UPDATED - New Economic Development Director Briefs Planning Commission About Arlington's Economic Future

Hey Yupette,

Arlington's new Economic Development Director, Victor Hoskins, briefed the Arlington Planning Commission tonight about his and AED's agenda for Arlington's economic development over the next five years. Basically, it's recruiting high tech Millennial-owned start-up corporations from all over the world to locate and re-locate in Arlington -- especially in those old vacant office buildings in Crystal City. Tens of thousands more Millennials are in Arlington's future. Nothing at all mentioned about the impact of more - 30,000 or so - just-out-of-college Millennials on Arlington's public infrastructure, especially the already-stressed Arlington Public Schools. Oh well, County Board and School Board will get around to handling the resulting crises when they occur.

Youtube video is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPcUfnizduU

Thanks for your blog,

Pike Rider 22204

Audrey Clement Wins Westover County Board Debate

 Hello,

A.Y. sent two correspondents to cover the April 29th Westover Candidate's Debate, held at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Westover. The clear winner of the debate among County Board candidates was Audrey Clement, who was the only Independent among the County Board candidates (the others who attended are Democrats) and the only candidate with a clear, across-the-board vision of how to move the County Board, and the County forward -- cut taxes for residents and businesses, stop making bad give-away deals with real estate trusts, make County Government more resourceful so new small businesses can prosper. The Democratic County Board candidates continued to promote 'resumes rather than results'.

The two Democratic candidates for School Board -  Sharon Dorsey and Reid Goldstein -- offered no significant solutions except to continue to 'muddle through' APS's problems related to the growth in school population.

One thing all the County Board candidates agreed on is 'The Arlington Way' is seriously broken.

It became obvious during the debate that Democratic candidates for anything in Arlington can't get beyond 'more of the same'. So Audrey Clement was a refreshing change.

Cindy

APS, Special Interests, Will Control County Government Next Year

Hey Yupette,

Want to give you a heads up. If you thought this year's Budget process was insipid, wait until next year where there will likely be two new County Board Members with children enrolled in Arlington Public Schools.Then there's Libby Garvey, who's running for re-election and won't say no to anything or anybody. The tough fiscal decisions have been made about the Pike streetcar, Artisphere, and so on. Time for more tax-borrow-spend.

So look for the two new County Board members, together with Libby Garvey and Jay Fisette, to give in to all but the most outrageous demands by APS and the for-profit and non-profit special interests. For example, look for a 50-50 revenue split between the County and APS. Look for joint decisions to be made behind closed doors by the County Board and School Board about which neighborhoods will get new Taj Mahal schools. Look for more VIP Smart Growth boosters to retire to places a hundred miles from the nearest New Urbanism.

I'm not optimistic about the independence of the County's new Independent Internal Auditor, who will have to obtain approval from a committee before he or she audits anything.

It's nice that our elected VIPs want to bring some new and different economic development here, but the sad fact is that Arlington is just too expensive a place to do business and will become more expensive.

Thanks for your blog.

Terri,

22203

County Board Likely to Save Artisphere, Demolish Wilson School

Hey Yupette,

I listened to Friday's broadcasts of the County Board-School Board budget work session and County Board-County Manager budget work session via the County's Web site.

Appears there is great interest in saving the Artisphere and little interest in saving Wilson School.

The County Board will not raise the FY 16 residential real estate tax rate per County Board budget reductions and budget reductions by APS.

From the discussion among County Board members Friday afternoon, it appears that if Ingrid Morroy had listened to the legal advice she was given about the BPOL tax Arlington taxpayers might have a 1 cent tax reduction next fiscal year. Instead, $6 million is stashed away for refunds to overtaxed businesses.

J.M.
22201

Vihstadt Exposes FAAC Charade at Budget Work Session

Hey Yupette,

I tuned into the County Board - County Manager Budget Work Session yesterday, broadcast over the County's Web site. It's great that we elected John Vihstadt. He asks lots of important questions and the Democrats on County Board and in the County Manager's Office are annoyed.

One question he asked the Chairman of the Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission yesterday was "Who votes for the FAAC's recommendations?" Turns out the authorized strength of the FAAC is 15 members, 13 presently serve on the Commission, and typically 8 (or fewer) show up for a meeting. Turns out that the votes for FAAC's various budget line item recommendation take place over weeks and whomever shows up for a meeting votes. The FAAC is supposed to reflect what County residents want or don't want, since we don't get to debate budget line items with the County Board and County Manager. But it appears the FAAC votes for or against budget line items reflect various constituencies whose members show up at FAAC meetings and vote for what interests them. But we already knew the annual Budget meetings are a big charade, and FAAC is a small part.

Thanks for this blog.

 Ken, 22207

County to Implement Hybrid Dual Offices for Internal Audits

Hello,

According to a presentation at the County Board - County Manager FY 16 Budget Work Session on April 7th, the County will implement a hybrid dual office approach to internal audits beginning in July. The County Auditor will report to the County Board. The County Auditor's Office will be overseen by an Audit Committee composed of two County Board Members, the County Manager, Department of Management and Finance Director, and one member of the Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission. The County Auditor will be focused on program and operational audits.

An Internal Audit Office will be established within the Department of Management and Finance and would be focused on internal control and core financial audits. The Staff would report to the DMF Director.

Both offices would have an annual workplan and would publish reports in line with the Institute of Internal Auditors best practice guidelines.

This County Board - County Manager FY 16 Budget Work Session appears on video on the County Board's Web site.

Cindy

ACPD Increasingly Punitive Towards Hipsters, Homeless, Minorities

Hi Yupette,

I will soon be retiring as a member of a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) because I am seeing too much punitive behavior by the Arlington Police Department directed towards Hipsters, the Homeless, and Minorities in Arlington. I don't want to continue to be any part of that.

Consequently I advise everyone to not attend any event or patronize any bar or restaurant, festival, pub crawl, anything, in the Ballston-Rosslyn Corridor, most immediately upcoming NCAA basketball championship events. These events are a win-win for Arlington's Cowboy Police (only a few of whom live in Arlington) - they get tens of millions in overtime for providing security services to the bars, restaurants, pub crawls, and they get to beat up on Urban Hipsters, who they despise.

Arlington's Cowboy Police also hate Arlington's Homeless and Minorities who are poor and non-trendy, and have little disposable income. ACPD is becoming more punitive about arresting hipsters who are over the limit for alcohol consumption and minorities who possess and use small amounts of marijuana.

Oh, regarding Arlington's new Chief of Police, he's commonly referred to around ACPD as "Murray the Schlep" for his many promotions over the years based on assignments and activities that had nothing to do with policing.

Mike 22205