budget

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

First Day of Spring / Tornado Drill — Today’s the first official day of spring, though it’s hard to think of the warm weather the past couple of weeks as “winter.” Along with the start of spring comes the start of the most active time for tornadoes. With that in mind, Virginia is holding a statewide tornado drill at 9:45 this morning.

County Budget Hearing Tonight — Arlington County is hearing a public hearing on its proposed FY 2013 budget tonight. The hearing is being held in the County Board room at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard and is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. A public hearing on the county’s proposed tax rate changes is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. [Arlington County]

Leonsis Helps Raise Money for AFAC — Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has helped the Arlington Food Assistance Center raise an additional $21,000. Lenonsis offered tickets to his box at the Verizon Center to anybody willing to donate $3,500 to AFAC, which six donors quickly did. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Homicide-Free for Two Years, But ACPD Staffing Levels a Concern

By ARLnow.com

As of today, Arlington County has been homicide-free for exactly two years. It’s the first time Arlington has gone this long without a homicide in the 72-year history of the Arlington County Police Department.

“Reaching this mark is only possible through a combination of effective policing, excellent medical care, successful prosecution and cooperating communities; all of which we have experienced in Arlington County the past two years,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said in a statement.

The county has not recorded a single homicide since March 14, 2010, when a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death in the Lyon Park neighborhood. The suspect in the case later pleaded guilty to second degree murder.

Amid the celebration of the murder-free milestone, however, there’s some concern within the department that there are not enough cops on the street to ensure that the recent, broader drop in crime continues. Despite a growing population and new post-9/11 anti-terrorism responsibilities, Arlington’s police force has actually shrunk slightly since 2001.

Whereas there were 362 sworn officers in Fiscal Year 2001 for a population of 189,983, there are currently 359 sworn officers for a population of 213,400 in FY 2012. That means ratio of officers to every 1,000 residents is 1.68, compared to 1.91 in FY 2001. That ratio is expected to get even narrower — to 1.67 — if the current recommended FY 2013 budget is adopted. (The population is expected to grow to 215,000 while the budget doesn’t provide for any additional officers.)

By comparison, in 2010 Alexandria’s officer/resident ratio was 2.19, and D.C.’s ratio was 6.52, according to a law enforcement source. Just to match Alexandria’s ratio, Arlington would need to hire more than 100 new officers.

“Our numbers are extremely low,” a police official told ARLnow.com. “Obviously we’re working efficiently, I don’t think anybody would deny that… [but] at some point in time, I’m not sure how much lower our ratio can go” without a corresponding increase in crime.

Eight New Red Light Cameras Coming to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington is planning on expanding its PhotoRED red light camera program during Fiscal Year 2013.

The proposed FY 2013 Arlington County Police Department budget includes funding for eight red light cameras at six intersections. An ACPD official tells ARLnow.com that the “dangerous” intersections (below) were each identified as safety concerns.

The additional cameras will cost the police department $438,102 during FY 2013, including $66,794 to hire a full-time employee to review each image captured by the camera to confirm that a violation took place. The remaining $371,308 will go to the contractor chosen to install and maintain the cameras.

The expenses are expected to be offset by the revenue generated by the cameras, estimated at $558,688 in the first year. Despite the expected profit, the police department is “very emphatic” that the red light camera program is about safety and not revenue, according to one official.

Currently, ACPD has red light cameras active at the intersections of N. Lynn Street and Lee Highway, Fort Myer Drive and Lee Highway, Washington Boulevard and Lee Highway, and N. Glebe Road and N. Fairfax Drive. Under the budget proposal, new cameras will be installed at the following intersections:

  • Jefferson Davis Highway and 23rd Street S.
  • Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road
  • N. Glebe Road and Washington Boulevard
  • Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive
  • Four Mile Run Drive and George Mason Drive
  • Lee Highway and George Mason Drive

For Arlington, Fiscal Year 2013 starts on July 1. No word yet on when exactly the cameras would be installed, should the police department’s budget be approved as is.

Under Virginia law, Arlington is authorized to install red light cameras at up to 20 intersections.

Residency Specialist Listed as Unfunded School Need

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools need a full-time residency verification specialist, according to Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy, but such a position isn’t provided for in the school system’s proposed budget.

Dr. Murphy listed the residency verification specialist as an “unfunded operational need” during his school budget presentation last month. So far, APS has only employed a part-time residency specialist to complete the “very labor intensive” process of researching the residency of students.

