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The Arlington County Board approved a $1.69 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 on April 9, 2025, balancing major investments in schools, housing and public services with $11.9 million in reductions and efficiencies.
The spending plan is 2.3% larger than the fiscal 2025 budget and takes effect July 1, 2025. It maintains Arlington’s real estate tax rate at $1.033 per $100 of assessed value while raising the meals tax rate from 4% to 5%.
Board Chair Takis Karantonis said the budget protects essential government operations while supporting dependable social safety-net programs during uncertain economic conditions. He also thanked county employees and residents who participated in the budget process.
The board followed the county manager’s recommendations on the tax rates and directed that another $11 million be placed in the county’s Economic Stabilization Reserve.
More than 40 filled, vacant and frozen positions will be eliminated as part of the budget’s reductions and efficiencies.
Schools, housing and human services
Arlington Public Schools will receive $647.4 million in ongoing funding, an increase of $22.6 million, or 3.6%, over fiscal 2025.
The budget provides $102 million for housing programs intended to stabilize households and improve living conditions. That total includes:
- $29.3 million for Housing Choice Vouchers
- $17.7 million for housing grants
- $7 million for permanent supportive housing
- $7.8 million for homeless shelters, transitional housing and services for domestic violence survivors
Human-services funding includes $280,000 for the Arlington Food Assistance Center and $105,000 for Meals on Wheels. The budget also allocates $358,000 for a child care licensing system, $243,000 to implement the Virginia Quality Birth to Five program and $350,000 in one-time funding for the Culpepper Garden assisted-living facility subsidy.
An additional $1 million in one-time funding will support homeless-services contracts under negotiation through a request-for-proposals process. That money comes on top of $2.5 million included in the proposed budget.
The board also approved $150,000 in one-time Food Security Mini Grants, creating a third grant round for local nonprofits working on parts of the county’s Food Security Strategic Plan.
Environmental and public-safety spending
One-time environmental investments include $500,000 for climate action planning, $240,000 for additional tree planting and $223,000 for tree watering and invasive-plant management. Another $124,000 will support expansion of the county’s electric-vehicle fleet.
Public-safety funding includes $2.2 million in one-time money for a second fire recruit class and $394,000 for body-worn cameras used by police and sheriff’s personnel.
The budget provides $266,000 for medication-assisted treatment and opioid-use-disorder medication for inmates, along with $232,000 for contracted security.
The Sheriff’s Office will receive another $227,000 in one-time funding for bonuses to 83 employees whose jobs involve direct contact with inmates.
Positions restored and other targeted funding
The board approved $308,000 in ongoing funding to preserve two positions that had been proposed for elimination: $170,000 for an Inspection Services Division construction plan review position and $138,000 for a code enforcement position.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office will receive $184,000. That includes $100,000 in one-time funding for temporary communications staff and $84,000 in ongoing funding to convert a Commonwealth’s Attorney III position into a deputy Commonwealth’s attorney position.
Another $192,000 will go to the Public Defender’s Office, including $107,000 in one-time funding for a Re-Entry Coordinator Fellowship and $85,000 in ongoing funding to increase the office’s non-attorney salary supplement.
The board allocated $109,000 to delay several proposed Developmental Services fee increases for one year. The affected fees involve child care facilities, supported by $6,000 in ongoing funding; live entertainment and food delivery services, with $14,000 in ongoing funding; and adaptive reuse, with $88,000 in one-time funding.
Arlington Libraries will receive $100,000 in one-time funding for digital collections. The budget also restores $87,000 in one-time funding for the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust and provides the County Board Office with $60,000 for ranked-choice voting education.
The final spending plan followed months of review and public feedback. The board held budget and tax-rate hearings in March 2025 and considered phone calls, emails and letters received from residents beginning in January.