state government | ARLnow.com

County Sees Revenue Loss As State Funds Dry Up

Published March 16, 2011 at 9:56AM | Updated March 16, 2011 at 12:23PM

Arlington has had to make service cuts in each of the past two budgets as taxes and other revenue sources dried up. After 2009, assessed property values suffered their first year-over-year decline since 1995, prompting the county to hike property taxes to make up for what otherwise would have been a dramatic loss of revenue.

When it comes to real estate taxes, the county can always increase the tax rate for an expected revenue shortfall. But one area that’s largely out of the county’s control is the funds it receives from the state. And in the past four years, overall state funding to Arlington County — excluding schools — has dropped $18 million.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 3, 2010 at 6:11AM

Quarterdeck May Remain Open, After All — TBD is reporting that the owner of Quarterdeck has reopened lease negotiations with the property’s landlord. Last week it was revealed that owner Lou Gatti was telling Radnor / Fort Myer Heights residents that the restaurant would be closing after 31 years in business.

Plastic Bag Tax May Have to Wait — The county board’s desire to impose a 5-cent tax on plastic grocery store bags — similar to the tax currently in place in the District — may have to wait until another year. At Wednesday’s work session between the board and Arlington’s state legislative delegation, bag tax proponent Del. Adam Ebbin said getting Virginia lawmakers to grant Arlington the authority to impose such a tax would likely be “a multi-year effort.” More from the Sun Gazette.

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County Seeks Renewal of Hotel Tax Surcharge

By ARLnow.com

Published December 2, 2010 at 9:45AM | Updated December 2, 2010 at 10:28AM

Arlington funds its Convention and Visitors Service through a 0.25 percent surcharge on the standard 5 percent hotel tax. Each year, the county collects $21 million in hotel taxes, or about $5,000 per room, the highest rate in Virginia. Suffice to say that given the hoards of tourists who stay at hotels in Arlington as a cheaper alternative to the District, the surcharge isn’t much of a hindrance.

But the extra quarter of a percentage point, despite having the support of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the local hotel industry, may be a tough sell in Richmond.

News

Va. Transportation Chief: No Money For I-395 Improvements

By ARLnow.com

Published November 22, 2010 at 9:22AM

Virginia’s transportation chief is gently nudging the federal government for road money while tweaking Arlington’s HOT Lanes lawsuit.

In an interview with WTOP, Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said that the planned shift of 6,400 Department of Defense jobs to Alexandria’s Mark Center is turning I-395 into a “military corridor.” He quickly added that the state does not have money for any major improvements to the highway, despite dire predictions of heavy congestion as a result of the Mark Center move.

News

Details About the Proposed Virginia Bag Law

By ARLnow.com

Published November 10, 2010 at 8:08AM

Ebbin introduced the bill to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2009 and 2010, each time unsuccessful. He’s hoping for a different result in the upcoming 2011 legislative session.

If enacted into law, the bag fee would protect the environment, Ebbin said. Locally, he added, it would help make waterways like Four Mile Run cleaner.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 9, 2010 at 7:41AM

Bayou Bakery Sneak Peak — Eat More Drink More scores the first photos inside Courthouse’s new Bayou Bakery. The elaborately-decorated cafe/restaurant has a distinct New Orleans theme, which extends from the decor to the food. It could be open as soon as Monday, Nov. 15.

County Government Closed for Veterans Day — Most Arlington County offices will be closed on Thursday in honor of Veterans Day. More from the Sun Gazette and Arlington County.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Plastic Bag Ban?

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2010 at 8:15AM | Updated November 8, 2010 at 10:24AM

Since Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, Arlington must first ask the state legislature for permission to pursue policies not specifically allowed by state law. In past years, the state government has been reluctant to grant Arlington any new taxing power.

Arlington will make its unlikely bag request during the General Assembly session starting Jan. 12.

News

Board Warns of Ill Consequences from State Liquor Plan

By ARLnow.com

Published October 27, 2010 at 8:05AM

“It does not come anywhere near funding the transportation needs of the state,” Barbara Favola said, of the plan’s stated goal of helping to fill the $20 billion worth of unfunded transportation needs in Virginia.

“Four-hundred-fifty million dollars is nothing,” said Chris Zimmerman, referring to the estimated one-time revenues that selling state-run ABC stores and auctioning off liquor licenses could provide. He said that one estimate puts the additional amount needed for transportation in Northern Virginia at $500 million per year.

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Ebbin May Seek State Senate Seat

By ARLnow.com

Published October 4, 2010 at 8:53AM

State Sen. Patsy Ticer, a Democrat who represents a large chunk of south Arlington, as well as parts of Alexandria and Fairfax County, has so far shown no signs of interest in seeking another term.

Among the names of potential replacements being floated around, one is reportedly not interested, but another almost certainly is. Sources close to Del. Adam Ebbin tell us that he’s interested in seeking the Democratic nomination for Ticer’s seat. Ebbin, who also represents parts of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax, has held his current House of Delegates seat since January 2004.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 1, 2010 at 8:17AM | Updated July 12, 2017 at 2:23PM

It’s October — The good news: playoff baseball returns. The bad news: cold temperatures return.

Abuse Charges at Nursing Home — Nearly a dozen employees of the Potomac Center nursing home in Pentagon City have been indicted on charges including neglect and assault. An investigation by the Virginia State Medicare Fraud Office and the FBI determined that employees neglected patient care, forged documents and abused at least one patient. A $10 million lawsuit has also been filed against Potomac Center’s parent company. More from WUSA9.

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Arlington Delegation Responds to HOT Lanes Letter

By ARLnow.com

Published September 16, 2010 at 1:49PM

In subdued, measured language, the letter states support for “properly designed and managed HOT lanes,” but urges the state to “come to the table and negotiate in good faith.” The letter cites “legitimate environmental impact concerns” and “technical issues that must be resolved if the project is to achieve its goal of moving people through the corridor efficiently” as justification for the county’s resistance to the project.

Noticeably absent from the letter is any defense of the lawsuit’s “outrageous claims of conspiracy and racism” that the original letter — sent by Republican House Speaker Bill Howell and Democratic Senate President Pro-Tempore Chuck Colgan — railed against.

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Del. Englin Blasts State Surplus

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2010 at 9:21AM

Englin, Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, says the surplus is the result of borrowing $600 million from the state pension trust fund and forcing state retailers to pay their July sales taxes early. That’s in addition to the $4 billion in cuts to state services that was needed to plug Virginia’s budget deficit.

“Instead of trying to score political points by claiming a surplus that isn’t, leaders of both parties ought to level with citizens who see for themselves the decline in services and quality of life,” Englin said in a statement. “A balanced budget and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars requires money in to equal money out, without gimmicks that cook the books and risk our future finances.”