The Arlington County Board has requested more study on possible increases to towing rates before making a decision.
Board members unanimously rejected a staff and advisory-panel recommendation to hold a November public hearing and potentially increase maximum towing rates from the current $155 ($135 plus $20 surcharge) to as much as $210.
Instead, the governing body authorized a December public hearing on the issue, but only if staff first provide a detailed report laying out a rationale for increasing rates.
“We want this to be based in analysis and study,” said Board member Matt de Ferranti on Saturday.
A revision to state law that went into effect July 1 allowed, but did not require, localities to raise the maximum fee to $210 for vehicles towed for illegally parking on private property — so-called “trespass tows.”
The same law change eliminated localities’ ability to also impose a fuel surcharge of up to $20 per tow, which Arlington has imposed on top of the $135 rate.
Board member Maureen Coffey said the new maximum under state law would be better suited for rural counties where the distance to tow vehicles to storage yards is significant. That is not the case in Arlington, she said.
Coffey said she wasn’t ready to vote without a staff analysis.
“I will await more information,” she said.
County Board members past and present have long had an often contentious relationship with the county’s towing providers.
Last year, Board members voted down a staff proposal to increase the maximum towing rate from the current $135 to $150, which would have been allowed under state law.
In the same meeting, though, Board members opted against requiring a real-time signature from property owners before embarking on a tow during regular business hours. The measure was opposed vigorously by trade associations representing local businesses and property owners.
Real-time authorization is called a “second signature” — the first signature being a property owner’s blanket authorization for a towing company to remove vehicles.
At times, disagreements between County Board members and the towing industry had to be referred to Richmond. In 2017, state legislation was passed that took away many of the powers of local governments to regulate towing, although localities since have gotten some of those powers back.
The measure was signed into law by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), and was at least in part due to actions taken by County Board members in December 2016 that mandated second signatures for tows and took several other steps that drew flak from the industry and some in the business community.
At the Oct. 18 meeting, Board members and staff were criticized for an out-of-date portion of the government’s website related to the Trespass Towing Advisory Board.
The website doesn’t link to the body’s lone 2025 meeting where the higher fees were discussed, and “there’s no email signup for residents to be kept in the loop,” local resident Matt Chiste said.
County staff acknowledged problems with the site, which they attributed to staff turnover. But Chiste wasn’t the first person to bring the matter to their attention.
“I made staff aware of that a month or so ago,” Coffey said.
The problem with that part of the website “troubles me” but is “not unique,” said Board member Susan Cunningham. She said there are numerous areas on the county website where information is out-of-date or leads to dead ends.
The Trespass Towing Advisory Board is a three-member panel advising county officials on towing issues. It consists of one member of the public and one member each representing the towing industry and Arlington County Police Department.
Board members accept $38.7 million in state transportation funds: Board members also accepted a variety of state transportation funding that adds up to $38.7 million and covers a wide swath of transportation and transit projects.
The bulk of the funding — $25 million — will support the planned new east entrance to the Crystal City Metro station, which already has begun.
An additional $2 million will provide cash needed for the county government to create a “microtransit” pilot program for the county’s western edge.
Other funding will support replacement of electric buses; replacement of fareboxes; improvements to bus stops; purchase of additional security cameras; and a transportation internship program.
The various grants will require a cumulative local match of about $6 million.
At the same meeting, Board members also voted to accept a state grant of about $74,700 to promote highway-safety initiatives.
Most of that funding will go toward staff overtime in support of ongoing efforts.
