Scott McCaffrey | ARLnow

County’s political parties prep for ongoing combat throughout 2026

Published February 26, 2026 at 10:00AM | Updated February 26, 2026 at 10:54AM

Early voting at the Madison Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)

Arlington’s never-ending campaign cycle saw both Democrats and Republicans gearing up for battle over the past few weeks.

The Arlington County Democratic Committee is “focused on winning, doing everything we can to ensure Democrats win,” party chair Paul Ruiz said at Democrats’ monthly meeting on Feb. 4.

News

County Board advertises 2-cent increase to real estate tax rate

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 26, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated February 26, 2026 at 2:19PM

County Board members Susan Cunningham and Takis Karantonis (screenshot via Arlington County)

The Arlington County Board has voted to advertise a 2-cent increase to the real estate tax rate, slightly higher than the rate proposed in this year’s budget draft.

If enacted in its entirety, the jump would increase the county’s tax rate to $1.053 per $100 assessed valuation, adding a further tax burden on homeowners already facing higher assessment values.

News

Gymnastics boosters press County Board to save Barcroft youth programs

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 25, 2026 at 2:45PM

The Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center at 4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive (file photo)

Supporters of Arlington youth gymnastics turned out last night (Tuesday) to press county leaders on planned cuts to local programs.

A $1.7 billion budget proposal from County Manager Mark Schwartz calls for shuttering the Arlington Aerials and Arlington Tigers, along with community gymnastics programs, at Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center. The programs, operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation, do not recoup costs through user fees, Schwartz and staff have said.

News

Reagan National confirms its lowest air traffic numbers in three years

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 25, 2026 at 1:45PM

A Delta flight at the gate at Reagan National Airport (staff photo)

Reagan National Airport recorded its lowest annual passenger count in three years in 2025, even as Dulles International Airport set an all-time record.

Just under 24.9 million passengers traveled through DCA last year, down 5.3% from 26.3 million in 2024, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) reported yesterday (Tuesday) — confirming preliminary numbers released last month.

Schools

Chronic absenteeism rates at APS drop for the first time in years

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 25, 2026 at 9:15AM

An Arlington Public Schools bus in the snow on Dec. 5, 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

New data suggests that Arlington Public Schools is making progress on lowering the rate of students being chronically absent from class.

Through Jan. 30, 10% of APS students this school year were absent from class more than 10% of the time, according to data reported at the Feb. 19 School Board meeting. That’s down from rates of 12.4% for the 2024-25 school year and 13.2% from 2023-24.

News

Falls Church forecasts modest revenue growth without tax hikes, in contrast to neighbors

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 25, 2026 at 8:30AM

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields and City Attorney Sally Gillette (screenshot via Falls Church)

Falls Church city leaders appear to have a little more budget breathing room over the coming months compared to surrounding jurisdictions.

At a Feb. 23 City Council meeting, finance officials estimated 4% revenue growth in fiscal year 2027 without increasing tax rates. It was a figure Mayor Letty Hardi called “very, very rosy” compared to the situations in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County.

News

Arlington officials consider ban on campaign signs in median strips

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 24, 2026 at 10:00AM

Campaign signage in median, May 2025 (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Political campaign signs could soon be a thing of the past on Arlington medians.

County Board members in March are expected to consider a staff recommendation that would prohibit all signage — commercial, personal and political — on county-owned median strips and areas between sidewalks and roadways.

News

Affordable housing proposal on Langston Blvd sparks debate on height, tree canopy

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 24, 2026 at 9:15AM

Plans for the Leckey Gardens site at 2031 N. Woodrow Street (via Arlington County)

County Board members will return tonight (Tuesday) for more discussion on an affordable housing proposal on Langston Blvd following debate at a weekend meeting.

At a lengthy discussion on Saturday, Board members and the public zeroed in on remaining concerns at the Leckey Gardens Apartments site — including building height, tree canopy and parking — before deferring final action to tonight’s meeting.

News

Falls Church approaches a crossroads on affordable housing intervention

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 24, 2026 at 8:30AM

Falls Church leaders at Feb. 18, 2026 agenda-setting session (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

Expiring affordability commitments and a large site where leaders could potentially expand affordable housing are presenting questions for Falls Church policymakers.

“There’s a policy decision: What are the choices before us?” Mayor Letty Hardi said at a Feb. 18 meeting to set the timetable for discussion of key upcoming issues.

News

If ICE surge comes to Arlington, county leaders hope to be ‘prepared’

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 23, 2026 at 3:45PM

County Board member J.D. Spain Sr. speaks at an anti-ICE demonstration in Courthouse (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Arlington officials say they’re taking action behind the scenes to be ready for any possible surge in immigration enforcement locally.

“We have to be prepared,” Arlington County Board member Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., said at the Board’s Feb. 21 meeting. “We don’t want what happened in other parts of our nation to happen here, but if it does happen, we need to be prepared.”

News

Arlington budget proposes tax increase, closure of gymnastics program and library

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 23, 2026 at 10:00AM

County Manager Mark Schwartz (screenshot via Arlington County)

A tax rate increase, the closure of the Cherrydale Library and the elimination of a popular youth gymnastics program are key components of the new budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.

The $1.69 billion spending plan, released at a County Board meeting on Saturday, is down a fraction of a percent from the adopted fiscal year 2026 plan. The almost unprecedented year-over-year decrease reflects ongoing concerns about declining revenue from commercial office buildings, hotel stays and the federal government.

News

Sens. Warner and Kaine promise bill to reduce flights at Reagan National

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 23, 2026 at 8:30AM

Boats and the U.S. Park Police helicopter search the Potomac River the morning after the mid-air collision and crash (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Virginia’s two U.S. senators say they will try again to reduce air traffic and take other steps to address safety concerns at Reagan National Airport.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are throwing their support behind the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) final report into the January 2025 midair collision near the airport