Educators & Employees
If the form of government were to change to the County Board form, as proposed by the uniformed employees’ petition, Arlington would lose several authorities that are beneficial to school and county employees.
The” Live Where You Work” grants result from an amendment to the County Manager Plan form of government and permit the School Board and County Board to assist employees’ purchase of a home in Arlington. When combined with other incentives from the Virginia Department of Housing, employees can get assistance with closing costs, low down payments and mortgages at low rates, making the purchase of a home in Arlington more affordable for its workforce.
The teaching force in Arlington is predominantly female, many with young children requiring child care, in order for their mothers to work. Please see the paper on child care authorities for the impact to our management of child care providers.
Arlington has authority to require developers of multi-family housing who seek zoning amendments to include affordable housing units in their projects. In projects where such units are not possible, the developer makes a contribution to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The county then uses developers’ funds and budgeted funds to acquire or preserve affordable housing in the county. Arlington partners with developers of affordable housing, financing their purchase of units that are rehabilitated and rented to residents whose incomes are less than 80% of the average family income in the county. Some units are reserved for those with as little as 30% of average family income. This housing helps Arlington house its workforce of public and private employees, those with disabilities, and the elderly. Because this authority is an amendment to the County Manager Plan form of government, it will disappear if the County Board form of government is adopted.
Arlington is permitted to provide retirement benefits to part-time, permanent employees as the result of authority granted under the present form of government.
Arlington has a Civil Service Commission to which county employees may appeal their grievances, if they have been rejected by the County Manager. This Commission is the result of a specific authority granted under the present form of government and would be lost if the form changed. (School employees are covered by the state grievance procedure for teachers (and some support personnel) and have final appeals to a fact-finding panel.)
Arlington is permitted to have a Human Rights Commission as a result of an amendment to the County Manager Plan form of government. Arlington has defined “sexual preference” as a protected class under its Human Rights’ Commission. If the government form changes, the Human Rights Commission disappears. We would revert to the state’s definition of protected classes, that do not include “sexual preference.” Recall Attorney General Cuccinelli’s recent demand that Virginia public universities remove this class from their anti-discrimination policies. We would be subject to the same ruling.
The organization supporting the change of government assets that it will be easy for our legislators to return to the General Assembly and have these authorities restored. Amending our present form is always challenging, but because our present form is unique to Arlington, no other counties have to agree to the changes we seek and the General Assembly seems more willing to make changes that affect Arlington, alone, than they are to make more general changes.