County Board to Decide How to Spend Nearly $22 Million in Extra Funds

The Arlington County Board is expected to decide on how to spend $21.8 million left over from last year’s budget at its meeting this Thursday.

The surplus must be allocated as part of the Board’s year-end budgeting process.

The County Manager has made recommendations for how the money should be spent, covering five different categories, including:

• $1 million for economic development, including incentives to attract new businesses to Arlington
• $7.8 million for land purchases and other capital investment, including schools
• $0.8 million for a “larger than anticipated” class of fire recruits
• $11.2 million to maintain investments in the Affordable Housing Investment Fund and housing grants
• $1 million for any unexpected needs or issues that may arise next year

The $7.8 million item includes $1.8 million to be put toward the purchase of a light industrial site along N. Quincy Street, across from Washington-Lee High School. It also includes another $1.8 million for other land acquisition, $1.7 million for maintenance and other capitol investment needs, plus $2.5 million for the county/schools joint contingency fund.

As in the past, the School Board is expected to contribute the same $2.5 million to the joint contingency fund when it takes on its own year-end budgeting process.

A majority of the surplus funds would go to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund and housing grants. This year’s anticipated $11.2 million investment is the same amount allocated for that purpose last year.

Thursday’s meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the County Board Room at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Room 307.