Today, Attorney General Jason Miyares submitted an amicus brief in the case of Sopko v. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The brief supports the constitutional rights of disabled veterans in Virginia after Fairfax County declined to provide property tax exemptions that are promised under the Virginia Constitution.
In 2010, a constitutional amendment was passed by Virginians, which grants real property tax exemptions to veterans with a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability. Following this, the General Assembly enacted legislation entitling qualifying veterans to refunds of property taxes dating back to January 1, 2011.
John P. Sopko, a veteran with a disability rating from 1972, has been denied these benefits by Fairfax County. The brief contends that Fairfax County’s refusal to issue refunds based on unrelated general tax statutes contradicts the clear language of Virginia’s Constitution and its implementing laws. It also dismisses the notion that failed legislation—bills that were never enacted—should influence court decisions.
The case is scheduled for hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court on June 30, 2025.
