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A few updates to share amidst this snowy start to January:
- December County Board Meeting Highlights, including new towing regulations, EHO Annual Report, Chair Garvey Retirement, Arlington 2050 Report, Annual Video, Gateway Park
I wish you and your loved ones all the best in 2025. |
Ps. Please connect on social media or email scunningham@arlingtonva.us. |
At our January 7 meeting, I shared a recap of 2024 and my priorities for 2025.
2024 Priorities and Results:
- Connect our Community: Strong progress here, from reducing fatal opioid overdoses by 55% (and 100% for youth!) to expanding nature center access, community arts, and teen programming.
- Refine Housing and Planning work: We added committed affordable homes, clarified and reported on the initial Expanded Housing Options permits, and eased conversion of office buildings to housing.
- Use Resources Efficiently: We improved constituent services, improving response times by 30%. And we made some initial progress on fiscal restraint, shoring up reserves to protect our AAA bond rating and rolling most of the modest FY24 closeout funds to the FY26 budget.
2025 Priorities:
- Human Resilience, including youth programming and supporting residents impacted by new federal policies on employment, immigration, or social services.
- Housing & Climate Resilience, including preventing housing displacement, residential lot coverage study, and deepen our climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Fiscal Resilience, including weighing fiscal tradeoffs, strengthening our organization, and improving customer service and transparency.
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- Celebrated Chair Libby Garvey's retirement after 28 years serving Arlington on the school board and county board.
- Watched a short video of the County's 2024 achievements — from important initiatives in human services to welcoming home an Olympian — and everything in between.
- Heard a report on the Arlington 2050 initiative.
- Received the EHO FY24 Annual Report, including the full data file posted online for community access.
- Confirmed that both an internal review and a regional Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) investigation are underway for the fatal 12/10/24 officer-involved shooting. The Commonwealth's Attorney will determine what information to release when.
- Discussed results of the Homeownership Study, including recommendations to modify existing homeownership programs, relaunch a Home Improvement Loan Program, and starting two new programs.
- Approved use permits for the American Legion Post, Snouts and Stouts, and Tyndale Christian School.
- Shared the Board's FY26 Operating Budget Guidance, directing the County Manager to prepare a balanced FY 2026 budget. Acknowledging the significant economic risks and the uncertainty of declining office property values and changes in the federal administration, the guidance directs that the budget should prioritize fiscal resiliency and reduce adverse impacts on taxpayers.
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- Heard public comment from residents and advocates with very strong and disparate viewpoints on equal employment opportunity, trust, affordability, displacement, tax burden and services. We are a diverse community with different needs - in 2025 we will need to engage deeply and make sure our budget and staff reflect our values and priorities.
- Adopted new vehicle towing regulations to provide more transparency and accountability. Thanks to our state delegation, especially Rep. Alfonso Lopez and Rep. Adele McClure, for their leadership on this issue.
- Expanded the stormwater credit program. This is an important climate resilience program that thanks property owners taking voluntary actions, from planting trees to storing stormwater.
- Approved the new Gateway Park master plan, accelerating redevelopment by several years. The park will include event space, woodland play areas, dog areas and areas to read, work and relax. Remaining community concerns include the loss of a pedestrian bridge across eastbound Langston Blvd, slated to be removed in a previously approved private development site plan.
- Adopted the 2025 State General Assembly Legislative Package, including ensuring state government fully funds commitments and mandates, fully funding the JLARC K-12 education study findings, and strengthening workforce resiliency.
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In December we welcomed Julius D. "JD" Spain, Sr. to the Board, met with our State Delegation to discuss the General Assembly session, and opened the new Arlington Transit (ART) Operations and Maintenance Facility.
This maintenance facility consolidates operations to improve service and efficiency. The design includes sustainable design elements, from an 835-panel solar array to an underwater stormwater vault. All of the buses previously stored at the Quincy site are now relocated. |
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
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