Dear Friends,
The major item at April’s County Board meeting was our budget, which we passed with a 2-cent increase on the tax rate, the first since FY20.
FY25 Budget
At our April 20 meeting, we adopted a $1.65 billion balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2025, a 6.4 percent increase over FY 2024. The adopted budget focuses on foundational services for the community, including public safety, housing, behavioral health, environmental sustainability, transportation, and schools.
Adoption of the FY’25 budget was unusual in the large amount of one-time money ($38.1 million) the Board had to allocate at the end of the FY 2025 budget process. This was from a combination of strong local tax revenues in the current fiscal year, which we share with schools, and monies we realized from previous years set-aside funds reserved based on requirements of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) put in place a few years ago.
There are always good ways to use one-time funds such as contributions to our affordable housing investment fund (AHIF); paying down debt to lower interest payments, like the loan on the Barcroft Apartments; a significant addition to reserves; or starting pilot programs, all of which we did, and more. To see a larger version of the one-page budget summary click here.
The increase in the tax rate is mostly to cover employee compensation so County salaries and benefits can catch up – at least some – with inflation, and so we can stay competitive in the region. It is crucial that we attract and retain a quality workforce. Our employees are our most important resource. We also added some new positions to support our energy resiliency efforts; extend the hours for our nature centers back to what they were pre-pandemic; and establish and coordinate programs for our youth. You can click on the link in paragraph 2 to read details about the budget and our budget guidance, which explains the major areas on which we want to focus.
Next year I expect there will be a lot less one-time money and a much larger challenge with our schools’ budget. I won’t be on the Board, but it is always good to look ahead. The School Board has been using a lot of their reserves to meet ongoing expenses – such as teacher pay – in their most recent budgets. It is important to pay teachers well, but next year the School Board will need to continue recent pay raises and will have few reserves to draw on to do it.
Education is crucial for our well-being as a community. Although students are about 12% of our population, schools are the largest part of our overall budget ($639.7 million this year). Our health as a community depends on good schools and it is crucial to support them, However, I am conscious of the difference between the percentage of the population served by schools compared to the percentage of our budget required by schools.
School Board Caucuses
This brings me to the School Board caucuses, which are coming up very soon. I urge everyone in Arlington to vote. Again, the quality of our schools is crucial to our community. There are 4 candidates running for the Democratic nomination for the two seats that need to be filled this year. You can vote in person or online. I am supporting Kathleen Clark and Zuraya Tapia-Hadley, and I hope you will too.
In order to participate in the School Board Caucuses (whether online or in-person, you will need to fill out a 2024 School Board Endorsement Vote Participation Form. See this link for the form: https://form.jotform.com/233516885945066
The in-person voting at caucuses are on the following dates/times at these specific locations.
- Sunday, May 5th, 2024 – Washington-Liberty High School: 10 AM to 6 PM
- Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 – Hoffman-Boston Elementary School: 7 PM to 9 PM
- Saturday, May 11th, 2024 – Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School: 10 AM to 6 PM
County Board Election
Finally, thank you to all who expressed your appreciation regarding my support for Tenley Peterson for County Board. That primary will be June 18. I urge you to support Tenley with a donation now and your vote soon. Tenley is head and shoulders above the other candidates. This is a critical time for our nation and for Arlington. We need the very best people on our Board. I will feel confident that the Board is in good hands if Tenley can take my seat when I leave.
Link to Arlington elections site: https://vote.arlingtonva.gov/Elections
Tenley’s site: https://www.tenleypeterson.com/
There are 3 locations for early voting in Arlington’s June primary. They follow. Please check this link for specific days and hours at each site: https://vote.arlingtonva.gov/Early-Voting
- Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Ste. 320
- Madison Community Center,3829 N Stafford St.; and
- Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St. S.
As always, I hope this newsletter is helpful and interesting for you.
Best,
Libby
