Arlington County Board Continues Spending Like a Drunken Sailor
P.J. O’Rourke once said that “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” That’s about how the County Board acts, too. Yesterday, the Board held its “final wrap-up” budget worksession where they agreed on the final decisions for the FY 2007 budget. The bottom line is they agreed to reduce the real estate tax rate by six cents (i.e., to 81.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation). The bad news is that still means an 8.3% increase for the average Arlington homeowner; inflation is about half of that. The even worse news is that the personal property tax rate (i.e., the car tax) will be increased 14.3%, to $5.00 from its current $4.40 rate. That’s not all, though. There will be increases in the solid waste, water, and sewer rates not to mention a slew of other fee increases. The Board will formally adopt the FY 2007 budget on Saturday, April 22.
O’Rourke also said (slightly modified), “The mystery is not how Arlington government works but how to make it stop.” The beast must be fed!
Resources: Manager’s proposed FY2007 budget and Manager’s “budget decision” reports to the Board (agenda items 38.A. through 38.S.). Quotes are from OnPower.org.