Some of the Northern Virginia counties are known to whine abut the state not sending enough of the county’s tax money back where it came from. It’s a legitimate complaint, but the funding formulas aren’t likely to change with smaller jurisdictions reaping the benefits of those formulas having a far greater number of lawmakers in Richmond. In other words, just count the votes.
But Prince William County, where they are fast growing out of their “poor cousin” image vis-à-vis Fairfax – and yes, where they do much better than Fairfax in some of those formulaic distributions, still has decided it’s better to plan than whine. Plan way in advance.
Every four years, beginning in 2006, voters would be asked to approve spending for road projects. A bond issue for parks would go to the polls every six years, and funding for new libraries would be considered by voters every 12 years. School bonds, which are proposed by the School Board, are not included in the schedule.
And Prince William, unlike Fairfax, is willing to make developers may their fair share.
“Development is not paying for itself,” said Supervisor Corey A. Stewart (R-Occoquan). The plan for scheduled bond referendums “is a testament to the need to look at the proffers and increase them this year,” he added.
Requiring more in proffers — the money or land that developers offer the county in exchange for rezonings — is an issue the board will look at this year, [County Manager Craig] Gerhart said.
Last month, Brookfield Homes, a major developer, said it will provide more than $100 million in road improvements if it wins approval to build 6,000 homes and a town center of restaurants, shops and office buildings near Gainesville.Gerhart’s plan for meeting the county’s future capital needs includes $40 million in proffers that would be coupled with bond money to complete projects.
Note that Stewart is a Republican. As is, of course, PW County board chairman Sean Connaughton.
Generally, counties put bonds on the ballot whenever the need arises for a big project such as a new school. It is rare for officials to plan referendums more than a decade in advance, according to board Chairman Sean T. Connaughton (R-At Large).
… Connaughton, who is running for lieutenant governor, said Prince William’s plan recognizes the state’s limitations. “With the four-year road bonds, it is our acknowledgment that the state will never have the money,” he said.
Generally, the plan seemed well received, according to reports.
The transportation portion of the CIP received much attention from the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, who heard of the plans for the first time Tuesday.
Most supervisors were receptive and some even wondered if the next road bond should be sent to voters this year instead of 2006.
“I’d be very interested in 2005,” said Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan, R-Dumfries.
Supervisor Chairman Sean T. Connaughton, R-at large, asked if voters could approve a road bond in 2005 in case any bond capacity is available to start engineering new roads as soon as possible.
Gerhart said his staff would look into that.
Caddingan, another Republican. It’s nice to see the GOP reacting positively to plans that ask developers to pay up.
But another way of looking at this is passing the buck. Bonds are usually pretty easy to pass. Voters see them as a loan from the bond buyers. But they are another form of tax increase in the sense that the debt service is another line item in the budget. Every dollar going towards bonds is one less dollar the county can spend on other needs. That’s not to say that it’s poor planning, but it isn’t a free lunch or “thinking outside the box,” as one supervisor put it. It’s long range. That’s good. It’s taking responsibility. That’s good, too. Maybe PW thinks its people won’t mind.
Prince William County experienced another period of fast job growth in the second quarter of 2004, according to recently released numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It’s the second time Prince William has made the top 10 list of job growth for 2004.
The 5,900 jobs created by June 2004 placed Prince William County at No. 4 on a nationwide earning and wage list released Tuesday.
Since June 2003, the county saw job growth increase by 6.9 percent, although its total number of jobs is about 20 percent of Fairfax County’s.
If they hope to catch Fairfax, I’d advise, be careful what you wish for. With the growth may come a whine from both its leaders and homeowners who pay back that debt service.