At the April 22, 2026, County Board Recessed Meeting, the Clerk to the County Board announced that the Board is seeking proposals for the development of an independent, non-partisan research effort examining the history, structure, and performance of Arlington County’s current form of government. This research is intended to provide background analysis and context to inform future Board deliberations. The scope of work is available here(PDF, 113KB).
At a high level, the anticipated scope of work includes:
- Historical and structural analysis of Arlington’s form of government and governance framework
- Synthesis of relevant existing records, archival materials, and prior work products
- Identification of key concepts, themes, and questions that may warrant future consideration
Consistent with the Board’s direction, this scope excludes policy level recommendations, legal analysis, advocacy, or independent community engagement, and will rely on existing materials rather than new data collection.
The County is accepting proposals from institutional research partners (such as universities or similar organizations) and intends to proceed with an agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding.
*MAY 1, 2026, UPDATE: The Board has extended its search for proposals on the development of independent, non-partisan research for this effort. The following changes have been made to the related deadlines:*
- Questions on this initiative and scope of work will be now accepted through 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 7th.
- Responses to questions will now be shared no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 12th.
- The Board will now accept proposals through 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 19th.
No proposals will be accepted or evaluated after this date and time. Proposals and questions must be sent to mkushnir@arlingtonva.us, with a copy to countyboard@arlingtonva.us. Only responses from Mason Kushnir are considered valid for this request. Any direct contact with the County Board is strongly prohibited during this process.