Arlington County Board “Increases Spending by Nearly 10 Percent”
Washington Post reporter Annie Gowen had her penciled sharpened for her analysis of yesterday's County Board’s approval of the FY 2007 budget and tax increases. According to Gowen, “As tax bills continue to rise in Arlington, county board members yesterday okayed an $829 million budget including the largest approved spending increase in more than a decade. Neighboring jurisdictions, mindful of the slowing real estate market and the possibility of dwindling tax revenue, have tried to hold increases at 5 and 6 percent. Arlington increased spending by 9.2 percent . . . Like other counties in Virginia, Arlington tinkered with the car tax, increasing the rate to $5 for each $100 valuation.” She included this quote by Burt Bostwick, chairman of the Arlington County Civic Federation’s Revenues & Expenditures Committee, “It's well over . . . the basic rate of inflation and any semblance of common sense.”
"An excellent article" according to one Arlington taxpayer. Question for the editors -- why was it buried on page 6 of the paper's Metro section? And don't miss yesterday's Growls, either.