

Pat Tines Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Board of Supervisors' decision today to set
> the advertised (maximum) tax rate at 4 cents is a
> huge relief to the taxpayers of Fairfax County
> because it guarantees that the schools budget must
> be reworked to remove irresponsible personnel
> costs.

No it doesn't. It merely insures that the school budget will be reduced. However if you think that the FCPS administration is going to change its priorities overnight, that it is going to give up its pet projects just because the budget is smaller than they hoped, you are incredibly naïve.

Pat Tines Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Board of Supervisors' decision today to set
> the advertised (maximum) tax rate at 4 cents is a
> huge relief to the taxpayers of Fairfax County

Speak for yourself. I haven't had a pay raise since 2011 and I am irate at yet another tax hike - combined with assessment increases the last few years (including this year) and my taxes are going up TOO much. Not relieved. Thanks to ObamaCare (AHCA) my health insurance costs have also doubled since 2011.

The owners of Sea Pearl must be in a panic from the lost revenue the budget decision will bring. FCPS will have to stop the fancy meals there and pay the teachers instead!

It used to be a long time ago in this country and probably here in Fairfax County that education was a positive force. I feel badly for the people who need to attack something that enables people to advance and have better lives. The vitriol and genuine antagonism towards properly funding of education in one of the wealthiest areas in the country is as strong a statement as any of how society and people posting here have de-volved, gone backwards in their evolution and development. Think about where we would all be if we didn't have schools. Our society would be no better than the caveman. How far we have come is now for those who disparage teachers and others who try to help up and coming generations now should say far we are retreating. This is a country built on hard work, knowledge and sacrifice. Without education, where would any of us be? I agree with the idea of financial accountability. But at the same time, there has to be some type of willingness to realize that the world is changing and in order to change and prepare future generations, we need to spend, increase money and funding for something everyone in our society deserves.

education loses value Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It used to be a long time ago in this country and
> probably here in Fairfax County that education was
> a positive force. I feel badly for the people who
> need to attack something that enables people to
> advance and have better lives. The vitriol and
> genuine antagonism towards properly funding of
> education in one of the wealthiest areas in the
> country is as strong a statement as any of how
> society and people posting here have de-volved,
> gone backwards in their evolution and development.
> Think about where we would all be if we didn't
> have schools. Our society would be no better than
> the caveman. How far we have come is now for
> those who disparage teachers and others who try to
> help up and coming generations now should say far
> we are retreating. This is a country built on
> hard work, knowledge and sacrifice. Without
> education, where would any of us be? I agree with
> the idea of financial accountability. But at the
> same time, there has to be some type of
> willingness to realize that the world is changing
> and in order to change and prepare future
> generations, we need to spend, increase money and
> funding for something everyone in our society
> deserves.

You have voiced a laundry list of opinion which means literally nothing. Your pompous and pretentious presentation of non sequitur is laughable. You equate education with spending. If it were as straightforward as that there would be no debate. Happily there are people who have the common sense to realize there is more to a quality education system than the amount of money one spends on it.

Maybe if you thought more about others than yourself, you would understand the importance of properly funding education. I guess you were absent when they taught respect and manners.

taxpayers are sick and tired of their money being spent on ESL.
period.
cut high school sports so we can teach jose English.
bullshit.

Go back to school Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe if you thought more about others than
> yourself, you would understand the importance of
> properly funding education. I guess you were
> absent when they taught respect and manners.


Blow it out your ass, you zika-headed motherfucker.

I can see tolerance was definitely not covered when you went to school.

You wealthy FFX land barons keep paying those high taxes so I can get my raise and get my two and a half months off here in a few weeks. Kicking out Juan and Peedrew years ago would have saved you. You libs couldn't do it though and now the yard birds have come home to roost.

Panic at Sea Pearl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The owners of Sea Pearl must be in a panic from
> the lost revenue the budget decision will bring.
> FCPS will have to stop the fancy meals there and
> pay the teachers instead!


Damn. No more expensive grilled cheese sandwiches for me.

How do you cut every year for nine years when you go from a $2.1 billion budget to a $2.6 billion budget?

