budget | ARLnow.com

Pace of Paving Unchanged this Year, Will Ramp Up in 2014

Published May 2, 2013 at 4:30PM | Updated May 3, 2013 at 10:00AM

Arlington County crews will pave 49 lane miles this year, about 5 percent of the 974 lane miles of roadway maintained by the county. That’s a big step up from the 25 miles paved in 2009, 30 miles paved in 2010 and 36 miles paved in 2011. But it’s unchanged from the 49 miles paved last year.

The number of miles paved will jump next year, when extra funding kicks in thanks to the county’s FY 2013-2022 Capital Improvement Plan. Starting in 2014 and throughout the remainder of the CIP, the Arlington plans to pave 72 lanes miles per year.

Opinion

The Right Note: Board Watching

By Mark Kelly

Published April 25, 2013 at 12:55PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column by 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.

Every year since I moved to Arlington in 2000, the County Board has passed a budget that effectively raised our taxes, either through increased rates or in effect, by not offsetting appraisal increases with tax rate decreases. And, every year in recent memory, the county’s press staff sends out a statement claiming it’s not really that bad.

Schools

Proposed APS Budget Trims Maintenance, Boosts Bus Funding

By ARLnow.com

Published April 23, 2013 at 5:40PM | Updated April 23, 2013 at 6:03PM

The School Board had asked for an additional 0.5 cent tax increase dedicated to school funding, in addition to the County Manager’s proposed 3.2 cent tax increase. In the end, the County Board approved a 3.5 cent increase, only 0.3 cents more than the manager’s proposal — and that increase will be split by the county and the school system.

With an earlier version of its proposed budget now facing a shortfall of $1.4 million, the School Board cut about $600,000 from the minor construction/major maintenance fund, and another $600,000 from the school system’s reserve fund. Even with the cuts, however, the maintenance and construction fund and the reserve fund are both set to receive more than $7 million apiece in the budget.

News

County Board Approves New Budget

By ARLnow.com

Published April 20, 2013 at 2:55PM

The Board raised taxes slightly above the 3.2 cent increase recommended by County Manager Barbara Donnellan, citing the need to eliminate proposed cuts to the police and fire departments and the county’s child care office, and the need to increase funding to safety net programs and Arlington Public Schools.

Arlington’s tax rate will now increase to $1.006 per $100 of assessed value.

Opinion

Peter’s Take: Wrong Budget Priorities Stall Foreign Language Teaching

By Peter Rousselot

Published April 18, 2013 at 2:15PM

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.

Among Dr. Murphy’s unfunded investments was any money to start foreign language instruction at any Arlington elementary school that is not already offering such instruction. Acknowledging the inequity of the current situation in which some elementary schools offer this instruction while others do not, Dr. Murphy polished his Orwellian credentials by calling these unfunded foreign language programs “lighthouses to places we need to be going”.

News

County Board Set to Vote on 3.5 Cent Tax Hike

By ARLnow.com

Published April 16, 2013 at 7:15PM

Donnellan had proposed a 3.2 cent real estate tax increase. The Board gave itself extra budget wiggle room by advertising a 5 cent increase in February. At a Fiscal Year 2014 budget markup work session Tuesday afternoon, the Board tentatively settled on a tax rate in-between the two, but closer to that proposed by Donnellan. The extra 0.3 cents will bring nearly $1 million in additional tax revenue.

The Board will vote on a final budget and tax rate at its meeting on Saturday.

News

Report: Arlington Lacks Robust Internal Auditing

By ARLnow.com

Published April 11, 2013 at 5:30PM

Suzanne Smith Sundberg, a member of the Arlington County Civic Federation Revenues and Expenditures Committee, has written an eight page report detailing what she characterizes as a lack of audit oversight over the county’s finances.

The county eliminated two internal auditing positions during budget cuts in 2010, Sundberg writes, a move that raised red flags with her committee at the time. Recent news items have supported their concern and point to need to create a permanent internal auditing office, she says.

Opinion

Peter’s Take: Childcare Fiasco is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

By Peter Rousselot

Published April 11, 2013 at 11:45AM

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.

What prompted the County Manager to make this proposal in the first place? What are the most important lessons to be learned from this experience?

Schools

School Board to Present Budget to County Board

By ARLnow.com

Published April 9, 2013 at 4:30PM | Updated April 9, 2013 at 8:35PM

The School Board’s proposed budget calls for $524.5 million in expenditures, roughly $4 million more than Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy’s proposed budget. The board’s budget keeps most elements of Murphy’s budget in tact — including merit-based pay raises for teachers, no increase in class sizes and funding to buy more school buses — but scales back some proposed cuts.

Cuts to teen parenting staffing, elementary reading teachers, high school gifted teachers, Standards of Learning teachers and minor construction/major maintenance have been reduced collectively by $2.3 million. The budget also adds a $600,000 reserve, and $1.1 million to account for an increase in projected school enrollment.

News

Artisphere Over Budget for FY 2013

By ARLnow.com

Published April 8, 2013 at 4:05PM

Artisphere was budgeted to require only $1.6 million in net tax support for FY 2013, down from $2.3 million in FY 2012. With only about 3 months left in the fiscal year, however, Arlington County is projecting that Artisphere will require an additional $600,000 to $800,000, which would bring bring the actual net tax support to $2.2-$2.4 million.

County officials say the deficit is due to a combination of factors: a shortfall in revenue and higher-than-expected expenses.

Opinion

The Right Note: Time for an Inspector General

By Mark Kelly

Published April 4, 2013 at 3:30PM | Updated April 4, 2013 at 3:49PM

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

Stockton, California is proceeding in bankruptcy. It is a cautionary tale of a local government who thought the goose would continue to lay golden eggs and allowed themselves to spend more than prudence dictated.

Opinion

Peter’s Take: Aquatic Center, Dog Park Costs are Extravagant

By Peter Rousselot

Published March 12, 2013 at 2:00PM | Updated March 12, 2013 at 2:50PM

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

For example: