It may come down to more school funding or homeowner tax relief as Falls Church city leaders start mulling over budget options for the coming year.
Although the formal presentation of draft city and school-system budgets is more than a month off, city officials now have a better idea of the fiscal condition of the 2.2-square-mile locality.
No tax-rate rise for property owners, but increases in the meals tax and charges for some county services, are part of the $1.69 billion draft fiscal 2026 budget unveiled Saturday (Feb. 22) by Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz.
The proposal represents an increase of 2.2% from the current spending package. Schwartz said it aims for a balance between meeting core needs, addressing concerns from homeowners about tax burdens, and contingency planning for uncertainty in federal spending and the economy.
Welcome to Kami’s Korner, where we’ll take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next. From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.
What defines luxury in housing? It’s perhaps the most overused word in the English language. I recently saw a sign for “Affordable Luxury Apartments” and smiled to myself. Arlington, particularly Rosslyn, with communities like Turnberry Tower, Pierce, and Gaslight Square, has achieved critical mass in luxury condominium options. The condo market in Arlington continues to get better, consumers demand more thoughtful design, and local product becomes more desirable. For new condominiums, luxury is really made up of two factors: price point of the offering (a reflection of location, unit finishes and quality of plan), and condo fees (amenities, level of service.)
Pricing is predominantly set by the location. A majority of value is determined by neighborhood desirability, socio-economics of its residents, quality of schools, convenience to employment, retail, transit, market factors, and social centers. Arlington has all of these in spades!
Ranked-Choice Set for County Board Race — County Board members on Saturday voted 4-0 to use ranked-choice voting as the method of selecting a Board member in the November general election. Board member JD Spain, Sr., abstained after colleagues rebuffed his proposal to wait a month in order to put together a more comprehensive community-outreach plan. —Scott McCaffrey
Brandishing Incident in Arlington Mill — “The female victim was inside her vehicle parked in front of a residential building when the male suspect allegedly approached and engaged in a dispute over parking. The suspect then struck the vehicle’s windshield, causing property damage, and briefly walked away. The male victim then exited the residential building and confronted the suspect who subsequently made threatening statements and brandished a firearm.” [ACPD]
Crowded Trains and Busier Offices — “With employer mandates across the country taking effect, the number of people coming into an office is at its highest point since the pandemic, according to data released from property management company Kastle Systems…. At 51.5 percent [office] occupancy, D.C. had its highest week since March 2020.” [Washington Post]
Black History Month Ceremony — “Arlington County celebrated Black History Month with singing, guest speakers, and an official County Board proclamation. The event, hosted by the Black Employee Council, is the latest example of Arlington striving to be diverse and inclusive world-class community.” [YouTube]
Congressional Delegation Slams NPS Cuts — “Today, [U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. [Rep. Don Beyer, among others] pushed the Trump administration to reverse staffing cuts at the National Park Service (NPS), outlining the effect directives to eliminate employees and rescind and delay job offers will have on safety at Virginia’s 22 national park units.” [Press Release]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 54 degrees with calm winds transitioning to a southerly 6 to 11 mph breeze during the morning. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with lows around 39 degrees. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Posting and
Owner: Mohammad Esfahani
Trading name: Alvand
Address: 5009 Langston Blvd, Arlington
County: Arlington, VA 22207-2513
Owner title: Mohammad Esfahani
The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Liquor license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
NOTE: Objections to Posting issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no longer than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or (800) 552-3200
*Mamistad Groups meet IN PERSON-only the introductory Zoom call is virtual. :)
Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for.
They didn’t win any events, yet the Washington-Liberty Generals placed a solid fourth in the girls team standings at the 6D North Region swimming and diving championships.
The finish, and point total of 217, represented the high-school team’s best finish in years. W-L placed seventh, eighth and ninth the past three seasons.
The Bishop O’Connell Knights swimming and diving teams concluded their winter high-school seasons with third-place finishes at the recent Virginia private school state meet in Stafford.
The improvement in places from a year ago were significant for O’Connell, when the boys were eighth and the girls 16th.
As she savors a region championship in winter competition, Yorktown High School’s Kaiya Ovando now turns her attention to the spring athletic season.
But first, a quest for a state title looms.
It used to be the Yorktown Patriots couldn’t win a region championship. The girls high-school swimming and diving team would finish first in district and state meets, but not the region.
No more.
There weren’t any individual champions, but there were notable performances from some young Bishop O’Connell Knights athletes at the private school indoor state track-and-field meet.
The O’Connell girls and boys high-school teams each finished 11th in the overall team standings.
