Trends

The mark of a thriving community is its ability to evolve and adapt to change , to respond to challenges and plan for the future . In 2017 , the City of Arlington has again proven it is a thriving community . Fiscal Year 2017 had its challenges , but it was a year of mostly positive financial outcomes for the City . While still following a growth trend , sales tax revenues were slightly under the adopted budget for the year by $ 446,724 (. 7 %). Sales tax revenues were higher than the prior year ’ s monthly collections in eight of 12 months , which represents an increase of 2.8 % above FY 2016 sales tax receipts .

Sales Tax Revenue

Sales Tax Receipts Growth from 2015-2016

Sales Tax Receipts Growth from 2016-2017

No matter where you looked in 2017 , the metroplex was growing and Arlington was no exception . Residential and commercial construction in the City continued to increase , as evidenced by plat , plan and permit activity exceeding budget by $ 1.6 million . Activity in the Entertainment District brought strong growth in Hotel Occupancy Taxes ( HOT ). FY 2017 HOT receipts were 6.3 % higher than experienced in FY 2016 . Court fines and forfeitures negatively impacted the budget in FY 2017 , as citations written declined by 11 % and ended the year almost $ 700,000 under budget . However , these losses were somewhat mitigated by constructionrelated activity and interest revenues . The General Fund ended the year under budget in revenues and expenditures , and all funds had positive ending balances .

Notable Accomplishments

• In a November 8 Special Election , Arlington voters approved a measure to contribute up to $ 500 million toward the cost of a new retractableroof ballpark for the Texas Rangers . This project represents the next chapter in a partnership with the Rangers that spans more than four decades . Construction on the new ballpark began in 2017 .

• Texas Trust Credit Union , a $ 1-billion financial institution , chose Arlington for its new headquarters . The newly renovated office park , which opened on Interstate 20 in May 2017 , includes two 37,000-square-foot buildings . More than 100 employees work at the Texas Trust site , which can accommodate up to 150 , giving the credit union plenty of room to grow as it serves more than 84,500 members .

NEWS STORY

• Bell Helicopter , which has conducted flight testing , research and development at the Arlington Municipal Airport for nearly 50 years , signed a long-term lease with the City in October 2016 . The company ’ s original lease , approved in 1967 , was set to expire . The new lease agreement will also bring in additional revenue to help support operations at the Arlington Municipal Airport . Bell Helicopter is the largest and longest leaseholder at the airport .

$ 60,000,000 $ 50,000,000 $ 40,000,000 $ 30,000,000 $ 20,000,000 $ 10,000,000

Sales Tax Revenues FY 2003 - 2017

NEWS STORY

• The City of Arlington is part of a Texas-wide group that recently was designated an autonomous vehicle ( AV ) proving ground by the U . S . Department of Transportation . A total of 10 pilot sites across the U . S . were designated in January 2017 , selected from a pool of more than 60 applicants . According to the U . S . Department of Transportation , the goals of the AV proving ground designations are to foster innovation to safely transform personal and commercial mobility , expand capacity and open new doors to disadvantaged people and communities . The

6 | Popular Annual Financial Report