Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. |
The adopted FY26 budget held the real estate tax rate constant, limited overall budget growth to less than inflation, and partially mitigates meals tax and fee increases. Flexibility will be needed all year, given continued shocks to employment and economy.
Today (5/19 @ 4:30) we meet with our Virginia General Assembly Delegation in a special work session to consider federal impacts locally, from economic development to human services.
Finally, congrats to all our graduates and their champions - from educators to family and neighbors. We are proud of you and glad to have your talents and passion as part of our community! |
 |
Trust Policy
At the May 13 Recessed meeting, the Board voted 5-0 to revise this policy to eliminate ACPD-initiated contact with ICE regarding immigration enforcement. Many of you have asked what this means. Here are the facts: |
- Public safety for residents, workers, and visitors is one of our most fundamental roles as elected officials and County government.
- Immigration enforcement remains the sole and exclusive responsibility of the federal government.
- Arlington follows all applicable state and federal law, including sharing arrest data and responding to contacts initiated by our federal law enforcement partners.
- If a person is credibly accused of violent crime, they are arrested, given due process and opportunity to prove their innocence in court, and held accountable if convicted, regardless of residency or immigration status.
- We encourage all residents to report crime when they experience or see it and to call for emergency fire and medical service without fear.
Opinions about immigration enforcement are personal, strongly held, and divided in our community. As your elected leader, I am working every to ensure safety, due process, and Constitutional rights for all in our community.
|
This site plan project replaces two older hotels at 2480 South Glebe Road (bounded by I-395 and 24th Rd S.) into 531 apartment and townhome units. Though the proposed redevelopment was in line with the Four Mile Run Area Plan, we heard concerns about transportation, housing affordability & gentrification, and intensity of development near the historic Lomax AME Church. We extended consideration of this project across two meetings, to hear extensive public comment.
We ultimately approved the redevelopment (4-0-1) and, on my motion with unanimous support, directed the Manager to proactively respond to five areas of community concern around transportation, including intersection operations, pedestrian and safety, intersection realignment, Shirlington Road connection, bus frequency, and unused right of way (“paper streets”).This staff analysis and report were shared last week. Watch video here.
Community benefits include:
- Housing: $2 million contribution to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund, nine on-site Committed Affordable Units (CAF) at 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and diverse housing sizes including family-sized rental apartments and townhomes.
- Transportation: Street, streetscape, and transit infrastructure improvements on South Glebe Road and 24th Road South; a new street and street segments; and a future public street easement to allow for a connection to Shirlington Road S.
- Public space: 24x7 public access to >10,000 sf, including landscaping and pedestrian improvements.
- Sustainable design: LEED Gold certification, native plantings, reduced impervious surface and increased tree cover.
|
As with other recent site plan and Special GLUP projects, I came away certain that we have more work to do to as we balance housing, development and community input to:
- Improve upfront engagement between community members and developers;
- Clarify by-right density and various earned density opportunities; and
- More clearly explain site plan objectives, community benefits tradeoffs, infrastructure impacts, and review timelines to community members;
The Arlington Civic Federation is finalizing some related recommendations and our County Board Auditor has just kicked off a study of Community Benefits. Stay tuned and please share your thoughts and suggestions.
|
Clarendon Square/3033 Wilson Blvd
On May 10, we adopted several items related to the Clarendon Square Site Plan (SP #479) located at 3033 Wilson Blvd – across from the Clarendon Metro Station. This is the first redevelopment project to go forward under the Policy on the Transformation of Commercial Office Buildings in Arlington adopted in December.
This redevelopment will replace a nearly vacant, outdated office building with an 8-story building housing 309 new apartments and ground floor commercial space. Environmental benefits include LEED Gold, rooftop garden, and reuse of existing parking garage, building footings and building. Transportation and open space enhancements will benefit the immediate area.
|
|
Clarendon Live Entertainment Group (CLEG)
We heard the two-year review of use permits and site plan amendments for 18 establishments with live entertainment, dancing, and/or outdoor seating for establishments within the Clarendon Live Entertainment Group (CLEG).
