Opinion | ARLnow.com

The Right Note: Recount

Published December 19, 2013 at 1:30PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

With security provided by Arlington County Sheriff’s Deputies, Clerk of the Court Paul Ferguson oversaw the recount. Ferguson swore in two of the Electoral Board members as Recount Coordinators and ten Officers of Election at 7:00 a.m. to conduct it. Registrar Linda Lindberg and her staff provided guidance to all of the officials as they opened the sealed envelopes containing Nov. 5’s results.

Morning Poll: Least Attractive City in America?

By ARLnow.com

Published December 13, 2013 at 9:45AM | Updated December 13, 2013 at 10:29AM

Slipping four places from last year, D.C. was judged to be the capital of ugly people.

“The locals came off as both unfriendly and not so stylish,” the magazine said. (San Francisco was ranked the most attractive city.)

The Right Note: One of a Kind

By Mark Kelly

Published December 12, 2013 at 1:45PM | Updated December 12, 2013 at 2:26PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

By my rough, back of the envelope estimate, Atkins made over 1,000 speeches before the Board. That is far and away more speaking time during County Board meetings over that span than anyone else who was not elected to serve on the Board.

Peter’s Take: Cancel the Aquatics Center and Start Over

By Peter Rousselot

Published December 12, 2013 at 1:00PM

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

The Aquatics Center hasn’t been built yet, and it shouldn’t be built. The County Board should scrap its Olympian pretensions and its desire to build King’s Dominion North at the expense of Arlington taxpayers. The board should explain its decision as follows: “We have made a mistake, and we are going to fix it. We have new information, and we are going to act on it.”

Morning Poll: Will You Trust The Next Snow Forecast?

By ARLnow.com

Published December 11, 2013 at 9:30AM | Updated December 11, 2013 at 10:44AM

Arlington snow lovers have been disappointed yet again by a hyped-up storm that ultimately fizzled out. It’s enough for a weather-watcher to shed frozen tears — if only the temperature was cold enough for those tears to freeze.

Clearly, forecasting winter weather in the D.C. area is a challenge, given the area’s propensity for hovering just above the freezing mark when winter precipitation threatens. In fact, meteorologists are being challenged by yet another possible “mixed precipitation” storm, heading toward the Washington region this weekend.

Morning Poll: Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center

By ARLnow.com

Published December 6, 2013 at 9:45AM

Now, however, the ongoing costs of the center are projected to be even higher than anticipated.

“What had been an expected annual operating deficit of $1 million to $1.3 million has now ballooned to more than $4 million, according to projections included in County Manager Barbara Donnellan’s updated budget forecast,” the Sun Gazette reported on Monday.

Peter’s Take: Budget Guidance Fails

By Peter Rousselot

Published December 5, 2013 at 1:45PM

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Process

The Right Note: Another TIF Imminent

By Mark Kelly

Published December 5, 2013 at 1:00PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

First, a reminder of how a TIF works. Essentially, Arlington County freezes the tax base of a defined area and dedicates tax revenue from that base to the general fund. The additional future revenue, or a percentage of it, is then earmarked to spend solely in that area, presumably with a pet project in mind. The general fund, on the other hand, is used to pay for the ongoing county services we all use: schools, transportation, police, fire, parks, and other services.

Morning Poll: Metro Fare Hikes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 5, 2013 at 9:55AM

Metro General Manager Richard Sarles’ budget calls for bus fares to increase by 15 cents, Metrorail fares to increase by 10 cents, and parking fees to increase by 25 cents. Will that lead to significantly more commuters hitting the road in cars? Probably not, says AAA Mid-Antic.”

“Even with a three percent average increase, area commuters will still save by using public transit after doing the math,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “After adding up the costs of driving and parking, commuters will often find that public transit is a more economical way to get to work and stick with Metro.”

Morning Poll: Christmas Trees

By ARLnow.com

Published December 2, 2013 at 9:45AM

One of the county’s best-known Christmas tree sellers, the Optimist Club of Arlington, is expecting a record number of sales this year, according to the Sun Gazette. The club has ordered 1,200 trees from forests in North Carolina — 100 more than last year, when all trees were gone by Dec. 18.

The Optimist Club sells its trees from the parking lot of the Wells Fargo bank at Glebe Road and Lee Highway. Other Christmas tree sellers around town include the Boy Scouts (6000 Wilson Blvd), the Lions Club (Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive), and the Knights of Columbus (830 23rd Street S.), according to a recent forum thread.

Morning Poll: Hipsters in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com

Published November 25, 2013 at 9:55AM

People walking on a sidewalk in Ballston (file photo)

A hipster ZIP code is generally defined by RealtyTrac as an area where residents are young and lots of people rent and take public transportation. The 22203 ZIP code, the second-highest ranking ZIP in the D.C. area next to Alexandria’s 22304 ZIP code, includes the neighborhoods of Ballston, Virginia Square, Bluemont and Buckingham.

Arlington’s 22201 ZIP code, meanwhile, ranked 23rd on the list. That ZIP code includes Courthouse, Clarendon, Lyon Village, Lyon Park, and parts of Ballston and Virginia Square.

The Right Note: The More You Know

By Mark Kelly

Published November 21, 2013 at 1:45PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

According to the report accompanying the County Board’s agenda, tax revenue once again came in well ahead of predictions, by $27.9 million. The largest contributor to the surplus was real estate revenues, to the tune of $15.3 million. In percentage terms, real estate tax revenues ran 2.6% ahead of budgeted amounts.