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.
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.
Arlington’s economic development efforts may need to do more with less over the coming year.
“This is a budget [year] that is very lean. There’s going to be a lot of discussion about that,” acting Arlington Economic Development (AED) director Kate Ange said at the Feb. 10 Economic Development Commission meeting.
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Not everyone who voted in Northern Virginia in Tuesday’s election has felt the impact of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the federal government, but even many who haven’t said they have colleagues or neighbors who are dealing with the consequences.
“I’ve seen so many federal families lose their jobs, lose their income, lose their certainty here,” said Karina Valdez, who voted at the Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center in Arlington.
A freeze on federal education dollars cast $1.5 million in Arlington Public Schools funding into doubt.
This was the amount of funding at APS that the U.S. Department of Education withheld for weeks as part of a review to ensure that spending aligned with the White House’s priorities.
Arlington Public Library is warning local readers to expect longer wait times for popular titles after the collections budget was slashed.
In a release, the library said the collections budget was decreased by 21% in fiscal year.
Arlington County leaders are considering delaying the sale of municipal bonds and deferring various capital projects in the face of tight economic times.
It’s too early to think about amending the county’s recently adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget, county budget director Richard Stephenson told County Board members on Wednesday.
Planned cuts to federal funding for Medicaid, food assistance and other safety net programs have Arlington leaders turning to state officials for help.
At a meeting with county staff and County Board members last week, Arlington’s state delegates said they expect to return to Richmond in September to address cuts at the federal level.
Public opinion won the day on two contentious issues as School Board members finalized an $844.6 million budget last week.
The new spending package, approved last Thursday, is up 2.2% from the fiscal year ending June 30. It includes funding for continuing the Integration Station early-childhood program and retaining library aides as full-time positions.
In a cost-saving move, Falls Church leaders on Monday (May 12) voted to reconfigure how the city oversees its economic-development, planning, zoning and permitting operations.
In adopting the fiscal 2026 budget, City Council members eliminated the position of Community Planning and Economic Development Services director.
Possible reductions in federal funds for special education could put more stresses on Arlington Public Schools’ budget proposal.
“There are questions, concerns, uncertainties” about the Trump administration’s plans for special education funds, said Kenneth Brown, the school system’s director of secondary-level special education, at an April 10 School Board meeting.
Concerns about state and federal revenue could lead to a delay in the adoption of Arlington Public Schools’ new budget.
Superintendent Francisco Durán said Thursday that he may ask to postpone the planned May 1 approval of the $845 million spending plan to May 15.
