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From YouTube: Joint Budget Forum
Description
Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan and Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Patrick Murphy sought community input at a joint forum on strategies for balancing the 2014 budget. Held at Washington-Lee High School, County and School officials listened to thoughts and concerns from area residents about ways to improve a substantial budget gap for the fiscal year, beginning on July 1, 2013.
A
B
Schools
and
the
county
have
had
a
number
of
community
forms
over
the
past
several
years
and
at
the
invitation
of
the
county
manager.
She
suggested
this
year
that
we
hold
a
school
and
county
combined
community
forum
and
I
think
that
was
a
great
opportunity
for
us
to
continue
to
collaborate
and
work
together
now
I
know
the
county
has
got
a
number
of
forms
that
they're
going
to
be
hosting
through
the
budget
season,
as
well
as
schools
working
with
some
specific
groups.
C
Of
this
community
forum
is
to
get
input
from
all
of
the
citizens
in
the
county
that
one
I
get
involved
in
the
budget
process.
This
is
the
very
first
time
that
the
manager
and
the
superintendent
are
holding
a
joint
community
forum
and
I
think
that's
terrific,
because
I've
done
it
for
the
last
couple
years
by
myself
and
there's
always
a
lot
of
issues
that
crossover
between
our
two
agencies
and
in
the
opportunity
for
having
students
and
enrollment
issues.
This
will
give
us
the
opportunity
to
have
conversations
and
address
those
issues
from
the
community.
Although.
A
D
A
starting
point
to
develop
options.
The
manager
has
asked
each
department
or
each
service
line
to
present
possible
options
for
budget
reductions,
ranging
from
one
to
three
percent.
Roughly
so
I
think
that
you
know
that
the
range
of
services
that
the
county
provides
is
amazing,
I
mean
from
basic
services,
police
fire,
the
911
center
to
libraries,
to
community
centers
to
do
all
of
those
sorts
of
things,
and
so
some
of
these
options
might
might
result
in
a
small
reduction
in
service
in
those
areas.
So.
C
The
budget
gap,
as
we
know
it
today,
is
about
50
million
dollars
talking
about
25
for
the
county,
25
for
schools,
and
typically
we
have
a
gap.
We
don't
have
a
gap,
usually
that
large
and
at
this
point
in
time
in
the
year
often,
we
know
that
assessments
are
being
finalized
and
there's
a
potential
for
additional
income
to
come
in
in
this
particular
year.
C
We
know
that
that
25
million
dollar
gap
for
the
county
is
probably
pretty
firm,
as
well
as
the
gap
for
the
school's
the
guidance
that
the
board
gave
us
allowed
us
to
do
a
couple
of
things
which
is
to
close
the
gap
with
some
budget
cuts
and
with
the
addition
of
new
revenues.
So
that
means,
depending
on
how
assessments
come
in
that
we
can
put
in
a
proposal
for
an
increase
in
taxes
to
help
close
that
gap.
C
B
Are
wonderful
things
happening
here
in
Arlington?
People
want
to
come
here
for
that
reason
or
stay
here
and
raise
their
families
and
I
think
we
should
be
proud
of
that
and
I
think
that's
trance.
You
know
it's
across
the
schools,
it's
across
the
county,
it's
across
the
people
that
are
here
and
the
values
and
the
beliefs
they
have
not
only
in
public
education,
but
the
contribution
they've
learned
to
the
community.