Last Tuesday, December 16, three notable events occurred almost simultaneously.
Barbara Favola was sworn in for her fourth term as a member of the Arlington County Board, Board Chair Walter Tejada gave his swan song after a year as chair, and the Arlington County 2008 Annual Report was released.
On January 1, 2009, this cycle will be completed when Barbara Favola will become Chair of the Arlington County Board for the third time.
It has been another remarkable year for the county, long considered to be one of the best run local governments in the country.
Ron Carlee, Arlington’s intrepid County Manager, summed up some of the year’s achievements in his forward to the annual report. They included:
The lowest tax rates in the region. Only the City of Alexandrian and the City of Fairfax are comparable.
A stable real estate market with the lowest foreclosure rate in the region.
Full employment, consistently, with the lowest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth of Virginia
One of the best academically ranked public school systems in the country.
Arlington was, once again, awarded a “rare” triple, triple A (AAA-AAA) bond rating. “As a result of its record, the County sold millions of bonds at 4.17 percent interest, one of the lowest rates for any debt in this tight credit market.” Other notable achievements include:
Receiving a Community Leadership Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for Arlington’s ground-breaking FitArlington program.
The addition of 163 affordable housing units, bringing the total number of affordable housing units in Arlington to 6001, or about 14% of the housing in the county.
Arlington’s first series of Diversity Dialogues, bringing together five hundred Arlingtonians to “..help Arlington residents build bridges across different cultures, age groups, and ethnic backgrounds.”
The designation of Wilson and Clarendon Boulevard as Great Streets in the American Planning Associations Great Places in America program. Arlington was one of eight jurisdictions nationwide so honored.
The approval of major mixed office, retail, and residential developments in Roslyn, on the old Bob Peck site in Ballston, on the Metro bus site also in Ballston, on the Costco site in Pentagon City – to name a few of many significant development sites. There doesn’t appear to be much of an economic slow down in Arlington!
The decline of the violent crime rate in Arlington by 14%.
The designation of Arlington as “the top place in the country to live during a recession” by Business Week magazine. Also the designation of Arlington as the “top wealth center” among municipalities in the country by BizJournals.
The completion of several major county building projects including Fire Station 5 in Aurora Highlands, the Fairlington Community Center, the Shirlington Bus Station, Phase II of Barcroft Park, the Lee Community Center improvements, Tyrol Hills Phase II neighborhood conservation project, a new “state of the art” Emergency Communications Center, and a new Westover Library.
This is a sampling of many positive things that have happened in and to Arlington in 2008. It is proof that Arlington is, indeed, “A Great Place to Live.”
The annual Otakon Convention held this past weekend was overwhelmingly magnificent! Indeed, the four-day-long event broke the convention’s prior attendance record, surpassing the 46,000 who attended the 2024 celebration of
Falls Church-raised author and longtime News-Press copy editor Theodore Edwin “Ted” White died May 24, 2026, at age 88. Born Feb. 4, 1938, in Washington, D.C., White was a prominent
The biggest news out of this week’s primary elections in five states across the U.S., including Virginia, came from Falls Church’s own rep, Don Beyer, who told the News-Press in
Affordability was the theme of the 2026 legislative session. The investments Virginia made in healthcare, housing, and energy were all designed to help you navigate today’s high cost of living.
Our Man in Arlington
Last Tuesday, December 16, three notable events occurred almost simultaneously.
Barbara Favola was sworn in for her fourth term as a member of the Arlington County Board, Board Chair Walter Tejada gave his swan song after a year as chair, and the Arlington County 2008 Annual Report was released.
On January 1, 2009, this cycle will be completed when Barbara Favola will become Chair of the Arlington County Board for the third time.
It has been another remarkable year for the county, long considered to be one of the best run local governments in the country.
Ron Carlee, Arlington’s intrepid County Manager, summed up some of the year’s achievements in his forward to the annual report. They included:
Other notable achievements include:
This is a sampling of many positive things that have happened in and to Arlington in 2008. It is proof that Arlington is, indeed, “A Great Place to Live.”
Share:
More Posts
Otakon Convention, a Major Cultural Event in Washington
The annual Otakon Convention held this past weekend was overwhelmingly magnificent! Indeed, the four-day-long event broke the convention’s prior attendance record, surpassing the 46,000 who attended the 2024 celebration of
F.C. Native, Author Ted White Gained National Notoriety
Falls Church-raised author and longtime News-Press copy editor Theodore Edwin “Ted” White died May 24, 2026, at age 88. Born Feb. 4, 1938, in Washington, D.C., White was a prominent
Wide Beyer Margin Still Short of Past Efforts
The biggest news out of this week’s primary elections in five states across the U.S., including Virginia, came from Falls Church’s own rep, Don Beyer, who told the News-Press in
Senator Saddam Salim 7-23-2026
Affordability was the theme of the 2026 legislative session. The investments Virginia made in healthcare, housing, and energy were all designed to help you navigate today’s high cost of living.
Send Us A Message