By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on Friday that he would trim Virginia’s budget by $900 million in light of next year’s tax revenue projections, which could decrease as the White House’s reshaping of federal spending spurs economic uncertainty in the state.
The Arlington School Board has pushed back a final budget vote to give officials time to finish crunching numbers.
The vote on the budget is now scheduled to happen on Thursday, May 15 as leaders determine the effects of recent funding decisions at the state level.
A nonprofit providing meals to older Arlington County residents is on track to receive county funding for the first time.
The county plans to provide $105,000 in direct support to the Arlington Meals on Wheels program in the coming fiscal year. This is the first time that the nonprofit has asked for local funding in response to a growing community need.
Over a dozen officers are leaving the Arlington County Police Department under a new program incentivizing county employees to retire.
The Voluntary Retirement Incentive program, included in the newly adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget, encourages retirement for late-career county employees. So far, 32 employees have opted into the program, which is billed as a money-saving strategy.
Fees for Arlington ambulance trips are going up in July, with baseline costs increasing to between $1,000 and $1,500.
The newly approved Fiscal Year 2026 budget will raise fees for transport to $1,000 for basic life support and $1,500 for advanced life support, plus $18 per mile. Current rates are $750 and $1,000, depending on the level of service, plus $15 per mile.
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.
Arlington County is changing the way it bills performing arts groups for services, raising concerns among some advocates.
Beginning July 1, the county will shift from charging groups a 10% surcharge for tickets to charging an hourly fee for each staff member or contractor who provides services at a county- or school system-owned theater facility.
New data on sales tax and meals tax revenues in Falls Church might show the first headwinds of a looming economic storm, leaders say.
Sales-tax revenues in the city were flat in February despite the opening of a Whole Foods supermarket in early February. Revenue from the city’s meals tax also wasn’t as high as officials had anticipated.
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.
Arlington County’s meals tax is increasing but property taxes are staying the same following a unanimous County Board vote last night (Wednesday).
Starting July 1, the county’s meals tax is increasing from 4% to 5% — the first time the rate has gone up since its inception in 1991. The increase, expected to bring in about $13.3 million in the coming fiscal year, comes despite the protests of some local restaurant owners and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
It’s not official yet, but the Arlington County Board has tentative plans to keep the real estate tax rate where it is this fiscal year.
Board members had previously voted to advertise a possible tax increase from $1.033 to $1.043 per $100 assessed valuation. However, the consensus at the end of a budget wrap-up session yesterday (Thursday) was to leave the rate where it is.
Both contenders in Arlington’s Democrat School Board primary argue that leaders should rethink a plan to close a program for preschoolers with disabilities.
At a Wednesday candidate forum, June Prakash and Monique “Moe” Bryant contended that Arlington Public Schools leadership should have engaged more with affected families before introducing the proposal to close the Integration Station and disperse its students to other classrooms.
