February Board Meeting Wrap Up
Published on February 16, 2022
County Board Receives Proposed Budget for FY 2023
The Arlington County Board heard from County Manager Mark Schwartz at its regular meeting on Saturday, February 12, 2022, regarding his proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The entire proposed budget can be viewed on the County webpage.
The County Manager proposed a balanced budget within existing tax rates; however, he highlighted that some revenues are still recovering and not back to pre-pandemic levels. The Manager’s proposed budget includes several fee adjustments, which he is asking the Board to consider at the tax & fee hearings scheduled for late March. The taxes and fees advertised will be the highest the Board can consider adopting.
The proposal highlighted four key elements:
- Supporting Our Workforce: The proposed budget provides additional pay and benefits to employees to support the challenges of recruitment, retention, inflation, and lower pay adjustments over the last two years during the pandemic.
- Climate Change and Our Environment: Over $4.4 million of funding in combating climate change. The operating and capital budgets make several investments in electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar and energy efficiency, and $1.0 million in a new Arlington CEP Action Fund to advance the Community Energy Plan.
- Housing: Through a variety of housing programs, additional investments are made in the FY 2023 proposed budget. The proposed budget includes $16.9 million toward the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund, $14.3 million in housing grant subsidies which are in addition to the almost $23 million provided by the federal government in Housing Choice vouchers, and increased support to permanent supportive housing and eviction prevention.
- Schools: Arlington Public Schools will receive an additional $46 million in FY 2023 for a total County revenue transfer of $$576 million.
The proposed budget recommends no changes to Real Estate, Personal Property, Business, Professional, and Occupational License (BPOL), or Business Improvement District (BID) tax rates for the fiscal year.
The proposed budget recommends a reduction in household solid waste fees and the elimination of the transit transfer fee. There are recommendations for some adjustments, including waste/sewer rates and user fees at the Lee Arts Center. A public hearing for the proposed budget will be held on March 29, while the hearing for taxes and fees will be on March 31.
County Board Meeting Wrap Up
Several actions took place at the Arlington County Board's Saturday, February 12, 2022, regular County Board Meeting, including:
- The Board approved the Pentagon City Sector Plan, a long-term visioning document that balances certainty of investment in livability and sustainability with flexibility for property owners in growing the future of the neighborhood. The Sector Plan aims to diversify housing options, prioritize multi-modal transportation, and embrace biophilic design. To learn more read the Board’s media release.
- Funding was approved for the Neighborhood Conservation (NC) Program Projects. The program helps improve and enhance Arlington neighborhoods by empowering residents to identify and plan improvements in their own neighborhoods.
On Tuesday, February 15, 2022, the County Board held its Recessed Meeting. Several actions were taken, including authorizing the advertisement of public hearings that will allow the community to share their feedback on proposed adjustments to taxes and fees in the next fiscal year. More information can be found on the Board’s webpage.
The Board meetings can be viewed in their entirety on the County’s website and YouTube. On Thursday, February 17, 2022, Board Chair Cristol and Board Member Karantonis will record the Board’s new Wrap-Up podcast, where they will discuss the Pentagon City Sector Plan in more detail. Tune in to the podcast on Anchor or Spotify.
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