County Board Advertises Tax Rate Increase to Protect Core Services
Published on February 25, 2026
At its February 24 Recessed Meeting, the Arlington County Board voted to advertise a real estate tax rate of $1.053 per $100 of assessed value, a 2-cent increase from calendar year 2025. The Board will decide in April, after work sessions and public hearings, whether to adopt this increase.
"Unfortunately, our prediction of an unusually significant budget gap has materialized,” said Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti. “This is a result of federal financial instability and shifts in the economic landscape that have impacted most streams of revenue. As in previous years, we are advertising a tax rate that we intend to bring down as best we can. We did this to ensure we have the flexibility to protect our most vulnerable residents, fund our schools, address housing needs, and maintain core services. Over the coming weeks, through April 21, we will dig in and work to deliver a budget that balances this year's fiscal realities with critical, essential investments.”
If adopted in April, this advertised tax rate is estimated to result in a real estate tax payment increase of $466 for homeowners, based on the average home value of $882,900. The average apartment renter would see an increase of $317, based on an average apartment value of $373,772 and assuming this increase is directly passed onto the renter by their landlord. By law, the Board can adopt a tax rate no higher than the advertised rate, although it may adopt a lower rate.
To view the staff presentation on the proposed FY 2027 budget and reports on the requests to advertise tax and fee rates, visit this meeting’s webpage and scroll to item No. 25 A – T.
FY 2027 County Manager's Proposed Budget
Prior to the Board’s advertisement of a real estate tax rate increase, at the February 21 Regular County Board meeting, the County Manager proposed a $1.69 billion budget, which is notably a 0.1% percent decrease from the FY 2026 Adopted Budget. This proposal recommended $10.6 million in funding cuts and a 1.5-cent increase to the real estate tax rate, raising it to $1.048 per $100 of assessed value.
Next steps
The Board will review the Manager's proposed budget, with the flexibility of the advertised higher tax rate than originally proposed, through a series of work sessions with the Manager and County departments in the coming weeks. The Board will also hold a separate work session for advisory groups and commissions to share their priorities with the Board on Wednesday, April 8. The work sessions will be held in the County Board Room on the third floor of the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center, 2100 Clarendon Blvd. All work sessions are open to the public and will be livestreamed on the County website and broadcast on the County's cable channel.
The Board will hold a public hearing on the budget on Tuesday, March 24 and a public hearing on the tax rate on Thursday, March 26. You can sign up online to speak at these hearings five days in advance.
Both hearings will be held in the Board Room and will be livestreamed on the County website. The Board will adopt the FY 2027 Budget at its April Regular Board meeting. The FY 2027 fiscal year begins July 1, 2026.
To view the Manager’s complete FY 2027 Budget proposal, visit the County website.
To submit a comment on the proposed budget, email the Board at countyboard@arlingtonva.us.