Car Tax Payments Due Today — Today is the last day to pay the county’s personal property tax — also known as the car tax. Tax relief is available for some residents. [Fairfax County Government]

School Bond Referendum Moves Forward — The school bond referendum on county ballots calls for $360 million for school renovations, planning and design, and one site acquisition. [Reston Patch]

County Upgrades App — The county’s latest app now includes on-screen notifications. It also allows users to pay taxes, receive permits, arrange inspections and get access to the county’s calendar. [Fairfax County Government]

Transportation Career Fair This Week — The Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia office is hosting a transportation workforce career fair on Oct. 7. The event is virtual. [VDOT]

Fairfax County residents who drive used cars may get a higher vehicle tax bill this year than they were anticipating.

An unusual rise in the value of used cars will result in an average tax increase of $25 for about 12% of county residents, primarily those who own vehicles valued at $20,000 or less, the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration (DTA) said in a news release yesterday (Tuesday).

“This COVID thing is really making an impact on everything here,” said Juan Rengel, director of the DTA’s Personal Property and Business License Division. “What’s happening with vehicles [is] we are experiencing an increase of about 5% in vehicle values of used cars. Typically, used cars depreciate in value year over year. That’s not the case this year.”

According to Fairfax County, the increase in assessments stems from a reduced supply of vehicles due to global shortages in automobile parts, particularly microchips, and an uptick in demand for used cars over newly manufactured cars from both customers and dealerships.

People holding onto their used cars instead of selling them, low turnover in fleets for rental car companies, and dealerships compensating for the shortage in new vehicles by filling out their lots with used ones are all putting pressure on the used car market, driving up prices, Rengel says.

He added that low interest rates have also been a factor, enabling more people to obtain loans to purchase cars.

Like the rest of Virginia, Fairfax County calculates a vehicle’s assessed value based not on the purchase price, but rather, on the market value of its specific year, make, and model over all the sales for that vehicle as of Jan. 1.

“Whatever the car value is as of January 1, that’s what we use,” Rengel said.

Vehicle taxes can be appealed if the owner believes their vehicle has been overassessed based on body damage, rusting, or high mileage, according to the DTA.

Fairfax County’s current vehicle tax rate is $4.57 per $100 of assessed value. Personal property tax bills will start to go out in the mail soon, with payment for existing and new vehicles registered in the county prior to July 1 due on Oct. 5.

Rengel notes that Virginia partially relieves the tax burden on owners by subsidizing a portion of the first $20,000 of assessed value for vehicles utilized for personal use. This year, the state will pay 57.5% of the tax bill, though owners are required to certify to the county annually that their vehicle remains qualified to receive the subsidy.

According to Rengel, Fairfax County projects that it will collect $496.7 million in personal property tax revenues this year, all of which will go into the county’s general fund that supports schools, public safety, human services, and other government functions.

Though it’s unusual for car values to go up over the course of a year, the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic means vehicle taxes could increase again next year.

“If things continue the way they are, we can see prices going up again in 2022, but of course, we’re speculating for 2022 at this point,” Rengel said.

Photo via Obi Onyeador/Unsplash

Vehicle Tax Payments Due Today — The deadline to pay annual bills for vehicles in Fairfax County is today (Monday). Residents can pay their bill online, by phone, by mail and with your smartphone. [Fairfax County Government]

Fairfax Connector Sees Uptick in Ridership — ‘Fairfax Connector bus ridership was up during the second quarter of 2019 compared to a year before, according to new data, spurring hope it has turned a corner from declining ridership totals. The bus system, operated by a private firm under contract to the Fairfax County government, recorded a ridership of about 2.2 million in the three-month period ending June 30, according to figures reported to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.”  [Inside NOVA]

Unveiling of Colts Neck Underpass Project Set for Next Week — Philadelphia-based artist Ben Volta will unveil the Colts Neck Road underpass art project on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The artwork features drawings from hundreds of local residents. [Hunters Woods at Trails Edge]

Photo by Jay Westcott

Herndon Woman Killed in Crash on Dulles Access Road — “Police said Megan E. Bell, 28, of Herndon, was the driver and only occupant of a Honda Civic involved in the single-vehicle crash that occurred at 2:34 a.m. along the Dulles Access Road (Route 267), a quarter-mile west of Route 123 in Tysons, according to Virginia State Police.” [The Washington Post]

Campus Commons Project Up for Vote — The Reston Planning and Zoning Committee is reviewing the project, which has received criticism from citizen-led organizations, tonight at 7:30 p.m. [Reston Planning and Zoning Committee]