The school board is full of shit.

Guess who voted against the proposed 5 cent tax increase to possibly fund FCPS an additional $24M? That's right -- BOTH Dan Storck and Kathy Smith voted AGAINST that proposal, and it failed due to a 5-5 tie vote! They have shortchanged the schools because of this ignorant vote. What are they thinking?

So the County Board had no other choice but to advertise the 4 cent real estate tax increase that was proposed by the County Executive, which passed on a 7-3 vote.

Pat Tines Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Board of Supervisors' decision today to set
> the advertised (maximum) tax rate at 4 cents is a
> huge relief to the taxpayers of Fairfax County
> because it guarantees that the schools budget must
> be reworked to remove irresponsible personnel
> costs. The BoS listened to the community
> exercising its rightful role in that conversation.
> Today's decision is encouraging for the thousands
> of community members who have reached out to the
> School Board and the Board of Supervisors this
> year to advocate for a voice in this very
> important conversation about values and
> priorities.


Good job by the BoS which indicated with the vote to advertise the 4 cent increase that they would not be bullied by the School Board and Boss Garza.

Great, there are not enough teachers and students learning in trailers using trailer restrooms like some West Virginia or Kentucky white-trash trailer park. Builds character and it does attract the best talent in teaching. Come to fairfax, teach in a trailer where you walk in the rain to take a piss but you cannot because you can never leave your kids alone in the trailer; oh and earn 10-15k less than if you worked in neighboring Arlington or PW Counties.

Wish we had never slashed taxes during the real estate bubble. If we hadnt at least we would be able to educate our kids somewhere other than a leaky trailer in a muddy field.

FCPS LIES Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How do you cut every year for nine years when you
> go from a $2.1 billion budget to a $2.6 billion
> budget?
>
> The school board is full of shit.


This is pretty easy to answer if you used your head a little here. There are multiple reasons a budget could actually increase but yet you make cuts. I know most government type agencies really do not cut anything or they cut what they call future growth projections that are not really there. Having worked for FCPS since 2002 i can tell you FCPS has made actual cuts and most of the cuts effected the employees as FCPS tries to protect students and their programs every year but there comes a point where you can't cut much more and to make a difference you will have to cut into actual programs. Here are some reasons why to answer your question.

2007 budget = 2.1b 2016 budget projected to be 2.6b that is about a 20 percent increase.

SO

1) 2007 student population = 165,000. The 2016 student population is expected to be 188,000. That is about a 13 percent increase. More students means more money unless you cut programs, the average spending per student has remained around 13k for that last 10 years.

2) state forced the county to contribute 5% more into retirements, this costs money, The employees also had to contribute more which in turn net pay per month went down.

3) health care costs, as obamacare has drastically increased costs so FCPS and Employees have had to pay more also.

I could go on but Just the above mentioned items makes up well more than the actual 20% increase of the budget over the last 9 years. If their were no cuts actually made we would be looking at a 3.2 or 3.4 billion budget this year.

KjbPX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Wish we had never slashed taxes during the real
> estate bubble.

Completely incorrect.

smartass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 3) health care costs, as obamacare has drastically
> increased costs so FCPS and Employees have had to
> pay more also.

Also completely incorrect.

This is sort of like listening to Donald Trump -- everything is completely incorrect.

PbVWu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> smartass Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 3) health care costs, as obamacare has
> drastically
> > increased costs so FCPS and Employees have had
> to
> > pay more also.
>
> Also completely incorrect.

no it's not, it is a fact i have lived through it buddy! i'm evidence of this fact. My health care has gone up every year since obama care took affect.

Go Back to School Board Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guess who voted against the proposed 5 cent tax
> increase to possibly fund FCPS an additional $24M?
> That's right -- BOTH Dan Storck and Kathy Smith
> voted AGAINST that proposal, and it failed due to
> a 5-5 tie vote! They have shortchanged the
> schools because of this ignorant vote. What are
> they thinking?
>
> So the County Board had no other choice but to
> advertise the 4 cent real estate tax increase that
> was proposed by the County Executive, which passed
> on a 7-3 vote.

