DFW News App

Arlington City Council members approved the city’s $722 million budget Sept. 10, 2024. (Yfat Yossifor | KERA News)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Arlington-City-Hall.png?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Arlington-City-Hall.png?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>Arlington City Council approved the city’s $722 million 2025 budget and the first property tax rate increase since 2004.The 1-cent tax rate increase will bring in an estimated $4.1 million. The increase will offset new services, including a $500,000  that include caps on appraisal increases and freezes to residential property tax values in 2025.City staff estimate a $5 million shortfall in 2026 due to the freeze, according to a report to city council members.Council members approved the budget and tax rate through multiple 7-2 votes on first reading Tuesday evening, with council members Andrew Piel and Nikkie Hunter voted against both measures.Hunter declined comment when approached by KERA.At a previous meeting, Hunter said she did not want to approve Yelverton’s Clean Team proposal unless the team targeted city parks. The plan would instead fund a four-person team that seeks and addresses issues such as litter, broken curbs or downed signs on busy streets.Asked for comment, Piel referred to his previous comments to KERA after casting the lone vote against placing the tax rate increase on the agenda. Piel at the time said the city should have considered other avenues to avoid an increase.“People are facing pressure financially with inflation on their homes, and I get called by people who have problems paying their tax bill,” Piel said.Council will vote on the budget and tax rate once more during an evening meeting Sept. 17.Police unions speak out about citationsPiel has also raised concerns with the decreased number of citations issued in Arlington during the budget proposal – a point that multiple police unions responded to in defense of the department.Chris CeBallos, president of the Arlington Municipal Patrolman’s Association, said city council members during their traffic citation discussion did not account for citations that went to warrant, were dismissed or reduced by courts. He added that council’s discussions about increasing enforcement as it relates to citation numbers could have consequences for the city.“To have a city manager during a recorded public meeting voice his negative opinion about the traffic unit is insulting to the men and women who risk their lives every day making these stops to protect the city and is totally inappropriate and by no means a way to motivate anyone,” CeBallos said.Police Chief Al Jones told council members at a recent meeting that officers have conducted more traffic stops and issued more citations compared to last year.

In a letter to city council members posted on Facebook, Arlington Police Association President Jesse Minton argued that Arlington police conduct more stops per officer than those in Fort Worth or Dallas.“APA members worry that depending on revenue from fines could take us down a dangerous path with pressure put on officers and judges to hit a certain enforcement goal that has little to do with public safety,” Minton wrote.He also cited factors including state laws surrounding COVID protocols during traffic stops, shifting attitudes towards police stops, changes to state and federal laws and guidance surrounding stops and staffing as factors that contributed to the number of stops and citations.Minton said the department also has 70 officers in training and nine open positions in the traffic enforcement unit.“The members of the Arlington Police Association believe all these facts should be taken into consideration when discussing issues of income revenue generated for the city from traffic enforcement,” he wrote.Got a tip? Email Kailey Broussard at kbroussard@kera.org.KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.