So ,let me get this straight, in spite of the Planning Commission denial of the application and Staff’s recommendation that it be denied, the BOCS votes to approve the CPA Wolf Run development. The proverbial “Cherry” on the top is the subsequent two Supervisors, Stewart and Candland, who decry the approved “advertised” tax rate of 1.215 up from last years 1.204.
Let’s recap shall we. Corey approves the HUGE residential development of Avendale, Candland approves what SHOULD have been commercial zoning into residential with his Wolf Run vote, and they are complaining about having to increase taxes to pay for needed local resources like teachers and new police stations?
Stewart said one item that he thinks can be cut from Peacor’s proposed budget is the Central District Police Station, which has generated some neighborhood opposition. Stewart said it needs to be built at some point but could probably be pushed off to the future.
Peacor’s facility budget calls for a new station near Davis Ford Road and Prince William Parkway to maintain response times and relieve overcrowding of the area’s other police stations. The station would cost of $28.1 million over the next three fiscal years.
What world do some people live in? The BOARD is directly responsible to for ensuring the needs of the community are met. Who do they believe will ultimately pay for the new housing they themselves approve?
Here is a suggestion, all these Comp plan amendments that will come before you in the next month or so, all these developers (well, really, only two) who will ask for special allowances to build houses in areas zoned for commercial, just say one word…… “NO”!
Don’t pretend outrage that teachers need to be paid, don’t feign innocence that roads need to be built, that schools are overcrowded, that we need more investment in our fire, rescue, and police, don’t tell us that you are looking out for our best interest because suddenly you don’t want to “raise” our taxes.
The $32 million to be paid to the Virginia Retirement System next year was part of the reason Prince William Schools Superintendent Steven L. Walts proposed no increase in pay for teachers until fiscal 2016. The schools expected to have to pay back the amount over several years and instead will have to pay $32 million in 2013 as well as 2014.
Still, PWEA board member Jim Livingston said the county should shoulder more of the burden. Livington said the county’s revenue sharing agreement, which provides schools 56.75 percent of all general fund revenue, is simply not enough based on the proposed tax rate.
“56.75 percent of not enough is not enough,” Livington said. Only Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-At large, and Pete Candland, R-Gainesville, voted against the proposed rate with Candland stating he wouldn’t support any tax increases in 2013. Schools would receive $2.7 million less from the county should the board not raise the current tax rate of $1.204, according to county Budget Director Michelle Casciato.
More houses mean more kids which mean more teachers are needed. You can’t just play nice with developers to “earn” your campaign contributions and then forget the citizens who are left bearing the financial burden of your votes.
The votes of BOCS directly impact every single citizen in PWC, whether we know it or not. Just because a supervisor voted against a particular tax rate does not mean they are fiscally responsible!
Nearly 3,000 more students are expected next year. Additionally, some school services are more costly to run than others. Many of the special ed programs cost thousands of dollars more to operate than a regular classroom. Any program that requires special equipment and personnel is going to often be 3-5 times more costly than regular education.
One severe and profoundly handicapped student could very well have a per pupil cost of $40,000. Services are mandated by law. People forget about expenses like this when criticizing the schools for ‘waste.’
Corey Stewart and Pete Candland grandstanding about defending taxpayers represents the height of hypocrisy. If they had the interests of taxpayers at heart, they would cease approving new residential development or require developers to pay the full infrastructure and operating costs of their developments not covered by taxes generated by residents of the new developments. Virtually no residential development pays for itself.
New residential development not fully funded by developers or taxes paid by the new residents requires one or a combination of two things to happen. Either taxes must go up for all taxpayers including those already residing here to maintain the same level and quality of services in the community, or the level and quality of services must deteriorate. Taxes have risen only modestly in recent years, but the deterioration in services is apparent to everyone. Just ask any parent with kids in the PWC schools, or listen to what the teachers have been saying lately.
I had hoped Pete Candland would act in a pro-taxpayer manner as he promised in his campaign, but so far he has racked up a perfect anti-taxpayer voting record. Tuesday night, he supported the Wolf’s Run rezoning despite recommendations for denial from the Planning Commission and staff, as well as opposition from the Quantico Marine base. He voted for The Oaks (an office project but one so riddled with problems it wasn’t in the taxpayers’ best interests) over the objection of most members of the public, the supervisor in whose district the project was located, and the Mayor of Occoquan. He’s voted to rezone land from employment uses to allow an apartment building. Good luck getting any more teachers for all the kids that project will generate. I could continue.
Voting for every residential comp plan amendment and rezoning that come their way, not demanding developers pay the full costs, and then not paying for the services is not taxpayer friendly on the part of Board members. I want our tax bills to stay low also. If they are going to approve new residential development, the developers should pay the costs, not me through a higher tax bill or my kids through diminishing quality of the public education they receive. In essence, my kids’ future is subsidizing these backroom deals Corey, Peter, Wally, Marty, Maureen and John are making with their developer friends.
Conservatism and free market economics are not compatible with corporate cronyism whose costs are passed on to taxpayers.
Like we’ve said on Moonhowlings before, don’t pi** down my back and tell me it’s raining.
I love that Clint Eastwood bit, one of my favorites NTK!
“Like we’ve said on Moonhowlings before, don’t pi** down my back and tell me it’s raining.”
I agree with NTK. We should be looking for commercial and retail development. Stafford is kicking our butts right now in providing office space to support MCB Quantico. I work in govt leased space in Stafford….
@marinm
You are correct. Stafford will continue to kick our butts as long as our Board focuses on delivering whatever the residential developers want at the expense of creating good jobs.
Prince William is among the wealthiest jurisdictions in the nation, but that’s only because so many County residents work at high-paying jobs outside Prince William. We’ve heard a lot about CNN ranking us highly for job creation and other accolades the Board and staff like to proclaim, but those measures reflect only the quantity of jobs rather than the quality and wages of jobs. If you look at compensation, we rank far below the state average and even the national average. We rank below Stafford County on those measures.
The jobs in Prince William County are largely low-wage, unskilled service and construction jobs related to our bedroom community economy. They are generally, with some exceptions, not the kinds of jobs high-income people who live in Prince William County would want themselves.
All of these data are available at the local, state and national level for comparison at the Virginia Employment Commission’s labor market data site:
http://www.vawc.virginia.gov/analyzer/default.asp
I would provide links to the tables to which I am referring, but the site does not allow direct links to the tables. You have to construct them within the site. It’s not difficult for anyone who wants to see the original data for themselves instead of taking my word for any of this.
The bottom line is that we are being sold a bill of goods by the Board of Supervisors and staff regarding the quality and structure of our local economy and the jobs being created here. The longer we keep rezoning for residential construction and failing dismally at attracting high-wage employment, the more our tax bills will rise and the quality of our public services will deteriorate.
Mr. Howler doesn’t usually involve himself with the blog. However, he does read several papers daily. He came in yesterday walking about the Wolf Run deal and said he saw Jackson got his zoning change.
Then he turned and asked me if all of them were crooks.
I said probably and he walked on.
Funny how it all boils down to the same thing, regardless of how much or little it is discussed. Mr. Howler’s very hands off, uninvolved with PWC analysis was the same as those who are immersed.
Funniest thing about that….
@Moon-howler
I can just see Mr. Howler walking on.
I don’t know how anyone couldn’t see that deal as questoinable at the very least.