By DAN TELVOCK
State funding for new road projects is quickly evaporating.
The dilemma leaves elected leaders in Spotsylvania County and throughout this region with few options to address their local transportation needs in the coming years.
Will they raise real estate taxes to pay for road improvements? Will they shift money from public safety and education?
Will they borrow more money? Or will they ignore the problems and continue blaming the General Assembly for not addressing
Those are some of the choices elected leaders in Spotsylvania, and others across the state, have in these economic times.
"It is almost down to a 'why bother?' status," Supervisor Hap Connors said during an interview yesterday.
Spotsylvania supervisors are expected tonight to update the county's six-year secondary road plan to reflect the loss of millions of dollars in expected state funds.
The county will get from VDOT $1.9 million for this fiscal year, then just $415,858 annually for the remaining five years--barely enough to make simple intersection improvements.
The proposed update of the six-year plan totals $3.9 million, less than a third of the $13.5 million in the current plan.
Stafford County is in a similar situation. Caroline County will see only about $90,000 and King George about $80,000 each year for secondary roads.
Stafford Supervisor Paul Milde said Stafford may use funds from the newly adopted business, professional and occupational license fee to fund some transportation projects. Milde opposed BPOL.
"It's laughable," he said of the state's funding. "Obviously, the state is not going to be giving us any help for the next couple of years, but I don't think this is a permanent situation."
Caroline County Board
"There is very little we will be able to do with that money," Acors said. "It does not leave leave us with many choices."
In Spotsylvania, the dilemma pits supervisors who want rural roads paved against supervisors who want to improve the most heavily traveled routes.
As a result, projects such as the $22.9 million widening of Harrison Road west are matched against improving and paving Lanes Corner Road for $6.5 million.
The Spotsylvania board held a public hearing on the plan Oct. 13, but no residents attended. Supervisors decided to table a decision until tonight, after they debate the merits of each project.
"I'm just trying to figure out with a shrinking pot of money, how do we prioritize the list?" said Connors.
For Spotsylvania, borrowing more money through bonds to pay for roads is not an option unless the county finds a new revenue source to pay the debt.
"The county does have the capacity, but it doesn't have the revenue to pay the debt costs," said interim County Administrator Doug Barnes.
At least four supervisors are eyeing Virginia Railway Express membership as the ticket to additional funding to pay for local road projects.
VRE and county officials estimate that there could be as much as $3.2 million left over for local roads after the county pays it share of VRE operations from the wholesale gasoline tax revenue it can collect by joining the commuter rail system.
Although supervisors voted in August to join VRE, the membership does not become official until after the Nov. 3 election. The decision to join VRE could be reversed depending on who wins in the contested Battlefield and Lee Hill districts.
The $3.2 million could be used to pay debt service on borrowing 10 times that amount.
Raising road money through real estate taxes does not appear to be a popular option. Barnes presented a fiscal year 2010 budget earlier this year that calls for an equalized rate for fiscal year 2011.
With assessed home values expected to drop by as much as 20 percent in some neighborhoods, that means the tax rate could increase, but the total amount of revenue collected would stay about the same.
Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Email: dtelvock@freelancestar.com
| Highlights of Spotsylvania's current six-year secondary road plan, which the county updates each year:
Bragg Road widening tops the list, at a cost of $13.3 million. It is under construction. Paving and improving Towles Mill Road is No. 2, at $6.5 million, with $3.5 million in the bank and $390,858 expected this year. Construction is to begin next summer. Remaining projects are: Chancellor/Gordon Road improvements, estimated to cost $2 million. County has $100,000 in the bank, but no funding for current fiscal year. Improving Harrison Road East to U.S. 1 will cost about $13.4 million. The county has $693,350 in the bank and $1.25 million is expected this fiscal year. Harrison Road West widening and improvements will cost about $23 million. Only $15,900 is in the bank, with no funding expected this year. Leavells Road bridge will cost about $10.5 million with $573,906 in the bank. No additional funding is expected this fiscal year. |