“One of the issues that we often hear from time to time is there are folks that are attending our schools who do not actually reside in our school division,” Dr. Murphy said. “While we’ve had a part-time position dedicated to that on a very small basis, I’m finding the need [for a full-time position] as we look at… the number of students that may be attending our schools that are not residents.”

“I think it’s a responsibility incumbent upon us as an organization using citizen tax dollars to make sure that those kids who are getting an education here are, in fact… residents of Arlington,” Dr. Murphy added.

Word that non-residents may be attending Arlington schools comes as APS is facing a system-wide capacity crisis.

While the need may be there, the residency verification specialist is listed along with an expanded elementary school foreign language program, additional Montessori classes and new print shop equipment as needs that won’t be funded in the FY 2013 budget currently under consideration. Dr. Murphy is hoping to find money for those and other unfunded needs in a future budget.

The Arlington County School Board will present the proposed budget to the Arlington Civic Federation tonight. A public hearing on the FY 2013 budget will be held at Thursday’s School Board meeting around 7:30 p.m.

Arlington Sees Decline in Number of Large Loss Fires

By ARLnow.com

There were only three “large loss” fires in Arlington in Financial Year 2011, according to new figures out with the Arlington County Fire Department’s proposed FY 2013 budget.

The three large loss fires (causing more than $50,000 in damage) compare to 10 large loss fires in both FY 2009 and FY 2010, and 20 large loss fires in FY 2008.

“One is too many… [but] for us that’s a big milestone, a big accomplishment,” Fire Chief James Schwartz told ARLnow.com. Schwartz credited the community for good fire prevention practices and for quickly calling 911 whenever they see a fire. He also credited Arlington firefighters for fast response times and a high degree of firefighting competence.

“Obviously large fires start as small fires, so the quicker we can get [notification] and the quicker we can get highly competent firefighters on the incident scene, the more we can contain the fire and hopefully keep it small,” Schwartz said. In FY 2011, the average response time was 4.2 minutes.

Financial Year 2012 doesn’t end until the last day of June, but fire officials are projecting another good year for the department. The number of large loss fires is projected at 5, and average response time is projected at 4.1 minutes. Among the estimates for other types of calls handled by the fire department in FY 2012:

  • Medical calls: 16,000
  • Fire and fire alarm calls: 8,000
  • Hazmat calls: 1,000
  • Non-emergency public service calls: 1,700

The proposed $49 million fire department budget for FY 2013 actually cuts funding to the department by 2 percent, but Schwartz says the decrease is due to specific program cuts and will not impact the number of firefighters on duty. The two biggest reductions in expense comes from a smaller firefighter recruiting class and the elimination of regional emergency medical program that Arlington operated under grant funding from the federal government.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Va. Budget Standoff — There’s a standoff in Richmond as the 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats in the state Senate remain evenly divided over the state’s two-year budget. Democrats say their opposition stems from the budget’s inadequate funding for public education, transportation and health care. Republicans, meanwhile, are accusing Democrats of obstructionism and “Washingtonian behavior.” The budget needs at least 21 votes to pass. The last vote was 20-19. [Washington Post, Washington Times]

High School Graduation Date Moved — The graduation date for Arlington public high schools is now Wednesday, June 20. The date was switched from the 21st because the graduation venue, DAR Constitution Hall, was not available that day. The last day of school was also moved back a day, to Tuesday, June 19. [Arlington Public Schools]

Arlington Au Pair Recognized — An au pair from Arlington has been named the winner of the national ‘Ultimate Au Pair’ contest. AuPairCare, an agency that places international au pairs with host families in the U.S., says they selected Mariana Moujan, of Buenos Aires, as the Ultimate Au Pair “for her compassion and dedication to the Edwards family in Arlington, Virginia.”

APS Budget Includes Class Size Increase, Raise for Employees

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy’s proposed FY 2013 budget includes an across-the-board increase in maximum class sizes and a small raise for all APS employees.

At $493.8 million, the proposed budget is a 3.9 percent increase over FY 2012. The increase reflects, among other things, a 2 percent increase in the APS salary scales — Dr. Murphy says the increase is a reflection of the “cost of competing” with other Northern Virginia school systems for quality teachers and staff — and 3.9 percent growth in student enrollment.

Student enrollment is projected to jump by 857 students, from 21,841 to 22,698. APS calculates that growing enrollment will cost $1.8 million for the purchase of 16 new relocatable classrooms and $2.2 million in additional staffing costs. Though the overall budget is flat in terms of per-student spending, the official “per pupil” cost — as calculated under a set formula that differs from just looking at the overall budget — will actually increase from $18,047 to $18,400.

