Arlington County officials are projecting a 1.8 percent increase in residents’ tax and fee burdens for fiscal 2013, as the county plans spending increases.
As recently as December, Arlington County officials were expecting a budget shortfall of $10 million to $11 million for fiscal 2013. But thanks to a rising property tax base, that deficit vanished. So instead of planning for service cuts, Arlington’s county manager is now recommending spending an extra 2.1 percent to allow libraries to stay open longer and to fund a new homeless shelter.
County Manager Barbara Donnellan presented a tentative budget proposal to county board members Wednesday. She recommended a 1/2 cent tax increase to partially fund the increased budget — a proposal the board will vote on next Tuesday. The board will adopt a final budget in April after a series of public meetings.
Commercial property value assessments in Arlington increased by 13.5 percent in the last fiscal year, Budget Director Richard Stephenson said, adding that the county only expected those values to increase by 3 percent. That helped the county make room in the budget for services like public housing and local libraries, Stephenson said.
“In the end, with assessments being strong, we were able to close that gap and not have to reduce services,” he said.
Under the proposed budget, the county will spend $400,000 to increase hours in branch libraries that were reduced in 2010 and 2011. And $1.8 million will be designated to replace federal housing grants that were decreased for fiscal 2013 and fund a new year-round homeless shelter that will share a building with new government offices.
The new budget also increases funding to Arlington Public Schools by $18.3 million. The county is expecting more than 800 new students in 2013, county officials said.
Still, residents’ tax and fee burdens will increase by about 1.8 percent — about $10 more per month, county officials said. That’s because of a rise in residential property values, increases in water and sewer service charges, and the tentative 1/2 cent tax rate increase, according to the county.
Stephenson said that despite property value increases and a larger budget, the county board’s budget discussions will likely focus on social services in the county.
“A lot of the discussion we will have this spring with the community will center on those areas of need,” he said. “We still have people in our community that are suffering. The Arlington market is strong but there are still individuals that live here that are still struggling.”
