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Stafford OKs road bond for ballot

August 20, 2008 12:15 am

Stafford County voters will decide this fall whether the county should borrow up to $70 million to help fix the area's congested and dangerous roads.

In a 4-3 vote yesterday, the Board of Supervisors approved a transportation bond referendum to go onto the November ballot.

Supervisors George Schwartz, Paul Milde and Bob Woodson voted against the bond question.

Board members differed on how the bond would be repaid. Although the money is borrowed over time, repayments would cost between $4 and $4.5 million per year. Some of the payments could come out of the county's transportation fund which includes revenue from the gas tax, and service-district taxes collected from commercial property owners.

The transportation fund also includes money collected from a business tax that goes into effect in 2010. The Business, Professional and Occupational License Tax could generate an estimated $2.3 million to $2.6 million annually.

But since there is an organized resistance to help repeal the tax, supervisors questioned whether it's a reliable source of revenue.

"So, where's the money going to come from if we don't get it from BPOL?" asked Milde.

Still, bond supporters argued that revenue streams can be adjusted and shifted in the future to help repay the debt incurred from road improvements.

"Simple fact is, we are already paying for it," said Rock Hill Supervisor Cord Sterling. "At least in this case, we're asking the voters 'What's your priority?'"

Supervisors were also considering a $30 million parks and recreation bond referendum this year, but instead slashed the bond amount and pushed the question to the November 2009 ballot.

In a 5-2 vote, the board agreed to ask voters if the county should borrow up to $24 million for projects such as several new sports fields and upgrades to existing facilities.

Supervisors removed a $6 million, 25-meter indoor swimming pool, similar to the Woodlands pool, from the list of bond projects.

In the wake of a lean budget year and tough economic climate, some board members questioned whether Stafford could afford the additional spending.

"It seems to me that we have higher priorities," said Woodson who, along with Schwartz, voted against the parks bond. "We have a lot of issues more important than continuing to put the county in debt."

The park and road bond questions will be the county's second attempt at the referendums.

In November 2006, voters rejected a $238 million bond referendum for transportation upgrades and new recreation facilities, including a $35 million indoor aquatics and fitness center. Critics raised concerns about the bonds potential effect on the real-estate tax rate.

"It was a huge mistake to put that on the last bond referendum," Dudenhefer said of the aquatics center.

But in their second attempt at the bond questions, supervisors met in subcommittee meetings with various sports leagues and county departments to help narrow down the most critical projects.

"What we've done is, methodically over the last five months, come up with justifications for the projects that you see here," Dudenhefer said.

Kafia Hosh: 540/735-1977
Email: khosh@freelancestar.com