Arlington's Paul Ferguson Delivers "State of the County"

By: James Martin
Published On: 7/10/2007 3:29:06 PM

This morning I had the pleasure of attending Arlington County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson's last "State of the County" address to the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Paul is retiring after more than a decade of service on the County Board to run for Clerk.

Many know of Paul becuase of his exceptional leadership on environmental issues, though while he talked briefly about the county's wildly successful AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) program, his main point was that Arlington remains the best place to live and work in Northern Virginia becuase of responsible and managed growth. I've lived in Arlington just about my entire life, and only experienced congestion driving though Fairfax or Washington DC.

Arlington showcases what Democratic Leadership can do for a community: It's also worth noting that while Arlington has the lowest tax rate in the region, we have a AAA bond rating, the most educated population in the NATION, and the best public schools in the nation (in the Newsweek list of the Best 1000 High Schools in the nation, Arlington has schools ranked #5, #44, and #51).

From the Arlington Sun Gazette's great writeup:

"The best days are ahead," Ferguson told a crowd of several hundred at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel...

He attributed the successful growth of the county to finding a way to develop the land, and yet preserve the small-town feel so unique to the area.

"In the past decade, we've sought balance between residential and commercial," Ferguson said. "It's what has given us a higher quality of life, and some of the lowest taxes in the state."

At the forum, Ferguson emphasized the expansion of the construction industry, stating that 1.8 million feet of business and residential construction has been developed over the past year. About six million more will come in the future, he said.

He said that yet another factor that contributes to the county's success is the transportation network. Although not without its flaws, from 1996 to 2006, transit usage increased by 37 percent.

"We're still trying to keep the small-town feel even as the Metro corridor expanded," Ferguson said.

One of the major transit projects where "big things will be happening" is Columbia Pike, which, according to the chairman, should have a trolley system in place in coming years.">

Comments



more from Paul Ferguson's speech (A_Realist - 7/12/2007 10:34:21 AM)
I think Paul likes to take credit for the sun rising each day in Arlington. In the quote below from his speech, at least he acknowledges the huge problem Arlington County has had during his tenure on the board in meeting timelines and budgets for long standing priority projects. Cherrydale Firehouse, in its 17th year of planning, is one big example... not to mention Westover Library & the Aurora Hills Fire Station to name two more. It's sure hard to put a green roof on a building he and his fellow boardmates can't get built.

This from today's Washington Examiner:

"Arlington County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson said he hopes a site for the long-delayed Cherrydale fire station is approved before he leaves office this year, acknowledging that construction projects have ?been a problem for the county.?

Ferguson made the remarks on the odyssey to build the fire station during his state of the county speech Tuesday.

The effort to construct the new station began even before voters approved a combined $5.26 million in bonds in 1990 and 1994, and additional money in 2004."