Arlington Shortfall Upped

Arlington County manager Ron Carlee said last week that the county is now expecting a $14 million budget shortfall, rather than the $10 million he reported just a few weeks earlier.

Carlee said the county has implemented a hiring freeze, put a halt to discretionary spending, and is deferring projects.

Real estate tax revenue was slated to increase by 4% in fiscal 2009, but Carlee said they now predict they will drop by 2% — the first decline in a decade.

Carlee said he will update the revenue situation monthly until February when he will present the county board with fiscal 2010 budget recommendations and to see whether further cuts are necessary.

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