Friday, March 29, 2013
County reassessing project in wake of public concern about cost and design
Arlington County has put its Super Stop program on hold in the wake of public outcry against the cost and design of the $1 million bus stop that opened earlier this month. The cost of the stop, first reported by ARLnow.com, has been the subject of regular criticism from residents in the days since it opened, which have included two budget hearings and a heated town hall regarding the planned Columbia Pike streetcar. "Congratulations, your million-dollar bus stop has gone viral," Arlington County Taxpayers Association President Tim Wise told the county board this week. Aside from local and regional publications, national publications — like Reason magazine — have latched onto the story. Arlington is "reassessing the design and timing of the…
Monday, March 25, 2013
Compensation — including salaries, benefits and retirement — are among major costs factored into Arlington County's proposed $1.1 billion budget.
Good workers cost money. It's a fact of life that most successful organizations in Northern Virginia have accepted, if not embraced. In Arlington County, compensation is projected to account for about 56 percent of county operating expenses for the next spending cycle, which begins July 1. Compensation is more than take-home pay; it also includes tax dollars the county spends on retirement, health insurance, worker's compensation and other areas — including about $2.5 million on commuting and transportation costs. But salaries account for the lion's share of compensation. As the Arlington County Board hashes out its $1.1 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, compensation is one of the priority areas officials have under the …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Uncertainty over federal sequestration complicating local budget process.
The average Arlington homeowner would pay about $262 more each year in taxes and fees under the 2013-14 budget County Manager Barbara Donnellan proposed Wednesday. The spending plan also would eliminate about 46 county staff positions, about half of them already vacant, affect several county programs and force the Artisphere to justify its operating expense. And the entire proposed $1.1 billion general fund budget is overshadowed by what might happen with federal sequestration. Crystal City already has the highest vacancy rate the county has seen, Donnellan said, thanks in large part to Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC. And now, the threat of sequestration is causing more companies to move out. "If people aren't upping their leases …
Friday, November 30, 2012
Arlington Public Schools will hold its own forum next week.
Looking across the Washington-Lee High School cafeteria, Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan said jokingly that maybe it could be rented out for a wedding. "Look at the view," she said to a few chuckles. Renting out public facility space was just one of many ideas that residents offered to help the county — and, by extension, Arlington Public Schools — make ends meet in next year's budget. "We're better off than most," Donnellan said. "We're not Detroit. We have people who are still investing … We're growing, but that's a good thing." Other ideas to come forward? Cutting the police department's budget, eliminating Cherrydale Branch Library, putting the Columbia Pike streetcar on hold and busing Arlington children to vacant schools …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Board later this month will likely give the county more flexibility in designing and building major capital projects like the Columbia Pike streetcar.
Arlington County likely will update its purchasing guidelines later this month to allow, in part, for more flexibility in the decision-making and planning processes that will lead to a streetcar system along Columbia Pike. Board members held a three-hour work session Thursday night at Arlington Central Library with transit officials from Salt Lake City, Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul, along with representatives of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the procurement agency for the city of Ottawa, Canada, and a Montreal-based private contractor. "They're giving us information, different mechanisms on how to put this together," County Manager Barbara Donnellan told Patch. "We really can learn from their experiences." They …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
County manager urges residents to prepare.
Arlington County officials issued the following information for residents. County Manager Barbara Donnellan today signed a Declaration of Local Emergency for Arlington County in response to Hurricane Sandy. The County is activating its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to manage storm response. The hurricane is projected to impact the Arlington area with heavy rain and damaging winds from late Sunday night through Tuesday night. This storm is expected to produce rainfall of between 5 and 10 inches in our area, which could cause localized flooding on area streets, low-lying areas, creeks and streams. The County expects significant tree damage, and residents, businesses and visitors should plan for widespread power outages as a result…
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Manager's proposal would cost the average Arlington homeowner an extra $118 annually.
Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan on Wednesday proposed a $1.03 billion general fund budget that includes a half-cent tax increase and funds several new facilities, increases county employee compensation and fully restores library branch hours that were cut in 2009. Donnellan previewed her spending plan during a county board work session. She will make a formal presentation before the board Tuesday afternoon. “This is basically a continuing services budget,” Donnellen said. “We are very fortunate to be able to do that.” On Tuesday, the board must agree on the ceiling for any potential tax hikes. The county manager recommends setting a 1.5-cent real estate tax increase ceiling in order to give the board "flexibility" to address …
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Existing tenants have 'a lot of questions' about their future.
Arlington County has its sights set on acquiring a seven-story building at 2020 14th St. North in order to meet its needs for more space and set the stage for the redevelopment of the heart of the Courthouse community. The acquisition would allow the county to consolidate operations from two other buildings into one and to create a year-round comprehensive service center for Arlington's homeless. It also means many of the building's 23 existing tenants will have to find somewhere else to work. The county recently received an appraisal of the building at $25.5 million. The Arlington County Board in December will consider authorizing the purchase of the building, which is at the corner of 14th Street North and North Courthouse Road next to …
Bob Bruhns
6:38 pm on Monday, April 1, 2013
From the article: "The county built the first stop in partnership with Metro." Ah yes, Metro... that's WMATA - the same WMATA that wants $26 Billion to upgrade the Metro system. I find that... scary. From the article: "Officials have said the county will build the remaining stops on its own and have cited county construction projects that have come in on-time and on-budget." But also from the … more ›