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New crop of Arlington Business Hall of Fame inductees – Page 14 1
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WOMEN LEADERS GAIN INSIGHT
W-L WINS TWO OVER SPRING BREAK
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A WEEKLY FEATURE FOR CROSSWORD AFICIONADOS
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Highs & Lows Letters 55+ News Business Real Estate Schools/Military History
Now interviewing for listings
Bret Brock, Broker 703.538.6030
SunGazette 53
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VOLUME 79 NO. 22
ARLINGTON’S SOURCE FOR HOMETOWN NEWS SINCE 1935
APRIL 24, 2014
Rate to Fall, But Tax Bills Continue to Rise
County Board to Trim Penny from 2013 Rate SCOTT McCAFFREY Staff Writer
It didn’t go as far as some budget hawks wanted, but it was something: County Board members on April 16 tentatively agreed to cut the real estate tax rate by 1 cent, to 99.6 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The move, which is expected to be ratified on when the board adopts the fiscal 2015 budget on April 22, will slice a little off the tax bill of property owners, but most will still pay more than in 2013 due to higher assessed valuations. The annual tax-and-fee burden on a typical Arlington household, already more than $7,000, will go up about $300 under the proposed plan. The Arlington County Civic Federation earlier this month called for a 3cent cut in the real estate tax rate, saying the county government had accumulated so much cash in its coffers it could make the cut without impacting the billion-dollar budget proposed by County Manager Barbara Donnellan. The Donnellan budget proposal included no
Recipients of the 2014 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Valor Awards were saluted during a ceremony last week at the Fort Myer Officers’ PHOTO BY DEB KOLT Club. The annual event salutes exceptionalism in the public-safety ranks.
Public-Safety Exceptionalism Is Celebrated Their efforts not only helped to save a life, but possibly to turn one around. When Arlington County Police Officers Kenneth Kernicky and Stephanie Rodriguez responded to a report of a man planning to commit suicide in Douglas Park, they could not have guessed how the situation might have turned out. When the officers arrived on scene last June 13, they found the man sus-
their efforts helped give him a new perspective on the value of life. For their efforts, Kernicky and Rodriguez were honored with a Life-Saving Award at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s 32nd annual Valor Awards ceremony, held April 16 at the Fort Myer Officers’ Club at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Continued on Page 27
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pended from a tree and unresponsive. Knowing the time was of the essence, Officer Rodriguez grabbed the subject and lifted him, while Officer Kernicky cut the rope. Ultimately, the individual regained consciousness. Taken to Virginia Hospital Center, the individual was able to make a full recovery, and a few days after the incident, he called the officers to thank them for their quick action, saying that
change to the tax rate. County Board members advertised no change to the rate, which gave them the flexibility to keep it the same or reduce it – but not raise it – when adopting the budget. The board action will mean slightly less cash for the county school system, which receives funding from the county treasury based on a percentage of overall tax revenue. But even accounting for that, the school system will receive $440.6 million, nearly $28 million more than during the current fiscal year. The board’s action to cut the rate could well have been a reaction to the April 8 election, which saw independent John Vihstadt trounce Democrat Alan Howze in the seat vacated by board member Chris Zimmerman. Vihstadt did not campaign directly on a cut in the tax rate, but did stress the importance of fiscal responsibility. County Board members added $200,000 to the budget to provide tourism marketing, a move that has been pressed for years