Vehicle Car Payments Due — The county mailed out more than 800,000 annual bills to vehicle owners, and because Oct. 5 falls on a Saturday, this year’s deadline to pay your bill is Monday, Oct. 7. We have many ways to pay and extended hours to help make the process easy for everyone. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by Jay Westcott

Open Houses Scheduled at All Fire Stations — In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations will be hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. Citizens are invited to meet firefighters, see the fire trucks, join in the activities and learn about fire safety. Local stations include Reston (1820 Wiehle Ave.), North Point (1117 Reston Ave.), Herndon (680 Spring St.) and Fox Mill (2610 Reston Parkway). [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Farm Harvest Days Coming Up — Watch the cider press in action, milk a goat, shell corn, peel apples, meet the farm animals, see traditional farm demonstrations, take a wagon ride, hop on the carousel and more during the annual Farm Harvest Days, Oct. 14-15 at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 W. Ox Road, Herndon). [Fairfax County Park Authority]

County Helping Residents Combat Scammers — This week’s Fairfax 50+ Podcast concerns the county’s new Silver Shield Anti-Scam Campaign, which works to protect older adults by sharing critical information to help them avoid being scammed. [Fairfax County/Soundcloud]

Car Tax Is Due Friday, But Why? — Some historical reference for why Virginia residents must pay an annual tax on their vehicles. [WTOP]

Walking Tour of Colvin Run Planned — The first phase of the Colvin Run restoration project, within Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive), was completed in August. A walking tour of the 2,220 restored feet of the stream is slated for 10 a.m. Friday. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

County Meeting on PRC Zoning Ordinance Amendment Tonight — Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and staff from Fairfax County’s Department of Planning & Zoning will host a community meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Lake Anne Elementary School (11510 North Shore Drive). They will discuss a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would increase the cap on density in Reston’s Planned Residential Community, among other changes. [Reston Now]

SLHS Football Suffers First Loss of Season — The Seahawks were upset Friday night by the Centreville Wildcats, 30-14. Statistical leaders for SLHS included running back Spencer Alston (6 carries for 58 yards, 3 catches for 35 yards, 1 TD); running back Albert Mensah (13 carries for 29 yards); and punter Evan Matthes (56.3-yard average on 4 punts). South Lakes is now 4-1 on the season and next plays Oct. 6, homecoming, against Langley. [South Lakes Athletics]

Fairfax County Home Prices Rise — County home prices were up $20,000 in August compared to the same month last year. The median sale prices in August 2017 was $505,000. [Reston Patch]

Car Tax Due Date Coming Up — The deadline for vehicle owners to pay their bill is Thursday, Oct. 5, and residents are being reminded not to wait until the last minute. [Fairfax County]

Reston Man Named to State Commission — Khurrum H. Khan of Reston, president of OurKare of Herndon, has been appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe to Virginia’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Herndon Officer Participates in ‘Rodeo’ — Senior Police Officer Ron Eicke participated in the recent Mid-Atlantic Police Rodeo, along with other police representatives from across the region. [Herndon Police/Facebook]

Fairfax County is missing out on about $2 million in payments from residents who try and skip out on paying annual car taxes.

That’s why the county is calling attention to its “Target Program” for residents to alert county officials to possible evaders, mostly residents who move here from other states and fail to register their cars locally.

“This program provides Fairfax County residents a way to communicate with the tax office in reporting vehicles that may be evading personal property taxes,” says Juan Rengel of the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration. “This is an effective way to participate in ensuring everyone living in Fairfax County pays their fair share.”

Fairfax County recently mailed more than 900,000 car tax bills to residents. Payments are due Oct. 5.

Officials say that more than 1,800 previously unregistered vehicles were added to car tax records, which will yield more than $2 million in tax revenue to support the county budget. The state with the most cars added to the Virginia rolls: Maryland, with 742. Florida was second (161), followed by DC (123).

However, just because a car does not have Virginia plates, it does not mean it is in violation. Fairfax County’s location near Washington, D.C., military bases, universities and corporate world headquarters draws people from all over the world who are in Fairfax County on a temporary or permanent basis.

Some vehicle owners with non-Virginia plates may not be required to register. Among them:

• Military personnel temporarily living in Fairfax County due to military order and their permanent residence is elsewhere
• Full-time college students
• People visiting family members
• Diplomats
• Vehicles with government license plates

But if you think someone is in violation, visit the Tax Evaders link on the county website. You will be asked to fill out an (anonymous) form. County staff will then investigate. If a vehicle should be registered in the county, then the owner will receive a tax bill, which will also include penalties, interest and the “No Plate Tax.“