County Board members on Tuesday (Dec. 17) celebrated the 60th anniversary of Arlington’s neighborhood-conservation efforts, and lauded the work of the community’s public-health director.
60 Years of Neighborhood Conservation Celebrated: County leaders on Dec. 17 marked the 60th anniversary of the Arlington Neighborhoods Program.
Plans for a four-sports-field complex on the campus of Kenmore Middle School have started working their way through the county government’s advisory process.
One of the key challenges still to be worked through as the process moves forward: How to manage parking issues around the new facility.
County Manager Mark Schwartz has been directed to consider both program cuts and tax increases as he works to fill a fiscal 2026 budget gap currently estimated at $30 million to $40 million.
County Board members on Tuesday night (Dec. 17) voted unanimously to approve budget guidance providing Schwartz the ability to propose tax increases he deems necessary. That could include another increase to the real-estate tax rate.
Distilling the essence of Libby Garvey’s 28 years in Arlington public life would have required far longer than the 75 minutes allotted at the Tuesday (Dec. 17) County Board meeting.
But a number of local civic and political leaders gave it their best shot.
County Board members on Saturday (Dec. 14) rebuffed a staff-proposed increase in trespass-towing fees across Arlington, opting to keep the base rate at $135 for passenger vehicles.
At the same time, Board members followed a staff recommendation in rejecting — for now — a “second-signature” requirement before any tows can occur.
Arlington County Board members approved higher fees for access to county-operated electric-vehicle charging stations this past Saturday (Dec. 14), among other actions.
“We’re not trying to make big bucks. We’re just trying to meet our costs,” Board chair Libby Garvey said after the vote to raise the base fee from the current 14.52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 17.46 cents.
Incoming County Board member JD Spain, Sr., used his ceremonial swearing-in ceremony to promote the spirit of collaboration and community.
During the Dec. 14 ceremony, Spain — a Democrat — pledged to support a community “where everyone feels valued and safe.”
Arlington’s likely 2025 County Board chairman has economic-development and property-repurposing initiatives atop his to-do list for the coming year.
“One out of four square feet [of office space in the county] is unoccupied,” Takis Karantonis on Dec. 10 told members of Arlington Senior Democrats. “It’s the highest for us ever, and one of the highest in the nation. What is worse, it’s not looking like the business is coming back.”
Arlington leaders will likely seek regional funding for a major pedestrian/bicycle connector trail in Crystal City.
County Board members on Saturday (Dec. 14) are expected to request $8 million from the pool of $25 million to $30 million that will be available next year from tolling on I-395 and I-95.
Construction of the new operations and maintenance facility for Arlington Transit (ART) bus service has come in on budget and ahead of schedule, Arlington government leaders say.
So a victory lap was in order.
Designs for a Rosslyn park, a controversial towing decision and a possible change in Arlington County Fair operations are all going before the Arlington County Board this week.
These items are all on the agenda as the Board holds its last meetings of the year on Saturday (Dec. 14) and the subsequent Tuesday (Dec. 17).
Arlington leaders are seeking help from the state government in boosting efforts to convert aging office buildings to residential use.
“We have some buildings that are great candidates” for conversion, County Board member Maureen Coffey said at a Dec. 3 work session with members of the county’s legislative delegation.
