WASHINGTON — Arlington County first responders will get pay raises, parking meter rates will rise and a number of proposed funding streams will change in the budget set to be approved by the County Board Saturday.
The pay increases for most uniformed members of the police, fire and sheriff’s departments, while less for the year starting July 1, will total about $10 to $12 million in the following budget year, Board Chair Katie Cristol said.
One question is expected to be more contentious Saturday: how much of a $10 million rent abatement tied to the Courthouse Plaza construction project should be shifted to other budget priorities such as school funding instead.
Board members restored some money Thursday that was set to be cut from the long-term Lee Highway planning process and reiterated their call for the revitalization and development effort to focus on the entire corridor from East Falls Church to Rosslyn.
“If it looks like there’s a big pot of money that we can touch with no consequences, it’s probably too good to be true,” Cristol said at the final budget markup Thursday night.
Moving forward, the county is considering service cutbacks in future years as more general fund money goes to Metro, schools and debt service.
While there will be no property tax rate increase this year, the county is extending parking meter hours two extra hours each day, until 8 p.m., along with a parking rate increase of 25 cents per hour.
