Loudoun Supervisors on March 2 approved the 2010 personal property tax rates, including a more than 300 percent increase on clean special fuel vehicles.

Residents overall will not see an increase in their general personal property tax rate. The rate will remain at $4.20 per $100 of assessed value.

However, county leaders voted 5-2-2 to hike the tax rate on clean special fuel vehicles – those that run primarily on alternative fuels such as ethanol or hydrogen – as a way to generate revenue.

Supervisors Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) and Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac) voted against the increase. Chairman Scott York (I-at large) and Supervisor Sally Kurtz (D-Catoctin) were absent.

Raising the tax rate on clean special fuel vehicles from $1 to $4.20 per $100 of assessed value would generate an additional $2.4 million in revenue, according to county documents.

However, McGimsey said the board was missing an opportunity to show support for clean energy incentives.

“This is one of the very few opportunities we have at the local government level to make a difference,” she said.

Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) said supervisors were not trying punish residents who own fuel efficient cars.

“The problem, as it always is at revenue generation at our level, is we don’t have sufficient flexibility from the Code of Virginia to be fair to how we allocate this. The way we raise local revenue is required by law to be unfair. That’s just the way it is,” Miller said. “The fact is there are vehicles out there that get better fuel efficiency than the ones we’re allowed to give tax breaks to.”

Miller said the rate increase was the result of a compromise.

The board also voted to tax all-electric vehicles at $2 per $100 of assessed value.

Prior to the March 2 decision, the county had never taxed those vehicles.