Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. |
Happy Spring!
With school back in session and spring break family visits concluded, I wanted to share an update on upcoming events and budget details. Lots of places to plug in this spring!
Feel free to reply to this email or reach out via website, social accounts, or scunningham@arlingtonva.us. |
Future Budget Meetings:
- Thursday 4/11: County Board Budget Wrap up; School Board's Proposed Budget
- Tuesday 4/16: County Board Final Budget Decisions/Mark-up
- Saturday 4/20: County Board Budget Adoption
- Tuesday 4/23: School Board's Public Budget Hearing
|
|
|
Other Input Opportunities: |
Join a virtual information session in Spanish on April 3 and in English on April 4. |
|
The capital budget process starts in May. To help us prepare, weigh in by April 8 on priorities. |
|
|
Budget Season
Budget season is a crucial time for setting our community goals and priorities. Since the manager shared his recommended budget in February, I have been studying the details of the 1,116 page budget book, asking questions, and developing recommendations to meet evolving community needs, inflation, and population changes. You can read the budget document, watch detailed work sessions, and share your input here: |
- Our property tax rate has not changed in three years and remains one of the lowest in the region.
- The County Board advertised a maximum 2.5 cent increase in the property tax rate. Final tax rate and budget will be set by April 20.
- The Manager's proposed budget is $1.62B, including a 1.5 cent property tax increase (about $500 per household).
- Our top expenses are schools, human services, and public safety.
|
Given uncertainty in state funding, metro costs, and office revenue in coming years, it is more important than ever to ensure both county and school operations are on a sustainable trajectory. My focus in the coming weeks:
- Consider further reductions in county departments, including looking again at unfilled positions, program outcomes, and efficiencies to keep our overall budget in line with inflation and population changes.
- Support our School Board in their work to meet the evolving needs of our students and teachers while mitigating state funding shortfalls and reducing reliance on one-time funding and reserves. (As of our 3/22 joint work session, the superintendent shared a $28.4M deficit for FY25 with only 1% COLA for teachers. The projected deficit at current spending with no additional COLA in future years is $78.2M in FY2028. More work is ne)
- Consider additional targeted investments in climate resilience (energy efficiency, tree cover/lot coverage, watershed), community well-being and connection (arts, nature centers, public safety, youth), and housing (affordable, ownership/tax deferral, workforce).
|
Other Updates:
More to share, but I that's another email. To celebrate reading the whole email (you rock!), here are a few pictures. Now get back to watching basketball and/or budget hearings! |
Recap of Useful 2024 Info:
You have seen these links before, but nice to have them handy when you need them!
|
Each of our 50+ volunteer commissions has a board liaison. My assignments align with my 2024 priority areas:
- Connect our people: Arts, Park & Recreation, Partnership for Children, Youth & Families, and Sports
- Refine our housing investments & planning: Columbia Pike Partnership, Historical Affairs & Landmark Review Board, Housing, Industrial Development Authority
- Use resources efficiently: Climate Change, Energy and Environment (C2E2), Real Estate Assessments Board of Equalization, Civil Service Commission, Metropolitan Council of Governments (MCOG) Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, MCOG Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Committee
|
Copyright © 2024 Susan for Arlington, All rights reserved.
Prefer not to receive Susan's County Board updates in 2024? Please unsubscribe here: |
|
|
|
|
