Last night’s budget markup had many moving pieces, so let me be clear about where I stand, as your elected representative, a father of school-age children, and the husband of a special education teacher.
I did not vote to reduce Prince William County Schools’ portion of any General Fund Revenue included in the County’s Proposed FY27 Budget. Those are the numbers on which the schools based their own budget. Here is what I did support in straw poll votes during markup:
- Raising the computer and peripherals (C&P) tax on data centers from the rate on which the schools based their budget ($4.15), to $4.50
- Reserving only the new C&P monies ($21M) from the RSA to address emergent county needs and provide long-promised real estate tax relief to residents
- Preserving the 57.23% RSA rate for all other General Fund revenues
- Protecting additional commitments the county makes above and beyond the RSA, like the $1 million classroom size reduction grant
I am proud that we voted to deliver on real estate tax relief for our residents. But reducing the RE tax rate to $.85 and supporting a 1% reduction to meals tax — which I voted against — means that while the school’s share of General Fund Revenue remains unchanged, the County will transfer $31M less than anticipated based on the FY27 Proposed Budget. At $1.08B, the County’s transfer to schools is still historic; a nearly 10% increase from FY26. This is a signficant investment in education, but short of what I sought to provide.
Additionally, the FY27 Prince William County Budget projects $550M in additional data center revenues next FY, yet the budget reflects an austerity posture: Eliminating salary adjustments for even our lowest paid employees while cutting deeply into services for seniors, trails maintenance, and fire and rescue, despite $11 million still remaining on the bottom line. I supported TWO motions to renegotiate tax rates to generate additional funds for the schools transfer and maintain critical County investments. Unfortunately, both motions failed.
Please know, I do not plan to support the FY27 Prince William County Budget in its current form. I am not satisfied with where we landed, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Please continue to share your concerns. That dialogue matters, and so does your voice. This budget, and the values it reflects, belong to you, the residents of Prince William County.
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