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POLITICS: 2ND DEMOCRAT JOINS FIELD FOR COUNTY BOARD
YORKTOWN GYMNAST WINS REGION TOURNAMENT
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Sun Gazette
VOLUME 83 NO. 12 FEBRUARY 15-21, 2018
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Instant Runoff Bill Dies
Voting Measure Sent to a New Committee, Dooming Chances in ‘18 SCOTT McCAFFREY Staff Writer
the submission of a proposed budget by County Manager Mark Schwartz. “Our needs are growing. We have some tough choices ahead,” Cristol told members of the Arlington County Democratic Committee. The political problem for county officials: Overall real-estate assessments released in January increased just 1.9 percent from 2017 to 2018, well below an earlier projection of 3.2 percent and con-
Just as it appeared to be moving toward passage, a measure that would open the door to a new type of voting in Arlington County Board races was derailed in the House of Delegates. The measure, patroned by Del. Patrick Hope (D-47th), cleared the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns on Feb. 9 on a 14-8 vote and was sent to the floor. But in a procedural move, legislators on Feb. 12 on a 51-49 vote referred the measure to the House Committee on Privileges & Elections, and with time running out for legislation to be considered, the measure was effectively dead for 2018, Hope said. There was no companion bill filed in the state Senate for the 2018 session. The bill was designed to allow Arlington voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with low-scoring candidates eliminated and their votes reallocated in successive rounds until one candidate reaches 50 percent of votes. Speaking to the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns, Hope said his measure would encourage consensus candidates and eliminate the likelihood that
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GOAL? NOT THIS TIME!
Yorktown High School goalie Sam Levy makes a glove save during a recent ice hockey match for the club teams at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Yorktown (7-2-1) recently finished its regular season with a 4-0 victory over Patriot, with Levy making 16 saves to earn the shutout.
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PHOTO COURTESY YORKTOWN ICE HOCKEY
Cristol: Tough Budget Year Ahead Is Due to Residential Assessments SCOTT McCAFFREY Staff Writer
It’s a statement used with such regularity this time of year that, to some, it’s become almost a running gag. But this time, Arlington County Board Chairman Katie Cristol says, the eight words are a true reflection of reality. “It’s going to be a tough budget year,” Cristol said on Feb. 7, just weeks before the county government’s fiscal 2019 budget process kicks into high gear with
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