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Today is Election Day! All the details are here. Please vote and remind a neighbor. Arlington’s voter turnout and decision margins are likely to decide the outcome of this special state-wide election.
FY2027 Operating Budget deliberations conclude tomorrow, when we vote on the final FY27 budget, fees, and tax rate. While I have worked hard to hold the line at the manager’s recommended real estate tax rate, the majority of the Board favors additional increases.
Enjoy reading more details below and please share this newsletter with your neighbors who might benefit from the information in it. New subscribers are always welcome! |
Budget Updates
Budget season is always intense, but I take seriously the obligation to examine our programs and spending to ensure your tax dollars have the greatest return on investment for our community.
Times are tough. Across Arlington, households, businesses, and nonprofits are navigating growing inflation, unemployment, safety net needs, and health care costs. Likewise, county government expenses are climbing (with health care, fuel, and public safety costs far exceeding inflation) and revenues are softening (with declining office property valuations, tourism revenue, and both state and federal payments). So, this budget season is all the more important.
FY27 Operating Budget
As I shared in my last newsletter, the County Manager's proposed $1.69B budget – a 0.1 percent decrease from the FY26 budget – included a 1.5 cent real estate tax rate increase (to $1.048 per $100 assessed value) for critical public safety investments, along with a number of reductions in personnel and programs. Top expenses remain schools, human services/housing, public safety, and environmental services (water, sewer, streets, stormwater, transit, and waste management). The investment this year aims to finally reduce persistent vacancies and ensure our first responders are ready and rested. These investments should more than pay back in FY28 and beyond (after onboarding and training) through reduced mandatory overtime.
After considerable debate in February, the Board set a maximum 2.0 cent increase in the property tax rate. Member Karantonis proposed a higher ceiling (2.5 cent) and I proposed a lower ceiling (1.75 cent). The final vote was 4-1. Most board members noted their hope to land somewhere below this maximum.
Since then, we have engaged in over 55 hours (!) of budget work sessions and public hearing testimony, 74 published question responses, and thousands of emails, calls, conversations, and online feedback from residents and businesses. While some asked to pay more taxes, many shared deep concerns about affordability and economic uncertainty. Other themes included a strong desire to maintain community connections through recreation and library access. Working with staff, other electeds, and community members across these last two months, I identified specific ways to avoid additional tax increases through spending cuts and expanded revenue (including restructuring our personal property tax relief, improving parking payment compliance and cost-recovery for county services, and expanding automated traffic enforcement).
Despite these efforts, I was disappointed with last week’s final budget mark-up and the Board’s 4-1 vote to support the full 2.0 cent real estate tax rate increase (to $1.053 per $100 assessed value). While Arlington’s tax rate is still lower than many jurisdictions, the tax owed will increase for the average homeowner by $466 and for the average renter by $316. I proposed amendments to balance the budget with the manager’s recommended 1.5 cent real estate tax increase for public safety, but there was little appetite or patience to consider those options. Instead, FY28 budget guidance will (for a third year running) direct the manager to identify revenue-generating and cost-saving strategies. I have proposed supplemental FY27 guidance directing quarterly reporting to avoid surprises in program cuts and revenue sources ahead of the FY28 budget process. The final budget vote is tomorrow.
Capital Budget FY27-FY36
The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is the 10-year plan for building, maintaining, upgrading, or replacing County facilities and infrastructure, including both County and Schools priorities. We update this plan every two years and it shapes bond initiatives and capital project schedules.
Last year we held off on issuing any bonds, given the highly volatile bond markets. Though many projects were deferred, this year we will need to move forward with additional bond sales. Tariff, energy, and overall inflation remain high, so each bond dollar buys a little less and we will need to be very judicious on capital commitments.
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Upcoming Events and Engagement |
Civic engagement is at the heart of Arlington. Find a way to make a difference — share feedback today or get more deeply involved. |
More Ways to Connect in 2026:
- In-person Open Door Mondays - 6:00 PM on the Second and Fourth Monday each month.
- Virtual Open Door Mondays - 6:00 PM on the First and Third Monday each month.
- Monthly meetings, including public comment
- In-person Town Halls - May 4 and October 26
- Email, call, or stop by the Board Office at 2200 Clarendon Blvd, 3rd Floor.
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Useful Info to Keep Handy for 2026 |
I serve as liaison to volunteer commissions and regional bodies that support my 2026 priorities:
Human Resilience:Community Services Board, Faith Leaders Roundtable, Park & Recreation, Sports
Housing & Planning: Comprehensive Plan Liaison, Industrial Development Authority, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Chesapeake Bay & Water Resources, MWCOG Climate Energy and Environment Policy Committee, MWCOG Transportation Planning Board, Quincy Site Liaison
Climate Resilience: Energy and Environment (C2E2), Forestry & Natural Resources
Fiscal Resilience: Fiscal Affairs, National Landing BID
Good Government & Transparency: Audit ,Community Oversight Board, Virginia Association of Counties, Virginia Municipal League |
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