Helping to offset otherwise higher costs of enrollment is Dr. Murphy’s proposal to increase the maximum allowable class size for all K-12 classes by one student. Though he admits that it’s “a tough decision” that is likely to be of concern to many parents, Dr. Murphy is quick to point out that the increase in the maximum class size will not automatically increase the size of every class. Instead, it will primarily affect classes that were already at the maximum.

Murphy also noted that the current proposal to transition middle schools to block scheduling is not “not designed at all” to impact class sizes.

In addition to the salary increase, the new budget factors in investments in professional learning for teachers, the purchase of new science textbooks, and the purchase of new classroom and enterprise technology. APS is also planning on spending more this year as a result of lost federal grants, the need for more reserve funds, and rising costs associated with paying off the debt incurred for recently-built schools.

Dr. Murphy listed a number of “unfunded instructional needs” that the budget does not address. Included in that list of unmet goals is an expansion of foreign language classes in elementary schools, an expansion of Virginia Preschool Initiative and Montessori classes, a salary “step increase” for teachers, and additional textbook purchases.

“This budget is a fiscally responsible proposal,” Dr. Murphy said in a statement. “Even though this budget does not fund all of our needs, I have no doubt that we will do what APS always does. We will be guided by our strategic plan, our high expectations for students and our commitment to providing students with everything they need to succeed in school and in life.”

In additional to several budget work sessions in March, a public hearing on the school budget will be held on April 12. The final budget adoption by the school board is scheduled for April 26.

Metro Holding Public Hearings Regarding Budget, Fare Increase

By Katie Pyzyk

Metro has has drawn up a fiscal year 2013 budget and has plans for another fare hike this summer. But before pushing forward with these two measures, the agency wants to hear your input at a series of meetings.

Meetings start tonight and will be held throughout the region, with Arlington’s taking place next Monday, March 5. An open forum will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria at Washington-Lee High School (1301 N. Stafford St), and the public hearing will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The open forum will have several stations to provide information to the public. Tables staffed by senior workers of Metrobus, Metrorail, MetroAccess, SmarTrip and police will be set up to give specific information and answer individual questions. In another area, a video presentation will be shown regarding Metro’s rebuilding program. There will also be a station with computers where participants can take an online survey and submit comments about Metro’s priorities.

Metro’s $1.6 billion FY2013 budget is an increase of $116 million over the last fiscal year. It shows a net decrease in revenue of $3 million over last fiscal year. The proposed fare increases are expected to generate $66 million. An additional $53 million increase in funding would come from jurisdictions.

In looking at the breakdown of the $116 million increase in the budget, Metro reports that $61 million is needed for higher expenses for existing operations. Half of that is due to the higher cost of fringe benefits, such as health care and pension benefits. The other half is due to an increase in contracted labor costs. The remaining $55 million is for improvements in safety, security and reliability.

The budget would cover projects designed to bring Metro in line with some NTSB recommendations, such as upgrading the signal system and replacing the oldest rail cars. Track rehabilitation and replacement of the system’s escalators and elevators is also planned.

Along with the fare increase, Metro plans to simplify the fare structure and do away with the current “peak of the peak” pricing, which was deemed too confusing. The Metro Board is expected to act on the budget in June, and fare changes are expected to go into effect on or around July 1.

Along with detailed information about the budget and fare increases, information about registering to speak at the public hearing or submitting written comments can be found online. There’s also an online survey regarding the budget and fare increases.

County Board Advertises Two Cent Tax Rate Hike

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board gave itself the flexibility to raise real estate taxes by as much as two cents as part of its FY 2013 budget process.

The Board voted unanimously last night to advertise a rate of 97.8 cents per $100 of assessed value for Calendar Year 2012, two cents higher than the 2011 rate. By law, the Board can set the tax rate no higher than the advertised rate, though it can set a lower rate.

The advertisement of a higher tax rate comes as the county is already assured of higher tax revenues, as a result of a 6.6 percent increase in residential and commercial real estate assessments.

As part of her recommended FY 2013 budget, County Manager Barbara Donnellan suggested a 0.5 cent tax rate hike and a 1.5 cent advertised rate. The budget includes increased spending on affordable housing, county employee compensation, restoration of branch library hours and Arlington Public Schools.

A public hearing on the FY 2013 budget is scheduled for March 20, while a hearing on the tax rate and fees is scheduled for March 22. Final budget adoption is expected on April 21.

