The Importance of Arlington County’s Taxpayers
The Arlington County Board’s “vision statement” for the county is plastered on many documents. It says:
“Arlington will be a diverse and inclusive world-class urban community with secure, attractive residential and commercial neighborhoods where people unite to form a caring, learning, participating, sustainable community in which each person is important.”
The U.S. Census Bureau, which released its 2007 County and City Data Book today, says it “is the most comprehensive source of information about the individual counties and cities in the United States.” Table B-9 (requires Adobe) contain information about personal income, including per capita income for all of America’s counties. For Arlington County, the table (page 429) shows:
Per capita income increased from $49,555 in 2000 to $59,389 in 2005; an increase of 19.84%.
Let’s compare that to the growth in real estate taxes paid by Arlington County taxpayers during the same period for the average residential property. According to numbers on page 79 of the county’s FY 2008 Adopted Budget:
Average real estate tax payment increased from $2,074 in 2000 to $4,023 in 2005; an increase of 93.97%.
So, is the Arlington County Board “caring” for it’s taxpayers? Not in these eyes. Rather, it seems Arlington County’s taxpayers can more easily complain they were plundered by the Board during the period 2000 to 2005. Not to mention the Board's greediness, or the Board's willingness to profit off the backs of Arlington's hard-working taxpayers.