The City is proposing $7.7 million in budget cuts, which includes eliminating 42 vacant positions. Arlington is no longer considering closing any public library locations or parks and recreation facilities, which were among previous cost-savings proposals discussed with the City Council.
The 42 vacant positions being considered range from deputy city manager to administrative aides and include roles in Parks & Recreation, the Arlington Public Library, Animal Services, Police, Planning and Development Services, Document Services, Real Estate, IT, Municipal Court and Finance. This proposal follows $5.8 million in spending cuts, which included eliminating 22 vacant positions, made to balance the FY25 budget.
Arlington is also considering other cost-saving measures, such as eliminating Saturday hours of operation for the City’s Action Center hotline, closing the animal shelter for an additional day of the week, eliminating the employee annual picnic, and reducing the City’s fleet by 84 vehicles. Arlington is also proposing to restructure some operations, which could mean the elimination of 22 additional employee positions in FY27.
The City has additionally identified $2.3 million in financial restructuring opportunities and $5.7 million in new fees and fee adjustments to help balance the FY26 budget.