Arlington County leaders are considering delaying the sale of municipal bonds and deferring various capital projects in the face of tight economic times.
It’s too early to think about amending the county’s recently adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget, county budget director Richard Stephenson told County Board members on Wednesday.
Real-estate sales data for May paint a mixed picture but show no signs of impending doom for the Arlington and Falls Church markets.
The average sales price per square foot for both jurisdictions was up year-over-year, according to new figures, although May’s rate was running below the year-to-date average in each case.
An Arlington woman has founded a new consumer advocacy group seeking to improve affordability and transparency in the airline industry.
Jennifer Rykaczewski, a Madison Manor resident, founded Affordable Skies in December following five years in the airline industry. The new nonprofit lobbies for policies related to cost and safety, provides educational materials to consumers and collects data on air travel pricing and consumer preferences.
Amid concerning local economic trends, there’s some good news.
Arlington-based Technomics is investing more than $5 million to add nearly 25,000 square feet of space and 250 employees to its Crystal City office.
Arlington’s slow process for approving and permitting new development came under fire from County Board candidates, including the incumbent, at a recent forum.
“It’s a problem, no question about it,” incumbent Board Chair Takis Karantonis said at the event hosted by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
A slowdown in new restaurant openings could be on the horizon in Arlington.
While dozens of new eateries remain on track to open over the next few months, one data source suggests that some restaurateurs could be tapping the brakes on new projects.
Falls Church property owners are probably getting a tax cut, though it’s not as high as initially proposed.
City Council has tentatively settled on a rate of $1.20 per $100 assessed valuation, down from $1.21 in the current fiscal year.
There is increasing evidence to support worries about the local and national economy.
The 7.9% drop in the S&P 500 from Jan. 20-April 25 was the worst stock market performance to start the first 100 days of a presidential term since Richard Nixon, per reports earlier this week. Yesterday brought two additional data points: an estimated 0.3% drop in U.S. GDP during the first three months of the year, and a 60% year-over-year jump in Arlington’s unemployment rate.
Meanwhile, tariffs are causing a drop in shipping and port activity that some believe may lead to product shortages.
Arlington’s congressman says that all adds up to an “increasingly grim picture.”
“The economic warning lights are all flashing red,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said in a press release sharply critical of the Trump administration.
Northern Virginia business leaders are also worried about the local economic outlook, despite optimism earlier this year, the Washington Business Journal reported Wednesday.
Even Remy Munasifi, of Arlington Rap fame, is getting in on the action, with a new music video satirizing President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.
Given everything going on with the economy, we’re wondering how that’s affecting local residents and — specifically — their spending decisions.
In March, 65% of poll respondents said they were “very worried” about the local economy given the impact of DOGE cuts to the federal government. Two months later, are those worries — and new tariff and economic concerns — translating to a tighter grip on one’s pursestrings? Let’s find out.
Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash
Hundreds more Arlington County residents began seeking work in March as federal layoffs continue to drive a region-wide surge in unemployment, new data shows.
A total of 4,929 Arlington residents were counted as without jobs and seeking work in March, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday (Tuesday). That’s up 16% from the 4,249 recorded in February, and up a hefty 60% from 3,116 in March 2024.
Arlington rents are still on the rise, even as regional economic concerns mount.
Apartment List and Zumper both released new data analyses yesterday (Tuesday). They differ somewhat, but both point in a single direction: upward.
An Arlington law professor is representing a lawsuit attempting to end President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs.
Ilya Somin, a professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, is serving as co-counsel for litigation filed shortly after Trump’s 10% tariff on all imports from most countries went into effect earlier this month.
The Falls Church City Council is keeping the door open to maintaining the same tax rate in the coming fiscal year.
Council members unanimously voted on Monday night to advertise a maximum tax rate of $1.21 per $100 assessed valuation — unchanged from the current rate.
