Growls

At this morning’s Arlington County  Board meeting, Wayne Kubicki provided the following testimony about the county fiscal trends during public comment. He has graciously allowed Growls to share them with you. They capture quite well the FY2009 budget season.

Mr. Chairman, other members of the Board, good morning. Within the next hour or so, undoubtedly by a 5-nothing vote, you’ll be approving the County budget for fiscal year 2009.

This was supposed to really be a difficult budget year, calling for spending restraint.  You’d never know that by looking at the numbers. The General Fund budget is up 6.7% over last year.  Add in the new stormwater spending, which you must do in order to have a true comparison, and the year-to-year increase is 7.4%. That 7.4% is exactly the same average increase we’ve had over the past 8 years.  And it’s exactly double the percentage growth we had in the mid to late-nineties.

We’ve been told, again and again, that such growth is not sustainable.  Yet, you’re about to do it, once again. Even more telling is comparing the County budget to the Schools budget. The year-to-year increase in the total School budget is 5.2%.

If you remove the School transfer payment from the County budget, you find that County-only spending is up 8.4%.  That’s 60% faster growth than the Schools. That kind of differential begs the question – which Board has better control of its budget?

“Sustainability” here at Courthouse Plaza seems to have been redefined as 7.4% growth, and raising tax rates in amounts needed to achieve it.  Today, we’re being treated to three cents – just shy of a four percent tax increase. And you are absolutely clobbering our business community – combining assessment increases, the rate increases and the new transportation tax, their real estate taxes are going up 33% by your actions today.

So, in the speeches each of the five of you will give later, please spare us the platitudes of how difficult this budget cycle was.  The rate of growth mirrors that of the last 8 years, and the year-to-year expenditure reductions are miniscule.  This cycle was not difficult – it was business as usual.

Thanks Wayne for allowing Growls to publish your comments here. To read the county’s spin on what is now the County Board's so-called “sustainable” FY 2009 budget, here’s the link to the press release. To see that no increase in the real estate tax rate was needed, look at how the Civic Federation proposed balancing the FY2009 budget (requires Adobe).