In Fairfax, Social Needs Confront Fiscal Realities: Social Needs and Financial Realities
Fairfax and Arlington counties currently are in the process of preparing budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins dfuly 1. This week, the Fairfax Foard o f Supervisors tentatively approved a $442.1 million budget and is expected to take final action on Monday. Arlington County is considering a much smaller budgettproposal, $173.5 mil-</br></br>In this issue, staff writers Kerry Dougherty and Denis Collins look at a department in each of the two countiesÛÓ the womenÛªs shelter in Fairfax and,the fire department in ArlingtonÛÓto see .what effect the two budget plans will have on their services.</br></br>The most publicized products of a troubled economy are soaring interest rates and unemployment. But workers at the.Fairf ax County WomenÛªs Shelter measure econpmic changes in more human terms.</br></br>As the economy continues its downswing, they say, the evidence of the stress it is causing for the average Virginia family can be se.en in the increasing number of battered women and abused children.</br></br>Last October, when interest rates climbed nearly 4 percentage points in as many weeks, the shelterÛÓwhich provides asylum for abused women and their childrenÛÓwas filled to capacity and forced to turn away clients at a record rate.