What Do Arlingtonians Get For Their Always-Rising Tax Bills? (Letter to the Editor

I was saddened that the County Board raised taxes on April 24 to pay for a billion-dollar spending spree.

All over the nation, counties are cutting spending to limit property-tax increases. Arlington is increasing its spending. And it is raising property-tax rates by almost 10 percent, even as many residents face pay cuts due to the recession.

Yet, SAT scores are lower in Arlington than in some counties that spend half as much per student. And county-maintained roads are in worse shape than roads in lower-tax regions.