Dear Friends,  I will be sending you my monthly Board report in a few days, but wanted to let you know now that I strongly support Tenley Petersen to take my seat on the County Board next January. Tenley is head and shoulders above the other candidates. I will feel very good about my decision to step down if she replaces me. I am joining my former County Board colleagues Christian Dorsey, Katie Cristol, and Jay Fisette as well as many Arlingtonians who have been involved in our commissions and civic life for many years in this endorsement. I've gotten to know … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, I hope this finds everyone feeling uplifted by the spring sunshine and blossoms everywhere. FY2025 Budget & Work Sessions The County Board is in the middle of our budget season and holding budget work sessions most Tuesdays and Thursdays on the many departments and activities covered by the Manager’s budget.  On Friday, we met with our School Board colleagues. Despite the intensity of meetings, I have always enjoyed our work sessions because they are a great opportunity to really talk with the people leading the work of the County. You can watch our work … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, I hope you’re enjoying spring-like weather. The Board is into budget season. FY ’25 Budget and Tax Rate The Manager presented his proposed budget on Saturday and we had many votes on Tuesday to advertise the various fees and tax rates. The main item for this meeting, as usual, was advertising the real estate tax rate for FY ‘25. Although real estate taxes have gone up in actual dollars because the value of real estate in Arlington continues to increase, we have not raised the tax rate for the past three years. The full proposed budget and other informative links are … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,  Thank you again to all who sent me such kind notes after my announcement that I would not run again for re-election. It truly is an honor and privilege to serve our community. I appreciate all the support that has allowed me to do that. This work is not always easy, but no work is. And, it has felt like a calling to me. I am very lucky to have been able to follow my calling for 28 years. Red Lion Site Our January agenda was light. We approved a number of changes so a residential project at 1501 Arlington Blvd, the Red Lion Inn site, could … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you enjoying the holiday season and looking forward to the New Year. 2024 will be a year of transitions on the County Board. Christian Dorsey gaveled out his last meeting as Chair on Tuesday. We, and many others, bid him a fond farewell. We also thanked Tannia Talento for "pinch hitting” and filling Katie Cristol’s seat after Katie stepped down early this summer. It has been a pleasure to work with both of them. January 2 will be our organizational meeting when we will welcome Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey to our Board team, elect our chair and … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,  The major issues the Board had this month were adopting the Langston Boulevard Area Plan, which we did with several amendments, and how to use Close-out Funding, which we did after a few amendments. Langston Boulevard Plan There were again many speakers about the Langston Blvd. Plan, but overall, and despite the many amendments, there was general agreement that the Plan is a major step forward and a good example of collaborative work between residents and their County government. We lowered the recommended heights in one small area in Halls Hill, which is … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather. I love fall. We had several items for our October board meetings. We approved the construction of Sunrise South Glebe, which will be a new four-story facility with a 99-unit assisted living facility and memory care units. The facility will replace a church at at 716 S Glebe Road in the Alcova Heights neighborhood, and overall be a good improvement to the site. While not going beyond LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification, the site will be much improved both in function and appearance … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, I hope you are as happy as I am with the election results yesterday in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Here in Arlington, I am very happy to congratulate my future fellow board members Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey. I think both will be excellent board members. Having three generations represented on our Board is a strength for us. In a climate of tight races, I’m thrilled that Virginia Democrats have kept our majority in the Senate and taken control of the House of Delegates. Even with two undeclared seats in both bodies, we will have a slim majority, but … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,I hope you're enjoying this fall weather.  As you recall, I mentioned in my September newsletter that Susan Cunningham, Maureen Coffey and I are holding a fundraiser with Scott Sklar as our featured speaker. He is an Adjunct Professor & Sustainable Energy Director (EEMI), The George Washington University and CEO, The Stella Group, Ltd TOPIC: Energy Resiliency & Equity for an Uncertain Future DATE & TIME: October 15, 3:00 – 5:00 pm HOST: Marguarite Gooden SUGGESTED DONATIONS: $50 Friend $100 Supporter $250 Sponsor $500 … [Read more...]