Arlington’s” budget season” is now underway and county leaders are focused on how to allocate funds and balance the budget. But with more than half of county spending considered non-discretionary, options for cuts are somewhat limited.
On the other hand, another way to close the budget gap — higher property tax rates — looks to be politically challenging given that a continuous rise in home assessments paired with a tax rate increase last year has Arlington homeowners more sensitive to higher taxes.
Given our recent reporting on some of the potential options and tradeoffs, which option for balancing the budget are you leaning towards?
If you vote for cuts, let us know where in the budget should they be made.
An expanse of snow and sledders at Nottingham Elementary just before sunset (staff photo)
New Speed Camera Turned On — “Due to the recent inclement weather and school closings, the 30-day warning period for the new PhotoSPEED program speed safety cameras will begin on Monday, January 13. Speed camera installation at NB 1600 block of N. Glebe Road is postponed pending VDOT permitting, and a speed camera has been installed at WB 5800 block of Little Falls Road.” [ACPD]
Beyer Again to Take on Robert E. Lee — Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) will again in 2024 introduce legislation removing Robert E. Lee’s name from Arlington House, despite an admitted very little chance of success. “While he recognizes that the current Congressional climate might not favor passage, he’s committed to building support and preparing for a time when the environment might be more receptive,” a spokesman tells ARLnow. –Scott McCaffrey
Unusual Traffic Stop — From Dave Statter: “Here’s the video as the driver first refused to stop for @ArlingtonVaPD and made a U-Turn on 50 at Irving. Two minutes later they returned to the intersection and stopped. Police soon arrived and blocked in the car. Traffic now gets by using one lane to the left.” [Twitter]
Arlington Jobless Rate Up Slightly — Arlington’s unemployment rate of 2.3% in November was up from 2.2% a year before, according to new data. In Falls Church, the unemployment rate of 2.5% was up from 2.3%. [Virginia Employment Commission]
Sens. Want Deficit Reduction — “U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee Mike Crapo (R-ID) urging Senate Republicans to work in a bipartisan way to reduce the deficit and protect the middle class from tax hikes.” [Press Release]
Demolition of Former F.C. Hotel — “The one remaining eyesore along W. Broad Street between the N. Washington intersection and Founders Row in the otherwise lovely downtown Falls Church will be disappearing not a minute too soon. One of the two buildings of the vacated and fenced in old Stratford Motor Lodge site in the 300 block of West Broad is slated to be demolished and removed within two weeks.” [FCNP]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 40°F and calm winds shifting to the west at about 5 mph in the afternoon. The night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 20°F and a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. Industrious offers a warm, welcoming workspace where everything is handled for you. ARLnow has called Industrious home for years, enjoying fresh coffee, quiet offices and a friendly front desk staff. With several Metro-accessible Arlington locations, Industrious lets you focus on what you do best.
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Gabe Henneman shoots for Wakefield (photo by Rena Schild)
The Wakefield Warriors and Yorktown Patriots won in boys high-school basketball action Friday night (Jan. 10) to remain undefeated at 2-0 in the Liberty District.
The Wakefield boys got 16 points from Keyon Tiggle and 10 each from Jeremiah Poole and Koopar Odar in their 55-51 home victory over the McLean Highlanders.
Some fresh snow but a cleared Wilson Blvd near Whole Foods in Clarendon (via traffic cam)
About an inch of snow fell in Arlington between Friday night and the early morning hours of Saturday.
Most main roads around the county have now been cleared as of 9:30 a.m., but many side streets remain snowcovered. Crews are now working on those local streets, while residents and businesses are expected to shovel their sidewalks within 24 hours.
The Women’s Crawl is coming to Falls Church on May 9, 2026!
Hosted by the team behind the Shrinks on Tap Podcast and presented by Expand Psychology, this one-of-a-kind event is more than a night out—it’s a movement.
Snow is possible before 7am, followed by cloudy conditions that will gradually clear up, reaching a high near 34. The light west wind will shift to northwest, ranging from 8 to 13 mph in the morning and possibly gusting up to 22 mph. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 23 and a northwest wind of 8 to 10 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The more one judges, the less one loves.” – Honoré de Balzac
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Booking photograph of Timothy McGhee, via ACPD, over a file image of Washington-Liberty HS
A substitute teacher has been charged with taking indecent liberties with a high school student.
Timothy McGhee, a 47-year-old Alexandria resident, had been working as a substitute at Washington-Liberty High School. He also previously worked at some local churches and unsuccessfully ran for state Senate in Arlington and Alexandria in 2011.
The W-L girls play tight defense (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
The start of the new year means it’s rivalry and bragging-rights time among Arlington’s six (three boys, three girls) varsity public high-school basketball teams.
Local rising kindergartener, Phin, has advanced to the Top 5 in his group in the national Jr. Ranger Contest, a competition that celebrates children who are passionate about nature, wildlife, and exploration. After making it through earlier rounds with strong community support, Phin is now in 4th place and working toward the top spot needed to move on to the quarterfinals.
The contest encourages kids to engage with the outdoors and highlights their curiosity and love for learning about the natural world. For Phin and his family, this experience has been both exciting and meaningful, made even more special by the encouragement from friends, neighbors, and the broader community.
