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Description
Arlington County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey's New Year's remarks at the County Board's Organizational Meeting, held on Jan. 2 2019.
A
Okay,
we
have
now
moved
to
the
point
at
which
you
all
are
waiting
for
for
us
to
outline
our
thoughts
and
priorities
for
the
year
as
chair
newly
elected
I
have
the
privilege
of
going
first
with
this,
and
let
me
just
say
that
it
is
wonderful
to
be
returning
to
a
board
year
with
mr.
gudge
saw
miss
crystal
and
miss
Garvey.
We
did
some
great
work
last
year
and
I
know
that
it
will
continue
and
a
warm
welcome
to
mr.
defer
auntie,
who
we
don't
yet
know
what
your
board
service
will
look
like.
A
So
you
know
our
gathering
tonight,
just
one
day
after
we've
turned
the
calendar
for
2019
and
marking
the
debut
of
a
new
board
member,
as
well
as
new
leadership
for
this
board,
really
focuses
our
attention
a
lot
on
what
is
to
come.
I'd
like
to
take
a
moment,
however,
to
look
back
at
2018,
for
it
was
both
a
notable
year,
and
it
also
is
one
that
very
much
informs
the
perspectives
that
I
will
share
with
you
tonight
now.
A
People
face
when
needing
to
improve
their
homes
that
are
designated
non-conforming,
allowing
them
to
stay
in
those
homes
longer
and
preventing
wholesale
redevelopment
of
them
and
on
the
economic
development
front.
The
equivalent
of
two
vacant
high-rise
are
the
equivalent
of
two
high-rise
office.
Buildings
were
saved
from
vacancy
with
the
attraction
of
new
and
the
retention
of
existing
office.
A
A
There
are
many
reasons
that
we
find
ourselves
in
this
situation,
primarily
sustained
weakness
and
the
office
sector
is
depressing.
Our
overall
tax
base,
and
even
though
last
year,
the
region
achieved
a
landmark
victory
in
securing
sufficient
Metro
capital
funding.
We
are
paying
substantially
higher
operating
subsidies,
at
least
in
the
near
term.
Thankfully,
the
Commonwealth
of
Virginia
also
did
a
wonderful
landmark
thing
by
expanding
Medicaid,
but
that
too
came
with
an
increased
in
local
funding
obligations.
A
The
result
of
all
of
this
is
that
the
cost
of
delivering
government
services
and
public
education
in
fiscal
year
2020
will
require
closing
a
combined
County
ApS
budget
gap
of
as
high
as
70
million
dollars.
The
only
responsible
course
for
us
is
fiscal
austerity.
Now,
last
year
we
eliminated
some
programs
and
reorganized
others,
and
the
manager
is
able
to
find
savings
that
amounted
to
about
fourteen
million
dollars
now
eliminating
and
reorganizing
more
programs
again
in
fiscal
year.
Twenty
will
still
leave
us
with
a
substantial
gap.
A
We
need
our
partners,
our
friends
at
Arlington,
public
schools,
to
find
significant
savings,
and
we
will
still
be
left
with
wrestling
with
the
fundamental
decision
of
reducing
services
that
we,
no
Arlington
Ian's,
expect
and
value
or
raising
revenues
through
a
property
tax
increase,
and
this
is
just
to
deliver
the
same
level
of
service
clearly
this
year.
The
responsible
course
is
fiscal
austerity,
but
that
austerity
must
not
translate
into
stagnation.
A
We
must
help
the
region
help
lead
the
region,
develop
housing
policies
that
will
create
a
larger
supply
of
affordable
homes.
If
we
are
ever
to
meet
the
goals
are
ambitious
but
absolutely
attainable,
affordable
housing
master
plan.
We
must
continue
our
commitment
to
the
sort
of
digital
customer
service.
Customer
service
focused
innovation
that
will
make
county
government
more
efficient
and
responsive,
and
we
must
develop
the
capacity
to
understand
the
emerging
mobility
trends
in
the
market,
so
that
we
can
better
manage
our
public
spaces
and
our
public
rights-of-way.
A
A
This
investment
without
diverting
any
existing
revenues,
while
receiving
hundreds
of
millions
of
dollars
from
the
state
to
support
our
transportation
and
housing
priorities,
but
for
Amazon
to
serve
as
a
springboard
for
more
opportunities
for
all
Arlington
Ian's.
We
have
to
expertly
manage
its
growth.
That
means
ensuring
that
the
changes
it
brings
to
the
built
environment
reflect
the
vision
of
our
existing
plans
and
that
we
prevent
the
displacement
of
residents
and
businesses,
or
that
we
prevent
the
diminishment
of
the
quality
of
life
for
all
of
those
who
already
call
Arlington
home
now.
A
I
know
that
every
member
of
this
board
is
committed
to
ensuring
that
Amazon's,
gradual
growth
over
the
next
decade
or
more
benefits
all
of
us,
but
when
we
look
at
it,
Amazon,
along
with
our
budget
gaps
that
we're
realizing
today,
it
presents
us
with
the
dual
responsibility
of
ensuring
that
today's
austerity
doesn't
disproportionately
burden
the
most
marginalized
and
the
most
vulnerable
among
us
and
that
the
better
times
ahead,
don't
leave
those
same
people
behind.
To
do
so
requires
that
we
rethink
how
we
develop
and
deploy
government
services,
regulations,
programs
and
actions.
A
We
must
imbue
our
public
policy
with
an
emphasis
on
equity,
now
I
know
with
pride
that
Arlington
defied
efforts
many
decades
ago
to
maintain
segregation
in
public
facilities
and
that
our
vision
has
long
affirm
the
inherent
value
of
all
persons.
We
are
the
caretakers
of
a
legacy
that
profoundly
rejected
discrimination,
yet
even
in
Arlington,
disparities
do
exist
based
on
social
status,
and
we
can
see
it
in
health
and
wellness
outcomes.
We
can
see
it
in
educational
achievement
and
many
other
factors
and
one's
ability
to
lead
a
secure
and
fulfilling
life.
A
A
We
have
to
make
sure
we
report
on
that
in
our
budget
documents.
We
have
to
make
sure
we
report
on
that
when
we
consider
land-use
decisions
when
we
make
appropriations
develop
late
legislation
or
engage
our
public
civically,
we
also
have
to
repair
the
damage
that
inattention
to
equity
has
already
done
by
supporting
efforts
to
convene
voices
and
perspectives
that
we
don't
often
hear
in
public
discourse.
Now.
I
am
pleased
that
Virginia
humanities
is
supporting
Arlington
and
creating
educational
and
dialogue
opportunities
to
understand
the
historical
and
current
inequities
in
our
community.
I.
A
Look
forward
to
our
supporting
those
efforts
to
the
greatest
possible
extent,
but
ensuring
a
focused
emphasis
on
equity
is
going
to
require
the
commitment
at
all
levels
of
county
government
and
the
good
news
is
under
mark
Schwartz's
leadership.
There
have
been
several
efforts
that
have
already
been
undertaken
and
are
underway.
A
We've
had
our
Department
of
Park
and
Recreation
Parks
and
Recreation,
which
is
develop
flexibility
in
the
payment
terms
and
the
requirements
for
parent
participation
in
County,
sponsored
preschool
and
out
of
school
time
activities,
and
our
libraries
have
focused
and
developed
their
programming
so
that
a
that
programming
can
be
community
centered
and
focused,
and
that
be
they
engage
in
conscious,
thoughtful,
proactive
outreach
to
make
sure
all
who
can
benefit
have
an
opportunity
to
participate.
Now.