Historic Cemetery to Become a Dog Park

Hi, Yupette,

I work at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., and am not happy where the County is going. I'm a long-time County employee and bought a nice 3-bedroom 2 bath ranch home in Westover 30 years ago. Now, as I approach retirement, I am finding the assessment increases on my home are going to put me under some significant financial stress once I retire.

Never mind about me. You should be aware that several years ago at least two County Board members promised Ballston-area dog owners that historic Ball Cemetery off Washington Blvd. would be "repurposed" into a Dog Park. On the County Board's Regular Hearing Agenda tomorrow (June 18th),

Until about 30 years ago the Ball Family Cemetery was preserved, but after 'Smart Growth" got started the cemetery was allowed to go to ruin, along with the neighborhood's commercial infrastructure.

So now it's Mixed-Use Redevelopment time for the neighborhood and the cemetery.

If the County Board, and it's Progressive-Socialist-Urbanist cronies, can desecrate a cemetery that has no connection whatsoever to the Confederacy to provide a playground for dogs, the County Board is capable of anything.

Mary 22205

No Pay Increases for County Board Members

Hello,

Based upon AY's perusal of County Board Members' desk appointment calendars over several years, and conversations with employees and former employees who worked in the County Board Offices, AY believes that County Board Members should not vote themselves pay increases on June 18th.

Bottom Line: Service on the Arlington County Board (of Supervisors) is a part-time job which many County Board Members over the past three decades have chosen to make a full-time job.

County Board Members already enjoy a 2-month paid Summer Vacation - July 15th to September 15th. In recent years the County Board placed Consent Agenda items related to appropriations off-limits for citizen comments, ostensibly to 'streamline' meetings.

Four Members of the current County Board work for, consult for, or lobby for non-profits. AY has no information about conflicts-of-interest that may occur or are occurring vis a vis them and County Government. The fifth CB Member is apparently growing his "Missing Middle" residential housing corporation through numerous contacts with prospective clients while on the County Board.

Consequently, AY requests this pay request mess be deferred while being evaluated by the County Auditor...however long that takes. Nobody on the current County Board will apparently suffer any financial harm while the audit is occurring.

AY