CTroyMathis
01 January 2003, 04:24 PM
Let's look forward to a better year in Arlington
By O.K. Carter
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Lowlights far outnumbered highlights for Arlington in 2002, so good riddance to a bad year. Sales taxes plummeted, beating up the city's bottom line, while weak property tax increases resulted in layoffs in the school district.
Those of us lucky enough to have retirement accounts generally saw their values plummet, while many of us, already retired, had to go back to work because of low interest returns on our savings. Bummer.
Remember the slogan that Bill Clinton had when he was running for president? "It's the economy, stupid," and so it is. Everything looks better when the greenbacks keep showing up.
Economically and psychologically the city probably couldn't have picked a worse time to hold a mass transit election, which voters -- for the third time -- thoroughly thumped.
This electoral edict reinforced and modified a long-held near commandment in Arlington: Behold, the citizenry has the right to go anywhere they wish while bringing two tons of rolling-steel SUV with them while being totally unhindered by any bus getting in the way.
So let it be written. Arlington's politicos have been so burned by this issue that it's unlikely anyone with incumbency status will ever touch it again. This means it'll be up to the next generation of leadership to resurrect the transit topic, maybe after 2010.
But this year was such a loser that perhaps we shouldn't dwell on it. Perhaps it would be better to look ahead -- make some predictions about 2003.
• Our next mayor? It's 3-to-1 to be City Councilman Bob Cluck, a smart, conservative guy with powerful convictions and an Achilles heel: an "I know best" personality. Because Arlington has a weak mayor system, an ability to work out workable compromises and navigate an ocean of sizable egos is essential. Cluck no doubt knows this, but can he adapt?
• The Cowboys? They're not coming to Arlington or Grapevine. They'll work out something with Irving.
• Baseball? Yes, Arlington will have a team in the playoffs. Just not the Rangers. But the University of Texas at Arlington looks to have a good team and might even survive a couple of rounds in the NCAA tournament.
• City and school budgets? The local economy will begin improving slightly by spring, bolstered first by modestly improving sales tax revenues and in the summer by a bump in tourism. However, the city's and the school district's revenue needs will exceed income growth. Both will implement tax increases.
The heart of the problem is an issue long past successful resolution: Housing values simply don't provide enough property tax revenue to cover the municipal and educational services they require. Look for at least one or two trial balloons related to using increased sales taxes for revenues to circulate.
• A Smithsonian Museum affiliate? Forget about it and move on.
• Best economic news of 2003? A new technology incubator will open at UT-Arlington and immediately attract some promising and potentially profitable gadgetry, some of which will involve nanotechnology.
We still won't quite understand why everybody keeps making such a fuss about stuff that's only a few molecules thick, but just keep saying "nano, nano, nano," anyway.
• Second best economic news? A decision by Siemens to build the first large-scale development near The Ballpark in Arlington, aided by $2.5 million worth of tax breaks, will promote interest in other development. The long-term potential is enormous.
• Worst good news/bad news? Arlington, already a highly annoying city in which to drive and from which to commute, will become the road rage capital of Texas. Why? Because a new quarter-cent sales tax funding street improvements begins in January, meaning streets will be torn up all over town.
Someday, it'll be just beautiful, but for the next two or three years more like Hades on wheels.
By O.K. Carter
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Lowlights far outnumbered highlights for Arlington in 2002, so good riddance to a bad year. Sales taxes plummeted, beating up the city's bottom line, while weak property tax increases resulted in layoffs in the school district.
Those of us lucky enough to have retirement accounts generally saw their values plummet, while many of us, already retired, had to go back to work because of low interest returns on our savings. Bummer.
Remember the slogan that Bill Clinton had when he was running for president? "It's the economy, stupid," and so it is. Everything looks better when the greenbacks keep showing up.
Economically and psychologically the city probably couldn't have picked a worse time to hold a mass transit election, which voters -- for the third time -- thoroughly thumped.
This electoral edict reinforced and modified a long-held near commandment in Arlington: Behold, the citizenry has the right to go anywhere they wish while bringing two tons of rolling-steel SUV with them while being totally unhindered by any bus getting in the way.
So let it be written. Arlington's politicos have been so burned by this issue that it's unlikely anyone with incumbency status will ever touch it again. This means it'll be up to the next generation of leadership to resurrect the transit topic, maybe after 2010.
But this year was such a loser that perhaps we shouldn't dwell on it. Perhaps it would be better to look ahead -- make some predictions about 2003.
• Our next mayor? It's 3-to-1 to be City Councilman Bob Cluck, a smart, conservative guy with powerful convictions and an Achilles heel: an "I know best" personality. Because Arlington has a weak mayor system, an ability to work out workable compromises and navigate an ocean of sizable egos is essential. Cluck no doubt knows this, but can he adapt?
• The Cowboys? They're not coming to Arlington or Grapevine. They'll work out something with Irving.
• Baseball? Yes, Arlington will have a team in the playoffs. Just not the Rangers. But the University of Texas at Arlington looks to have a good team and might even survive a couple of rounds in the NCAA tournament.
• City and school budgets? The local economy will begin improving slightly by spring, bolstered first by modestly improving sales tax revenues and in the summer by a bump in tourism. However, the city's and the school district's revenue needs will exceed income growth. Both will implement tax increases.
The heart of the problem is an issue long past successful resolution: Housing values simply don't provide enough property tax revenue to cover the municipal and educational services they require. Look for at least one or two trial balloons related to using increased sales taxes for revenues to circulate.
• A Smithsonian Museum affiliate? Forget about it and move on.
• Best economic news of 2003? A new technology incubator will open at UT-Arlington and immediately attract some promising and potentially profitable gadgetry, some of which will involve nanotechnology.
We still won't quite understand why everybody keeps making such a fuss about stuff that's only a few molecules thick, but just keep saying "nano, nano, nano," anyway.
• Second best economic news? A decision by Siemens to build the first large-scale development near The Ballpark in Arlington, aided by $2.5 million worth of tax breaks, will promote interest in other development. The long-term potential is enormous.
• Worst good news/bad news? Arlington, already a highly annoying city in which to drive and from which to commute, will become the road rage capital of Texas. Why? Because a new quarter-cent sales tax funding street improvements begins in January, meaning streets will be torn up all over town.
Someday, it'll be just beautiful, but for the next two or three years more like Hades on wheels.