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Spotsy looks at joining railway

July 25, 2007 12:35 am

By DAN TELVOCK

Spotsylvania County supervisors want state officials to return some gas tax revenue generated here and to soften contract terms with Virginia Railway Express.

If those things happen, a majority of supervisors are willing to be paying members of the commuter rail service.

In 2005, Spotsylvania voters approved $12 million for a new VRE station as part of a bond referendum package, but the supervisors have been reluctant to join because of mandated 2 percent gas tax to fund the county's share of operations. Some supervisors also believe the VRE contract terms don't allow a locality to withdraw. Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization members said a locality can withdraw from VRE if its financial obligations are met.

"It is not impossible [to withdraw], but it is so difficult that it would basically make it impossible," is how Supervisor Chris Yakabouski paraphrased a memo from County Attorney Jacob Stroman.

"We want to support commuter rail, but it is absurd that Richmond forces us to raise the gas tax to join," Yakabouski said.

To send a clear message, supervisors recently passed three resolutions that address dwindling state transportation funding and their concerns with VRE.

Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, and Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, both doubted the requests would find support.

But supervisors aren't discouraged.

"That's what [state legislators] said about impact fees for so many years and we ended up getting it passed," said Supervisor Hap Connors.

Cole said he's tried twice to pass legislation that would give localities other options to fund VRE.

"Realistically, it's probably not going to go anywhere because other localities have already joined with the 2 percent gas tax," Cole said.

As for the criticism aimed at the General Assembly for state transportation responsibilities, Cole said local governments need to better manage growth.

"The root cause of the transportation gridlock is the rampant growth and sprawl in the area," Cole said. "The General Assembly didn't zone a bit of the county. Those were all local decisions."

Mass transit must be a part of the overall transportation plan to make any kind of dent in gridlock, Houck said. Although he's been frustrated with VRE service, Spotsylvania County needs to join to make a difference, he said.

Houck said he agrees the state hasn't fulfilled its transportation responsibilities, but he doesn't see how returning gas tax money to Spotsylvania County helps.

"As far as I am concerned, that is a shell game," he said. "You are just moving dollars around. What does that accomplish?"

Connors said 2 percent of the state gas tax generated in Spotsylvania County would amount to $3 million, which is about the same if supervisors were to enact the local tax.

Yakabouski said the supervisors are trying to be creative in solving transportation problems here but Richmond lawmakers are doing little to help.

"I would ask them why is it that we get less money per capita on our transportation dollars than Bristol?" he said. "And yet we're the fourth-largest planning district in the state and the fastest growing."

Supervisors T.C. Waddy and Emmitt Marshall voted against most of the ideas.

"The majority of the people I represent are opposed to the VRE," Marshall said.