budget | ARLnow.com

County Board Backpedals on Cutting Staff Raises

Published April 18, 2014 at 3:35PM | Updated April 18, 2014 at 4:39PM

County Board Chair Jay Fisette told ARLnow.com Friday afternoon that, after the Board met with representatives from the police and firefighter unions this morning, it decided to cut from other areas to make up the $6.6 million gap in the budget the tax cut will create.

The Arlington County Police Union, the Arlington Police Beneficiary Association and the Arlington Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association (Local 2800) each released statements denouncing the Board’s decision to go against County Manager Barbara Donnellan’s recommendation to keep the property tax rate at 2014’s level of $1.006 per $100 in assessed value — and to pay for it by eliminating pay raises in favor of a “modest” 1 percent Cost of Living Adjustment and a one-time $500 employee bonus.

News

County Tax Rate to Drop By a Penny

By ARLnow.com

Published April 17, 2014 at 9:50AM | Updated April 17, 2014 at 12:04PM

The County Board last night directed the County Manager to reduce the tax rate in its Fiscal Year 2015 budget from $1.006 per every $100 in assessed value to $0.996.

That penny corresponds to about $6.6 million in reduced revenue for the county. However, the tax and fee burden on the average Arlington taxpayer will still rise about 4.6 percent, thanks to an increase in property assessments and increases in solid waste and water-sewer fees.

News

Residents, Nonprofits Line Up to Request Taxpayer Funds

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 26, 2014 at 1:00PM

During the hearing members of the community typically lobby the Board to direct budget funds to particular areas of need or to specific nonprofit organizations. Only a couple asked the Board to cut spending.

Forty-five speakers came to the podium Tuesday night, and even more packed the County Board meeting room in support of their causes.

News

County Taxes: Real Estate Up, Hotels and Sales Down

By ARLnow.com

Published March 13, 2014 at 10:45AM

County staff is projecting that Arlington will collect $20.8 million more in taxes than originally budgeted for, led by a $23.4 million increase in real estate tax revenue. Another bright spot an additional $3 million from personal property taxes. The increases are due to higher-than-expected real estate assessments and strong new car sales and used car values, according to Donnellan.

Some county revenue is lower than expected, however. Sales taxes are projected to be down $2.6 million, hotel taxes are down $2.1 million, fines are down $2 million and cigarette and communication taxes are both down $300,000.

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: The Real Case for APS Funding

By ARLnow.com

Published March 1, 2014 at 3:00PM

The following letter to the editor was submitted by former School Board member Ed Fendley.

Peter Rousselot is right to argue for increased school funding, but wrong to claim that there is a systematic bias against local funding for Arlington Public Schools.

Schools

APS Budget Funds Enrollment Increase, New Initiatives

By ARLnow.com

Published February 27, 2014 at 6:55PM | Updated February 28, 2014 at 8:54AM

The $539.4 million budget — a 3.1 percent year-over-year increase — also provides a cost-of-living salary increase for APS teachers, launches a new early literacy initiative and funds an APS-provided take-home iPad for every 2nd grader and a Google Chromebook for every 6th grader.

APS Superintendent Patrick Murphy presented his proposed budget to the Arlington School Board Thursday night. It’s the beginning of a process that will culminate with the School Board’s final budget adoption on May 8.

Opinion

Peter’s Take: Board Continues Shortchanging Our Schools

By Peter Rousselot

Published February 27, 2014 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.

Background

News

Board Advertises No Change to Real Estate Tax Rate

By ARLnow.com

Published February 24, 2014 at 5:00PM

That means that the tax rate can only go down or remain the same ($1.006 for every $100 in assessed value) in the Board’s budget, which will be crafted over the next two months before final approval on April 22.

Two residential fees, meanwhile — the water-sewer rate and the household solid waste rate — are proposed to increase 3.4 and 2.4 percent respectively in County Manager Barbara Donnellan’s budget, which will be used as a jumping off point by the Board.

News

County Manager’s Budget Includes No Tax Rate Increase

By ARLnow.com

Published February 21, 2014 at 11:50AM

Donnellan is proposing no increase in real estate and stormwater management tax rates, which impact homeowners. The combined tax rate would remain $1.006 for every $100 in assessed value.

With Arlington residential property assessments rising 5.9 percent this year (5.3 percent for single family homes), homeowners will pay more in taxes under Donnellan’s budget, despite tax rates holding steady. The average Arlington household will pay $7,371 in county taxes and fees, a $368 or 5.3 percent increase over last year.

Feature

Arlington Property Values Up 5.8 Percent

By ARLnow.com

Published January 22, 2014 at 1:00PM

Arlington County said today that its overall 2014 real estate assessments rose 5.8 percent. The growth was “fueled primarily by strength in the residential market, as well as new construction of commercial properties,” the county said.

The assessments for residential properties — single-family homes, condos and townhouses — rose 5.3 percent, to an average of $552,700.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 21, 2014 at 8:55AM

County Gets $500k for Beaver Pond Project — Arlington County has received a $500,000 state grant for a project to improve the Ballston beaver pond. “The $2.7 million improvement project, paid for mostly from stormwater funds, includes changing the flow pattern to keep water in the pond longer, allowing wetland plants to remove nutrients and other pollutants before it flows out,” the county said in a press release. “Construction is expected to begin in the summer 2014.” [Arlington County]

Fisette’s Disclosure Doesn’t Include Husband — County Board Chairman Jay Fisette’s annual financial disclosure did not include the finances of his husband. Fisette was married in D.C. this past September, but Fisette says he’s not required to include his spouse in the disclosure since their marriage is not recognized under Virginia law. [Washington Post]

News

Kaine Praises Budget Deal, but Disappointed With Cuts

By Katie Pyzyk

Published December 11, 2013 at 3:45PM | Updated December 11, 2013 at 5:12PM

Kaine largely praised the $85 billion agreement that funds government agencies through 2015. He did, however, express disappointment in certain cuts, such as cost-of-living adjustments for military retirees and for federal employee benefits.

Here is Kaine’s full statement: