ARLINGTON — The city’s first biennial budget calls for a $1 million increase in general fund spending over the next two years.
The general fund supports Arlington city services, such as police, fire protection and planning. Expenses are budgeted to go up roughly $600,000 from this year to next and another $400,000 from 2017 to 2018.
Leaders earlier this year decided to change the way they budget. They now draft spending plans for two years at a time rather than one.
The budget calls for a 1 percent increase in the total amount of property taxes levied by the city. The City Council would have to vote on that increase by the end of the month. A similar change was enacted in 2016 and amounted to about $4 more a year in property tax for a typical homeowner. Exact numbers for how a 1 percent increase could affect taxpayers in 2017 were not immediately available.
City utility rates are not set to increase next year.
Arlington officials have proposed a $52.4 million total budget for 2017, including a $15.2 million general fund. A $46.7 million budget has been drafted for 2018, with a $15.6 million general fund. The drop in total expenses from 2017 to 2018 would be due to grant-funded programs, city spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said. Grants awarded this year for next year have been factored in, but any grants that may be received next year for 2018 will need to be added later.
The largest piece of the general fund, more than $8 million per year, is designated for the city’s police and fire departments.
The levy amount for 2017 is expected to be $1.78 per $1,000 assessed property value, plus another 44 cents per $1,000 for emergency medical services. That adds up to about $555 a year on a $250,000 home. Voters in 2011 approved the EMS levy, which is capped at 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
In 2013, voters approved an increase in the local sales tax of two-tenths of a percent for the Arlington Transportation Benefit District. That took effect in 2014. It’s expected to bring in $898,567 in 2017 to go toward road improvements, part of a 10-year plan to update streets. The city is in the third year of that plan, Banfield said. Next year’s projects include restoring a stretch of 67th Avenue NE and redoing crosswalks downtown.
City leaders are focused on bringing more businesses to town, building up financial reserves and improving infrastructure as the city’s population continues to grow, Banfield said. The population estimate used for next year’s budgeting is 18,620 people. Since 1990, the number of people living in Arlington has more than quadrupled.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday in the City Council Chambers on Third Street. Anyone can come learn more about the budget and share their thoughts. The council’s final vote on adopting the budget is set for Nov. 21.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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