Operational costs at Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center are projected to grow by about $2 million over the next few years as a financial partnership comes to an end.
The county government’s net operational cost, funded by taxpayers, is expected to grow from $1.13 million in fiscal 2027 to a projected $3.14 million by fiscal 2030 as its agreement with Boeing ends.
Those taking day trips through Arlington’s 55+ travel program could see significantly higher costs kick in later this year.
The Department of Parks and Recreation has proposed increasing fees for the excursions to pay for higher transportation costs.
A proposal for a new behavioral health center on S. Carlin Springs Road is facing pushback on environmental impacts and effects on the surrounding neighborhood.
Misgivings about the 146-bed, 131,000-square-foot development proposal from VHC Health and Lifepoint Health made their way into discussions at the March 26 meeting of the county’s Forestry & Natural Resources Commission.
Arlington Public Schools’ region high per-student spending came under scrutiny as County Board and School Board members last month sat down for budget discussions.
“We’re spending significant money,” County Board member Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., said at the March 12 discussion between the two elected bodies.
Clearing operations after this January’s snow and ice storm cost Arlington County upwards of $4.5 million.
The county’s response to the Jan. 25 winter storm — including hauling over 2 million pounds of snow from commercial corridors, clearing over 900 bus stops and running emergency operations for 165 hours straight — far exceeded the Department of Environmental Services’ base budget for snow operations.
Proposed zoning changes headed to County Board members by summer may make it easier to install electric-vehicle charging facilities across Arlington.
Proposed zoning changes include:
Arlington’s treasurer is taking a more conservative stance on investments amid fears that local tax revenue could run short in the coming months.
“I have decided to make all of our investments fairly short-term,” Carla de la Pava told County Board members at a March 3 budget hearing. “Right now, it has been the wisest [action]. The safety of having liquid assets during this time of chaos has been really important.”
County officials now have real-world data on how Arlington Transit’s electric buses operate in winter’s chill.
Frigid temperatures in late January created unique challenges for the county’s fleet, draining batteries more quickly than normal and sometimes requiring a midday recharge, said Ryan Jones, a transportation planner who briefed the county’s Transit Advisory Committee on March 10.
Program cuts and staff furloughs could become a reality in Arlington if tax revenue continues to fall below expectations over the next two months.
County Manager Mark Schwartz said at a March 11 forum that there’s a possibility “we will have to shut down some of our services” and temporarily send staff home. Any cutbacks likely wouldn’t hit until the last two months of the fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Arlington Transit (ART) bus service is riding a post-Covid bump up in customer satisfaction.
A survey of 2,000 riders conducted on buses late last year found a 92% overall satisfaction rate, according to data presented March 10 to the county’s Transit Advisory Committee.
A recent County Board work session touched on the question of who should be responsible for assessing Arlington real estate values.
Officials briefly considered the possibility of moving assessments from the government’s Department of Real Estate Assessments to Commissioner of Revenue Kim Klingler’s independent office. However, they put off any more serious discussion until later.
Low compliance rates at local parking meters have the Arlington County Civic Federation considering a push for more enforcement.
The proposal to increase enforcement is one of 36 transportation-related recommendations that could be sent to county leaders. The package was introduced at the March 10 federation meeting, with a vote possible as early as next month.
