One key member of the General Assembly believes there may still be time to broker a deal on use of the state government’s accumulating budget surplus.
“It’s possible we could still come back in June and make some further adjustment, or even July if we wanted to,” state Sen. Adam Ebbin told members of the Kiwanis Club of South Arlington on May 18.
Although Ebbin (D-Alexandria-Arlington-Fairfax) is not one of the legislature’s budget conferees, he does sit on the Senate Committee on Finance. That may give him a front-row seat and more than typical input if legislators of both houses and both parties can come to agreement on what to do with surplus funds.
The Virginia state government operates on a biennial budget adopted in the spring of even-numbered years. The intervening odd-numbered years, legislators come back and make adjustments, depending on economic conditions.
With split government – Republicans controlling the executive branch and House of Delegates, Democrats the state Senate – there was some agreement over additional spending and tax relief, but little consensus on the bigger picture.
Ebbin said Democrats wanted to provide more money for education and mental health, and might be able to cut a deal with Republicans. The GOP in return could demand tax cuts.
With state finances in good shape, there is no pressing need to tackle the issue. Should there be no further agreement beyond the “skinny budget” amendments adopted earlier this year, the accumulating surplus funds will simply sit in the government’s bank accounts.
Ebbin was elected to the House of Delegates in 2003 and ascended to the Senate in 2011. Among his committee assignments, he chairs the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology.
Owing to redistricting, Ebbin’s former 30th District is gone and he will be competing in the new 39th District. It includes all of the city of Alexandria, the Baileys Crossroads portion of Fairfax County and the Crystal City and Pentagon City areas of Arlington. His constituents in Fairlington, Shirlington and other Arlington areas south of Columbia Pike are being shifted into the 40th Senate District, where Sen. Barbara Favola is facing a primary challenge from James DeVita.
Ebbin has no intra-party competition, and as of now does not have general-election opposition, either. The filing deadline for the November election is June 20.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Ebbin’s winning office to the House of Delegates. Coincidentally, he narrowly finished ahead of Andres Tobar in the five-candidate Democratic primary for what then was the 49th House District.
Tobar currently serves as president of the Kiwanis Club of South Arlington. He recalled that the 2003 primary race was hard-fought but created no ill will, despite the close finish between himself and Ebbin.
“We became good friends,” Tobar said. “He’s been a phenomenal friend to our community.”
