Whereas, during this past budget season, then-Acting County Manager Ron Carlee and Schools Superintendent Robert Smith entered into an agreement that allocated 47.8% of local tax revenue to the Arlington Public Schools as part of the fiscal year 2002 budget;

Whereas, County spokesman Dick Bridges was quoted at the time in The Arlington Journal that this new method was not a precedent for future years;

Whereas, this week’s Sun Gazette reports that Mr. Carlee and Dr. Smith have agreed in principle to formalize this “revenue-sharing” arrangement between the County Board and the School Board for future years;

Whereas, the County Board and the School Board have scheduled a joint work session to review this agreement and to work toward its finalization in the very near future;

Whereas, the Arlington County Republican Committee (“ACRC”) recognizes the dramatic increases in tax burdens placed upon Arlington homeowners in the past two years, with the average real estate tax bill rising by 20%;

Whereas, the ACRC also recognizes the funding needs of the Arlington Public Schools; and

Whereas, the ACRC believes that such a revenue-sharing agreement, by putting the school transfer payment on “auto-pilot,” is not in the best interest of either Arlington taxpayers or Arlington’s public school children in that school spending would be predetermined by a mere formula, absent any demonstration of the financial needs of the School Board and consideration of any other competing needs of the County.

Now, therefore, the Arlington County Republican Committee resolves:

that the ACRC urges both the School Board and the County Board not to enter into any revenue-sharing agreement that would predetermine the annual amount of the school transfer;

and that the School Board and the County Board continue the historical process of determining school funding on an annual basis, taking into account the needs of the schools and the County at-large.

Considered and adopted by the Arlington County Republican Committee at its monthly meeting on August 23, 2001, in Arlington, Virginia.

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