Survival of Fairfax soccer programs threatened by proposed 'kiddy tax'

By Chris Hummer, Potomac Soccer Wire Editor

Citing a potential $650 million budget shortfall in Fairfax County, Virginia, some severe increases in fees paid by sports participants have been proposed - dubbed the "kiddy tax" by some county law makers.

Under the plan, County Executive Anthony Griffin has proposed a fee increase from $5.50 per team participant per sports season to $13 per team participant per sports season for county residents. For non-resident youth, the fee would go up to $30. "Non county" adult participant fees would increase from $20 to $30. And that's not all. Teams participating in county tournaments would also have to pay $25 per event, up from $15 currently, and the one-time field use fee for non-organized sports would go from $50 to $120.

The final budget will not be voted on by the county until April 27th, but three Republican representatives on the county board – Patrick Herrity (Springfield), Michael Frey (Sully) and John Cook (Braddock) - have already stated they'll vote against the athletic fees increase.

[+ read full story on connectionnewspapers.com]
[+ get more info on the Fairfax County Athletic Services web site]