“In the next six weeks we will hear more from the public, and weigh the needs of the community,” Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. “Our goal is to deliver a sustainable, balanced budget in April that spends tax dollars wisely, delivers core services efficiently and makes strategic investments in our infrastructure.”

Last night the Board also advertised a decrease in residential solid waste fees and an increase in fees for preschool, summer camp, senior adult and facility rental programs through the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Budget Proposal Includes Small Tax Hike

By ARLnow.com

The new $1.03 billion budget proposed by County Manager Barbara Donnellan includes a 0.5 cent real estate tax rate increase and a 2.1 percent increase in spending.

Donnellan outlined her proposed FY 2013 budget at a work session with the County Board last night.

While the budget largely seeks to maintain existing services at current levels, it includes four key areas of increased spending: affordable housing, county employee compensation, restoration of branch library hours and Arlington Public Schools.

Library hours will be restored under the proposed budget, at a cost of $0.4 million, after being cut in Financial Years 2010 and 2011. Employee compensation will increase with merit-based raises and an increase in the county’s living wage rate from $12.75/hour to $13.13/hour. Housing will see a $1.8 million increase under the budget, which includes $0.5 million to restore lost federal funding, along with a $1.3 million hike in the county’s yearly affordable housing investment.

The budget also includes a steep $18.3 million increase in the transfer to Arlington Public Schools, which has been struggling to keep up with rising enrollment. The school transfer would total $397 million under the proposed budget. All told, the budget includes a 1.6 percent increase in funding for county operations — less than the current rate of inflation — and a 4.8 percent increase in school funding.

The increased spending will be mostly paid for by the 6.6 percent increase in real estate assessments, which will produce higher tax revenues. Another $1.5 million will be generated through Donnellan’s proposed 0.5 cent tax rate increase. Additional revenue will be brought in by a 3.4 percent increase in water and sewer service charges. The tax and fee burden on the average Arlington household will increase by nearly $120, to $6,645 per year.

“Our approach to long-term planning, Smart Growth and conservative financial management continues to provide sustainable growth,” Donnellan said at the work session. “I believe the best way to be prepared is to continue our approach of recent years — first maintaining core services, then making targeted, strategic investments to improve services, and always planning for the future.”

Donnellan proposed that the County Board advertise a 1.5 cent increase in the tax rate to give it some extra leeway during the budget process. Donnellan will formally present her budget to the Board at its afternoon meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Public budget hearing will be held in March, in advance of final budget adoption on April 21.

Sen. Favola Reacts to Proposed Teen Pregnancy Cut

By ARLnow.com

Newly-minted state Senator Barbara Favola (D) says Virginia’s teen pregnancy prevention program should not be eliminated.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has proposed cutting the $455,000 program, which funds sex education and birth control for teens in seven areas with some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state. McDonnell says the program has not worked.

In a statement, Favola said the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) helps teens make healthier decisions.

This is a recipe for unintended pregnancies and significant health risks to young women. Teens need good information to make healthy decisions, but not all of Virginia’s youth are receiving medically accurate information from trusted sources.

The prevention of teen pregnancy is a critical issue in Virginia. In 2010, 367,752 children were born to girls 15-19, nationally. That’s a rate of 34.3 pregnancies per 1000 women. In 2010, 10,970 of those teen pregnancies were in Virginia. That’s a rate of 21.1 pregnancies per 1000 women. Though Virginia’s teen pregnancy rate is below the national average, 28 cities and counties in the Commonwealth are above the national average, and the TPPI program targets areas that are most vulnerable.

TPPI has been a key part of Virginia’s teen pregnancy prevention efforts since 1994. It provides convenient, on-site access to wellness education and preventive health services. TPPI’s goal is for teens to receive medically accurate information, make healthy choices, and provide pregnancy prevention resources. TPPI aims to reduce teenage pregnancy through life skills training, education, health services, and awareness.

The program provides essential services to teenage girls in high-risk areas. It provides convenient, on-site access to wellness education and preventive health services. Not all parents feel comfortable having ‘the talk’ or discussing other topics important for our youth’s health and safety. The only way to ensure teen pregnancy rates continue on their long-term downward trend is to provide teens with the necessary education and resources so they are empowered to make healthy decisions. TPPI helps to inform teens with medically accurate information so they can make safe and responsible decisions.

The governor’s decision to eliminate TPPI’s funding does a great disservice to Virginia’s teens. His proposed budget cut will deprive teenage girls in the most high-risk areas of the state of the critical services and education necessary to make responsible and healthy life decisions.

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