By DAN TELVOCK
Efforts to get Spotsylvania County supervisors to join the Virginia Railway Express took another hit last night during a candidates' forum.
VRE, the commuter train service from Fredericksburg to Washington, and the Outer Connector road were two of the topics discussed at the event.
The Committee of 500, a grass roots, nonpartisan political action committee, sponsored the forum at Harrison Road Community Center. Some of the 60 residents who attended asked questions of candidates in the Chancellor, Berkeley and Livingston districts.
None of the seven candidates present said they support VRE under its current contractual terms, which require government members to enact a 2 percent gas tax to pay for VRE operations.
Once the most ardent supporter of VRE on the county board, Supervisor Hap Connors took a different approach last night. He said he will only support joining VRE if Virginia allows the county board to keep 2 percent of the state gas tax generated here. The county board passed a resolution last month supporting this idea.
Connors' opponent, Mark Dorsey, said VRE has the highest cost per mile for subsidized transportation. The parking isn't that great, it's not dependable, and riders usually need a second mode of transportation once they get off the train, he said.
Supervisor Emmitt Marshall said he voted for Connors' resolution only because it wouldn't require a local tax increase to fund VRE.
"I have not supported VRE," said Marshall, who has represented the Berkeley District for 28 years.
His challengers, Layton Fairchild and Gary Bullis, said afterward that they don't support the service either.
Livingston District candidates Bryce Reeves and Tom Beals said they're not in favor of enacting a 2 percent gas tax to fund VRE. But they would consider voting to join if the contract terms change.
The Outer Connector, currently envisioned as a toll road that would relieve traffic on State Route 3, won't get built anytime soon, Marshall said. Toll fees would have to pay for the entire road for it to get any local support, he said.
Fairchild said the road has the attention of state lawmakers, including Gov. Tim Kaine. As long as people are discussing it, "we're still making progress," he said.
Connors said the road will eventually get done through a public-private partnership. Regional planners are working on the details, he said.
Dorsey said the county government needs to change its settlement patterns, using smart-growth concepts, to reduce traffic congestion.
Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Berkeley District candidates Gary Bullis (R) and Layton Fairchild (I), and Chancellor District candidate Mark Dorsey (R) and incumbent Hap Connors (I). Livingston District candidates Bryce Reeves (R) and Tom Beals (I).
*Incumbent T.C. Waddy (I) did not attend. Today, candidates for the Battlefield, Courtland, Lee Hill and Salem districts will field questions at 7 p.m. at Salem Church Library. |