Honestly, this was one of the most hilarious things I've seen in a long time. I really can't believe it happened, but I have to thank Kathy and Dan for saving the taxpayers another $20 million.

KjbPX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great, there are not enough teachers and students
> learning in trailers using trailer restrooms like
> some West Virginia or Kentucky white-trash trailer
> park. Builds character and it does attract the
> best talent in teaching. Come to fairfax, teach
> in a trailer where you walk in the rain to take a
> piss but you cannot because you can never leave
> your kids alone in the trailer; oh and earn 10-15k
> less than if you worked in neighboring Arlington
> or PW Counties.
>
> Wish we had never slashed taxes during the real
> estate bubble. If we hadnt at least we would be
> able to educate our kids somewhere other than a
> leaky trailer in a muddy field.


What is so character building about having the admins and school board eat out all the time, having the admins and school board go to conferences, hiring overpriced, unqualified consultants to "teach the teachers" and the money it is going to cost to tear down the turf fields, which are now considered unsafe?

Agree that Storck and Smith, the school board shills, failed UTTERLY.

>This is sort of like listening to Donald Trump -- everything is completely incorrect.

75 million + Americans say your full of Shit. And the number increases every day.

You need to go back to your left coast shithole to Get Ha Ha's out of your stupid post and continue to F that place up..Instead of Trying to do the same to Virginia.

Stop Excess FXCO Schools Spending.

Dan and Smith saw up close the wasteful spending in FCPS.

$500,000 for a consultant to tell us we pay teachers less than Arlington.

Brilliant.

The taxpayers are done with the annual begging and lies.

Garza blew it....big time with her hard lining.

Sea Pearl?

Flip Flippen?

Buck Institute?

Football?

Japanese immersion?

Angela Atwater?

There will be a dinner meeting Sunday night at Four Sisters for all admins to discuss these issues. Use of the county charge cards is authorized. RSVP by noon on Friday at 571-423-1010.

RSVP ASAP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There will be a dinner meeting Sunday night at
> Four Sisters for all admins to discuss these
> issues. Use of the county charge cards is
> authorized. RSVP by noon on Friday at
> 571-423-1010.


you do realize if you eliminate those charge expenses everyone is bitchn about from garza would have only save around 5k in the last 3 months. The overall money spent on Admin staff is only 4 percent of the budget. The other 96 percent is educational, facility or transportation expenses. Even if you cut the entire admin staff you would not save enough money to fund the entire needed budget.

On the average, FCPS spends $80,000 each month on travel. How much of that could be cut? What about these $10,000 a day consultants? There are many things that could be cut.

The FALSE assumption here is that everything in Garza's budget is essential. Take, for example, her housing subsidy-some $2,000 a month. If this were taken away and we got a new superintendent, would it be a disaster, no, of course not!

What's a disaster is lame-ass dumbfucks like you who use your own failings as an excuse to work against the success of others. Go fuck yourself, asshole!

whohlho Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RSVP ASAP Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There will be a dinner meeting Sunday night at
> > Four Sisters for all admins to discuss these
> > issues. Use of the county charge cards is
> > authorized. RSVP by noon on Friday at
> > 571-423-1010.
>
>
> you do realize if you eliminate those charge
> expenses everyone is bitchn about from garza would
> have only save around 5k in the last 3 months. The
> overall money spent on Admin staff is only 4
> percent of the budget. The other 96 percent is
> educational, facility or transportation expenses.
> Even if you cut the entire admin staff you would
> not save enough money to fund the entire needed
> budget.

An organization that is "hurting for money" doesn't subsidize restaurant meals and parties for staff using money that is supposed to be spent on kids, infrastructure, etc.

There are a lot of people who should not be allowed to touch a county charge card. There are a lot of people who really need to learn to pack their lunch. There are a lot of people who really need to read the school regulation that says that they get $11.50 or mileage for an evening obligation so make arrangements that don't involve slapping down a pcard at Bazin's.

jYUPc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What's a disaster is lame-ass dumbfucks like you
> who use your own failings as an excuse to work
> against the success of others. Go fuck yourself,
> asshole!

