Taxes
Resident: “I Just Want to Stay in My Home” — Board: “Best I Can Do Is a 57% Tax Increase Since 2021”
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Lisa Vose stood before the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on April 28 and described a lifetime spent in the county she loves. She moved here as a tenth-grader, rode the school bus past the neighborhood she dreamed of living in, and eventually made Clearview Heights her home.
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Lori Balta has lived on Sandy Court in Manassas since 2005. For 21 years, she and her husband planned to retire right here in the city they call home. Now that dream is slipping away.
Her January electric bill hit $750 — the highest in all her years here — followed by $650 in February and March. With her husband nearing retirement and her own close behind, Balta told Manassas City Council on April 27 that the combined impact of rising property assessments, local utility rate increases, and a surprise Dominion Energy shock may force them to sell and leave.
Barbara Saunders, a retired Fredericksburg public school teacher living on Pony Drive, opened her latest property tax bill with a familiar sense of dread.
At $4,980 already, her real estate taxes are set to climb again under the City of Fredericksburg’s proposed FY2027 budget. In a written letter read aloud at the April 21 City Council meeting, the senior citizen described the cumulative impact: a 0.4-cent increase last year, followed by the proposed 0.5-cent hike this year, for a total 0.9-cent jump over two years.
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Vega Warns of Sweeping 2026 Tax Hikes: Montclair, Nokesville, Triangle Face Highest Assessment Jumps
Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega is putting Prince William County taxpayers on notice: even if the Board of County Supervisors keeps the real estate tax rate flat, most homeowners will still see their bills rise this year because of higher property assessments.
In an email sent Monday morning to constituents — and forwarded to local media — Vega released detailed ZIP-code-level data showing average assessment increases for existing residential properties ranging from less than 1% to more than 5%. She highlighted the neighborhoods facing the steepest jumps and urged the board to consider lowering the tax rate rather than relying on the automatic revenue boost from rising home values.
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Fredericksburg families and small-business owners face higher costs under the proposed FY2027 General Fund budget of $141.4 million—a $4.6 million (3.3%) increase over the previous year.
City Manager Timothy J. Baroody presented this plan to City Council on March 10, 2026, describing it as a “balanced” and “responsible” approach that prioritizes public safety, schools, residents, businesses, and workforce needs amid recruitment challenges and local growth.
The average Stafford County homeowner could pay $370 to $462 more per year under the proposed FY2027 budget presented to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 17, 2026.
The increase follows a recent property reassessment and a proposed tax rate hike to offset growing state-mandated costs.
Prince William County announced that real estate taxes for the second half of 2025 are due on December 5 and urged residents who have not received a bill to contact the Taxpayer Services Office at 703-792-6710 or [email protected].
The county outlined multiple payment options, including online payments, phone payments using jurisdiction code 1036, mailing checks to the county’s Philadelphia lockbox, or paying in person at the Development Services Building in Woodbridge or the Sudley North Government Center in Manassas. Residents using mortgage companies to manage tax payments are advised to coordinate with their lender to ensure proper processing. Late payments incur a 10% penalty plus annual interest accruing monthly.