After reviewing County data and community concerns about noise, hours of operation, and elevated public safety calls for service, we voted 5-0 to add a 9-month review of four establishments.
The County Manager shared an overview of progress since Fall 2024, when funded nighttime enforcement activities by both the Fire Marshal’s Office and Code Enforcement. These efforts will expand in July 1 and permanent positions are currently advertised. |
Watch the full video and learn more about the history of the Halls Hill Volunteer Fire Station founded in 1918, and the evolution to today's Fire Station 8. |
On April 9, we adopted the $1.69 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget, a 2.3% increase over FY2025. This budget prioritizes community-wide resilience and flexibility, given continued employment uncertainties and the growing risk of recession and drastic cuts in federal funding for local social services, schools, and transportation. A few h ighlights: |
- Held real estate tax rate constant, at $1.033 per $100 of assessed value
- Increased meals tax from 4% to 5%
- Adjusted fees to better reflect actual costs for recreation programs, public safety, and development. Restaurants, developers and arts organizations shared specific concerns and we phased in some of these changes across two years to ease the burden.
- Added $11 million to the County’s Economic Stabilization Reserve to meet evolving needs as federal impacts on our economy and safety net come into focus.
- Continued investment in core services and community priorities, including housing
and human services, environmental sustainability, public safety, workforce and
schools.
|
In the face of many external pressures, we must stay focused on being a great place to live, work and invest – for today and the long run. Top budget priorities include: |
- Public safety retention, recruitment, and training remain top priorities in a very competitive national market. Significant investments in fire and police salaries will continue to reduce pay compression and fill vacancies.
- Schools remain our largest investment, at $647 million. Our school board made strong progress on prioritizing student-facing staff and reducing both structural deficits and reliance on one-time funding. We also continued our multi-year effort around teen after-school programming.
- Workforce investments to keep salaries and benefits in line with inflation, while encouraging retirements and eliminating several positions given revenue constraints.
- Social services investments increased to strengthen our safety net, especially in housing, food security, mental health, and youth well-being.
- Climate investments continue, ensuring expanded success in all-of-community and all-of-government efforts to increase resilience and decrease emissions and future risk.
- Business support, from strategic investments in restaurants and tourism to more flexible signage regulations and reduced permit and license review times, help Arlington thrive as a great place to invest and do business.
|
Though budget season is always jam-packed (and this year was largely in folding chairs at Central Library due to a burst pipe in our leased space at 2200 Clarendon!) I was grateful to again co-lead the budget markup and guidance. And, I appreciate the deep dive into priorities and outcomes across our departments. In addition to the 1000+ page budget proposal, the budget was informed by: |
- Thousands of pre-budget comments online and in person,
- Hundreds of emails and public testimony from many community members, commissions, and staff about their priorities and preferences,
- About 50 hours of public discussion in 14 work sessions and public hearings, and
- Over 50 follow up questions and staff responses.
|
Upcoming Events and Engagement |
Help Arlington County’s Comprehensive Planning team develop a new introductory chapter for Arlington's Comprehensive Plan.
|
|
|
Useful Info to Keep Handy |
I am liaison to volunteer commissions and regional bodies supporting my 2025 priorities:
Human Resilience: Arts, Community Services Board, Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, NOVA Parks, Park & Recreation, Sports
Housing & Climate Resilience: Climate Change, Energy and Environment (C2E2), Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC), Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Climate Energy and Environment Policy Committee, Quincy Site Liaison
Fiscal Resilience & Transparency: Audit Committee, Columbia Pike Partnership, Community Oversight Board, Industrial Development Authority, MWCOG Region Forward Coalition, MWCOG National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, Virginia Association of Counties
|
Copyright © 2025 Susan for Arlington, All rights reserved.
Prefer not to receive Susan's County Board updates in 2025? Please unsubscribe here: |
|
|
|
|