Your comment contributed nothing to the dialogue in this thread. You must be a product of the FCPS.

FCPS spends a great deal of money that it REFUSES to account for. That's just poor stewardship. They should consider themselves lucky to be getting anything at all.

This is just the beginning, someone needs to put a lot of questions to Garza and the School Board and INSIST that they be answered!

go away! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Your comment contributed nothing to the dialogue
> in this thread. You must be a product of the FCPS.

A very salient point was made -- your own failure leads you to root for the failure of others. It's a common enough (though quite deplorable) thing. You had your chance and you blew it. Now, get out of the way of others.

Too Much Secrecy! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FCPS spends a great deal of money that it REFUSES
> to account for. That's just poor stewardship. They
> should consider themselves lucky to be getting
> anything at all.
>
> This is just the beginning, someone needs to put a
> lot of questions to Garza and the School Board and
> INSIST that they be answered!

Read the budget documents, dumbfuck.

This is Fairfax County, Virginia, one of the wealthiest, best educated, and most influential counties in the United States. Living in Fairfax County means paying the going rate. Magical thinking does not apply.

Were Smith and Storck trying to outscheme the others or were they just that "confused?"

I have a quetion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Were Smith and Storck trying to outscheme the
> others or were they just that "confused?"


+1,000

Storck + Smith = School Board Shills (and not very good ones)

Brand new wonderful weight room, gym, dance room, walking jogging track, and they left the locker rooms as shitholes. Tile rotting dirty and filthy. That said a good janitor can work wonders, but do you see any?? Alexandria City has a Nice indoor pool rec center too. With 3 janitors keeping that place clean.

Spring Hill and the rest of the Rec centers have not seen a decent cleaning since they were built.. No money of course as the Schools Suck it ALL UP. Get a load of the newest Rec Center Cub Run.. a locker room Pig Sty with no janitors to do jack shit to clean the place.. Democrat Leadership?? What a JOKE! FXCO has many other needs for Tax Money!

Meanwhile, it appears the plan for the Board of Supervisors and the School Board majorities is to punt the issue to next spring as usual; this approach has given us tax increases in excess of 16% over the last three years combined and we appear headed down the same path. It's frustrating....

Interesting observation: In FY2001, FCPS spent $240 million in benefits. In FY2015, they spent $680 million. While every other budget category has roughly doubled since FY2001, benefits have tripled, while inflation has been 37%.

2000-2015 Inflation: +37% (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

BePsychUout Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Meanwhile, it appears the plan for the Board of
> Supervisors and the School Board majorities is to
> punt the issue to next spring as usual; this
> approach has given us tax increases in excess of
> 16% over the last three years combined and we
> appear headed down the same path. It's
> frustrating....
>
> Interesting observation: In FY2001, FCPS spent
> $240 million in benefits. In FY2015, they spent
> $680 million. While every other budget category
> has roughly doubled since FY2001, benefits have
> tripled, while inflation has been 37%.
>
> 2000-2015 Inflation: +37% (Bureau of Labor
> Statistics)


Pretty sure that the rise in benefits has something to do with the retirement funds. A few years ago, FCPS offered a lot of teachers early retirement because it kicked the fiscal can down the road. Unfortunately, we've reached the can.
Also, since ACA the health care rates have gone up.

School Board Shill Alert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a quetion Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Were Smith and Storck trying to outscheme the
> > others or were they just that "confused?"
>
>
> +1,000
>
> Storck + Smith = School Board Shills (and not very
> good ones)

The constituents of their districts elected them. Elections have consequences and you got the officials that you deserve by not looking into their past.

Storck is just strange with the whole Abraham Lincoln thing. Kathy Smith always impressed me as just being clueless (that appears to be right).

I'll bet Garza wants both of them GONE at this point. Oh well.

I have a quetion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Were Smith and Storck trying to outscheme the
> others or were they just that "confused?"

I suspect they saw that by voting for the compromise bill they wouldn't make anyone happy. Raising rates further would likely inflame the anti-tax constituents, but the additional revenue wouldn't be enough to make a huge difference in the level of county services. This way they can go back to their districts and say "I tried to raise rates high enough to improve county services but the other supervisors would not go along" and at the same time say "I kept you from having to pay even more in taxes for inadequate county services".

