Arlington, Virginia (June 16, 2006) - Delegate Jeff Frederick once again joined Governor Tim Kaine today in celebrating passage of one of their mutual priorities, legislation requiring localities to provide homeowners with additional information on real-estate assessments.

Flanked by members of the state Senate and local government officials, Kaine signed into law House Bill 491, sponsored by Frederick, which will provide Virginian's homeowners with additional information on real estate assessments and tax rates. This new law requires local governments to include the immediately prior appraised value of the property; the immediately prior assessed value of that property (if different from the appraised value); the proposed tax rate; the percentage change in actual taxes paid; and the time and place of the next meeting of the local government body that will hear public testimony on those changes.

“It seems like each spring since I've been in office, I hear from hundreds of families in my district about how shocked they are at the increases they are seeing in their property tax bills, and the burden it is placing on their family budgets”, Frederick said. “They say that they read in the local newspaper weeks before that the Board of Supervisors cut the tax rate, and yet when they get their bills, it is often 25-30% higher than last year. This legislation would require local governments send out what I like to call a 'truth in taxation notice', making it clear to taxpayers on their tax notice how much more over last year's bill they are being asked to pay and where they can go to let their local government officials know if it is too much”, he added. “The taxpayers are tired of the smoke-and-mirrors approach being used today.”

“With real estate assessments generally rising in communities across the Commonwealth, it is important that we provide Virginians with as much information as possible,” Governor Kaine said. “It is also critical that homeowners have easy access to information regarding the public meetings where testimony on the tax rates will be heard.”

Frederick worked closely with Delegate Franklin Hall, the House Democratic Leader, on this legislation. Hall was a co-sponsor of Frederick's bill.

Delegate Frederick has also sponsored HJ 56, a constitutional amendment capping real-estate assessments and tax rates. That legislation will be taken up in the 2007 regular session of the General Assembly.