Vienna Town Council members on May 15 unanimously adopted the town’s fiscal 2024 budget, plus a reduced real-estate tax rate for this year and higher rates for water and sewer service.
The $50.01 million budget includes a $31.54 million general fund, $5.47 million for debt service, nearly $12.25 million for water-and-sewer expenditures and $752,000 for the stormwater fund.
The new tax rate of 19.5 cents per $100 assessed value is 1 cent lower than the one adopted in 2022, in response to significantly higher real-estate assessments.
“We have worked hard to get a 1-cent tax cut,” said Finance Director Marion Serfass.
The Council also formally adopted higher water-and-sewer rates, which will take effect July 1 at the start of fiscal year 2024 and result in residential bills that will be an estimated $81.40 (9.3 percent) higher per year.
The rates, which are 10 percent higher for both water and sewer service, are needed to offset inflation and higher costs for wholesale water, sewage treatment and pipe replacement, town officials said.
“This is commensurate with what’s happening in the region,” Serfass said. “We need to repair our infrastructure, and that goes into the rate, too.”
Residential and commercial customers will pay water fees of $6.40 per 1,000 gallons for the first 9,000 gallons, $7 for between 9,001 and 18,000 gallons, and $8 for 18,001 or more gallons.
For sewer service, commercial and residential users will pay $10.20 per 1,000 gallons for the first 9,000 gallons, $11.10 for 9,001 to 18,000 gallons and $12.80 for 18,001 or more gallons.
Fixed service charges for residential customers will rise 6.7 percent from $32 to $35 per month in order to bring the fees in line with industry standards, officials said. Fees for commercial customers, which are based on meter size, also will go up 6.7 percent.
Water-availability and meter-purchase fees will rise between 2 and 3 percent to stay in line with Fairfax County’s charges.