Meanwhile, down in Richmond, more money is coming up here thanks to the Republican legislature:

The House budget increased per-pupil support for K-12 education and provided more flexibility to school districts on how funds are expended. The House also kept $40.6 million in FY18 for a Cost of Competing Adjustment (COCA) for Northern Virginia.

COCA is additional funding we receive by claiming it is between 35% and 66% more expensive to live and work in our region. The bottom line is good for Fairfax County compared to FY16.

For FY17, the Republican House increased state funding for K-12 by $17.6 million, $2.6 million more than proposed by the Democratic governor.

For FY18, the Governor's budget increased state funding by only $52.3 million, while the House increased funding by $56.9 million.

The somewhat joking refrain in the capital is that Northern Virginia would receive even more money if they just sent more Republicans down to Richmond to ask for it.

However, we still have to survive the conference committee with the Senate, where the Republican majority is not as great.

The advertised tax rate vote is one that is so ill advised that it is impossible to spin a reasonable explanation. As for the additional funds from Richmond it will probably be spent on the legal fees defending the FCPS in the transgender lawsuit.

Both Kathy Smith and Dan Storck are naïve and made a huge mistake. The Chairman CLEARLY and EXPLICITLY told all Board members if the motion to possible raise the tax rate by 5 cents (meaning an additional $23 Million for schools) did not pass, then the next motion the would consider and pass would be a 4 cent maximum possible real estate tax raise (meaning $23M LESS for FCPS).

So both Kathy Smith and Dan Storck voted AGAINST the 5 cent tax increase. If EITHER of them had one ounce of common sense they would have voted for the 5 cent tax increase, and it would have passed 6-4 or 7-3. Instead it failed 5-5 and FCPS will not have the possibility of an additional $23M in revenue. Subsequently the 4 cent motion passed 7-3.

After the chaos Kathy Smith was asked to explain her ridiculous vote and she stated (paraphrasing) 'I thought the 4 cent increase motion would fail, and then we could make new motions for all kinds of other tax rates like 4.5 cents or 5.5 cents.'

Nice cavalier attitude about jumping around and raising the tax rates on the family owners of every home, townhome, and condo in FFX County. But -- what kind of uninformed person who truly wants to fund too much additional money to the schools budget would VOTE DOWN a 5 cent tax increase, and later decide to possibly SUPPORT a 4.5 tax increase? Someone needs a check-up from the neck-up.

Dan Storck and Kathy Smith both need to publicly apologize and to ALL FCPS students and teachers and Supt. Garza and the School Board, for voting AGAINST $23M in additional tax funding for FCPS. Until they do that, they have zero integrity. They both made a terrible rookie mistake -- they need to own it.

The reality is that you are stupid. Don't think so? Run for office and let others decide that matter for you.

Storck and Smith seem to be voting like a bouncing superball. But there are 10 members on the Board of Supervisors, and I would like to thank the rest of them for seeing through the scheme of the two ex-School Board members and helping to ensure that scheme did not bear fruit.


This link shows FCPS per pupil spending is way above the other top 20 school districts in the nation (except for New York City):
https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_spending_in_America%27s_largest_school_districts

(after linking, scroll down 3 pages)

Go back to bitching about Boosterthon, Flip Flippen, and turf fields.

Hey, dumbass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Go back to bitching about Boosterthon, Flip
> Flippen, and turf fields.

If you think Flip Flippen is so great, why doesn't YOUR company hire him? I'm sure the fact that MVHS hired him would be worth something.

When the school board and Garza actually have a real audit and come to the table with some real cuts to the fat, maybe the public will listen and believe some of what they are saying they need

Hey, dumbass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Go back to bitching about Boosterthon, Flip
> Flippen, and turf fields.


What are the costs of turf vs. astroturf? Turf is safer in many ways, as astroturf is carcinogenic.

Yes, they finally figured out that artificial turf fields pose health hazards.

Now, FCPS will beg for MORE money to rip out the turf fields and put regular grass back in.