Legislation to give the Arlington County Board authority to employ an independent police auditor is headed to Gov. Youngkin.
The state Senate on a party-line 21-19 vote on Feb. 23 approved a measure from Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington) that earlier had won support in the House of Delegates.
A companion bill in the Senate, patroned by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington-Fairfax-Loudoun) on Jan. 20 had been approved by the upper body on a party-line 21-19 vote. Her bill is now being considered by the House of Delegates, but the passage of Hope’s bill means, even in the unlikely event it is rejected there, a version of the measure will end up on the governor’s desk.
The bills apply only to Arlington, where state law currently prevents the County Board from direct employment of any staff beyond the county manager, county attorney, clerk and auditor.
Adding a police auditor responsible to the board, rather than county manager, was one of the recommendations when County Board members in 2021 approved revisions to policing policies in the county.