Friends,

The past month has been busy--the Arlington County Board changed our immigration policy to better serve our community, worked on our economy and responding to the federal layoffs, and helped convert a building from office to housing.

Before I jump into an update--from the bottom of my heart thank you for helping respond to the need for Aspire, which lost 17 AmeriCorps Members due to the Trump Administration's short sighted and hard-hearted cuts to AmeriCorps. If you meant to help but have not yet had the chance, go to the end of this email--the work to respond is not finished.
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The Arlington immigrants' story--in four-minutes from the Arlington Community Foundation.
The biggest action of the past month was the County Board's 5-0 vote to amend our Trust Policy to stop voluntary outreach from the Arlington County Police Department to ICE. This Administration has shown via its actions that it does not respect the rule of law on immigration. Arlington resident Dr. Badar Khan Suri was detained and sent to Texas. Kilmar Abrego Garcia was taken without due process and sent to a prison in El Salvador. Numerous other examples have shown that this Administration's actions are fearmongering. We voted to end voluntary collaboration due to the changed facts and actions we have all seen.

To be clear, our action is in the interest of public safety, but it does not make us a "sanctuary" county because we must and will continue to follow Federal law. Federal law allows the FBI and ICE, among other Federal entities to obtain information about any person detained in our jail. Our action merely clarifies that our police will not engage in enforcement of Federal immigration law, which is the Federal Government's responsibility. I was proud to vote for this change.

To learn about our policy and resources for immigrants, go here: Resources For Immigrants – Official Website of Arlington County Virginia Government ([link removed])
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A May 14th Panel on Arlington's Economy was an Important Opportunity to Share Thoughts on Where we are and where we are headed.
The other action at the County Board meeting on May 10th was the Board's vote to approve the transition of an office building in Clarendon into a residential building with 209 units. In this new era of working from home, this is exactly the type of project we need to transition our economy from overreliance on office. It also helps increase the supply of housing. I spoke briefly about this vote during the Advance Arlington economic forum that is linked to below on May 14th.

The Advance Arlington conversation included thoughtful consideration and discussion of how we are working to help Federal employees. I invite you to listen in, by clicking on the picture above. The County Manager, head of Arlington Economic Development, and a thoughtful panel was moderated by Devanshi Patel.

The Board followed up this past Monday by meeting with our General Assembly Delegation to strategize on next steps and describe our recommendations to them. Arlington County Board Work Session with the Virginia General Assembly - May 19, 2025 ([link removed])

To read the summary of our Board action in Clarendon, go here: May 2025 Arlington County Board Wrap-up ([link removed])

The summary includes a discussion of how we are working to hold Clarendon nightlife establishments accountable for noise and to follow our safety regulations.
DMV Moves meeting on May 16th regarding the future of Metro and transportation in the DMV
Transportation continues to be an area I am leading on, through DMV Moves, a task force working to find long-term, sustainable funding for Metro. Arlnow covered some of my comments. Arlington leader opposes region-wide sales tax to support Metro | ARLnow.com ([link removed]) Given DC and Maryland's transportation funding challenges, I do not think a uniform sales tax is the right way to proceed. If Virginia and the local governments that benefit from Metro determine that the sales tax should be part of the solution, I am inclined to support an approach, as long as the state also contributes. I believe that our Legislature, local leaders and next Governor should make that decision, not a regional body that is less accountable to voters.
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I spoke for 2 minutes to mark Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Month.
The Board marked Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Month, on May 11. I had the honor of speaking at the event. Click above to see my brief remarks.

The Board also took action to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights, by passing a resolution affirming our commitment to inclusivity. Board Member Maureen Coffey led on this resolution which I was proud to support: Arlington, Virginia: 'All In' On Inclusivity ([link removed])

The County also launched new 911 protocols to help us respond more effectively: Arlington Launches New 911 Call Protocols for More Effective Response ([link removed]) I am very grateful to our Emergency Communications Center for this work, which I learned of first-hand via a tour last month.
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For a Video of the Official Opening of Fire Station 8, click above.
The Board also marked an important step in Arlington's history by dedicating Fire Station 8 and recognizing the Heritage of our Halls Hill Neighborhood. Fire Station 8 was our first fire station staffed by Black firefighters, starting as the Halls Hill Volunteer Fire Department in 1918 and becoming paid County employees in 1951. For a full timeline of important history, go here: Legacy: Hall’s Hill VFD and Station No. 8 ([link removed]) I highly recommend the video which you can access by clicking above. (I was unable to make the ceremony as I was in Williamsburg representing Arlington on the Virginia Association of Counties Board.)

Last, but certainly not least, I want to recognize our parks, which received a top 10 national ranking at number 7 for the tenth year in a row. I am discovering our parks through the eyes of our daughter, and we are very, very lucky to have them: Arlington Celebrates 10 Years in the Top 10 ([link removed])

Yours,
Matt

P.S.: Want to help Aspire, go here: Rising Together ([link removed])

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