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VRE was major issue in candidate forum
VRE and growth were top issues at candidates forumDate published: 9/15/2009 By DAN TELVOCK Virginia Railway Express membership for Spotsylvania County and growth are hot topics in the two contested races this year. During a Committee of 500 candidates forum last week at the Salem Church Library, more than half of the questions asked from the approximately 30 people in attendance were about VRE. The candidates had considerably different opinions on whether there will be extra funding for local transportation projects after paying the county's subsidy for VRE, estimated to be about $2 million. The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted to join VRE, but the membership is not effective until February. That means that the Nov. 3 elections will be over and any new candidates will take office. If either of the two Republicans--Chris Yakabouski and D.J. McGuire--is elected, they have said they will provide the one vote needed to reverse the VRE membership decision. Yakabouski faces Benjamin Pitts in the Battlefield District. Yakabouski, who served one term before resigning to run for a state Senate seat, defeated Pitts in 2003. McGuire faces first-term incumbent Gary Skinner, who was on the School Board. Pitts said he supports VRE because the county needs money for transportation. He said the state's six-year secondary road plan has been cut $14.7 million in three years. "Even if we join VRE with the tax, which quite frankly we are already paying and it is just not coming back to the county, we will not even come close to making up what the state is cutting," he said. "If you do not find additional revenue sources to fund your transportation needs, you have to take it out of the general fund or you have to say you are not going to fund transportation at all." Yakabouski said VRE's subsidy is based on ridership in each locality and he doesn't expect a surplus for very long.
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 9/15/2009
Don't forget two major VRE fans...
(posted by
dr428
, Sep. 16, 2009 10:12 pm)
Kelly in Fred'burg who is going estatic knowing that they're ont he verge of grabbing Spotsy's money to help pay for the City's mistake of joining VRE and perennial VRE fan, reporter Dan Tevlock.
C500 wants a candidate
(posted by
livnginva
, Sep. 16, 2009 8:21 pm)
that is for the VRE because they have interests of the realtors and builders ahead of the residents of Spotsylvania County. I am sure when they come out with recommendation that no one who opposes VRE will get it.
BLOG?
(posted by
MGWork
, Sep. 16, 2009 4:28 pm)
Dan: I suggest to put this recalled event into something larger than 512 characters. Stafford County may represent a sound bite worth noting, but Spotsylvania County, the C500, the BOS and 30 people who showed up, alledgedly desreves a lot more room than being provided by the FLS with this news coverage.
VRE is already on the boards, so why not let the rest of us put some meat on the bones being tallied and get a little closer to the political agenda taking place at the beckoned call of the C500. Call it
Gas tax reserves are the profits
(posted by
livnginva
, Sep. 15, 2009 7:20 pm)
from previous fiscal years that the county has not used as of yet. If you go to the Stafford Co Govt webstie and look at FY09 adopted budget it shows that Stafford Co has a deficit of $3,701,770 in gas tax revenuein FY08. Because they were close to 4 million short on what they collected in revenue after paying their portion of the fees to VRE they had to dip into past profits. They had a deficit of $2,380,565 in FY08.
thanks... not totally clear
(posted by
larryg
, Sep. 15, 2009 4:42 pm)
" Stafford County, which for years had a surplus in gas-tax
revenue after paying for VRE operations, is having to use
gas-tax reserves to cover the costs."
what is "gas tax reserves"? Is it their general fund or is it
the portion they normally net from the gas tax ?
I'm not clear on this. any help appreciated.
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