The Arlington City Council is set for back-to-back meetings today offering both an afternoon work session and an evening meeting where key decisions will be carried out, the decisions that touch your parks, your roads, your safety, and your pocketbook. According to the City of Arlington, the 2:30 p.m. work session will be held at City Hall and the crucial 6:30 p.m. meeting, during which a final vote on a $722 million operating budget will be cast, will find its stage in the Council Chamber, adjacent to the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library.

On the table is the proposed fiscal plan for the next year which includes a discussion on potentially adjusting the property tax rate by one cent, a nod to the levers and pulleys that determine the fiscal health and trajectory of the city, residents are encouraged to engage to put forward their visions for Arlington or express their concerns about the budget, especially if they may affect Arlington's already contentious property taxes, making their voice a part of the public record. Seeing as this is the final reading, it's the last chance for public input before the vote solidifies the course for Fiscal Year 2025.

In the spirit of transparent governance, those who can't attend in person have the option to dial into democracy from the comfort of wherever, they can tune in via a live stream on the city's website, so the absence from the Council Chamber isn't an absence from the democratic process. Moreover, cable subscribers can watch the proceedings on AT&T U-verse Channel 99 and Spectrum Channel 16, with 15.1 being the digital destination, the City Council meetings are also replayed throughout the week on these channels, for anyone needing to catch up on civic happenings after the fact. All the scheduling and streaming details can be found with a click through the city's website.