Say what you will about it otherwise, but at least the Arlington County government’s leadership has consistency.
For another year, County Board members have signaled that they don’t anticipate reducing real-estate tax rates on property owners, even though, for another year, assessments have gone up disproportionately on the residential side of the equation, leaving those of modest means once again scrimping and saving to cover the cost.
It’s of course possible that, later in the two-month budget season that runs through late April, board members will find a way to lower tax rates to at least partially offset the higher assessments. But in recent history – since the start of the pandemic if not earlier – board members have refused to make even token tax-rate reductions. Localities all around Arlington have been able to do it, but Arlington leaders have refused.
Why? In part because they don’t have to, as there seems no political price to be paid for an ever-spiraling tax burden. Who’s standing up for those being priced out? Just about nobody.
The message has been simple from the elected and top staff of the Arlington government: “We think we are more deserving of taking your money than you are of being allowed to keep it.” And apparently, enough residents agree that there’s no penalty to be paid for such let-them-eat-cake posturing.
Nobody’s saying the Arlington government should be starved of resources. What’s maddening is the attitude of entitlement that county leaders seem to have, viewing the community as an ATM to fund their expansion (and even in bad times, our local government is ALWAYS expanding) and pet projects.
It’ll be interesting to see, in the upcoming Democratic-primary campaign for County Board (the only race that’s going to count), if budget restraint is raised by any of the contenders. Hope springs eternal, but history suggests otherwise.
And boy-howdy, if you think the residential tax burden is high now, just wait until the full ramifications of office downsizing begin to impact the equation. That golden goose is going to be a dead duck, owing to pandemic-created workplace changes. Arlington, which has benefited so much from a heavy office-worker presence, will soon feel real pain.
