Time for Barbara Donnellan to Retire

Hi Yupette,

So County Manager Barbara Donnellan has been playing 3-Card Monte with the County's budget after drastically cutting County Government's internal auditing two years ago. Why am I not surprised that the Columbia Pike superstop program got totally out of control? Why am I not surprised that she held a meeting with the County Board last month to discuss selling off public infrastructure? Why am I not surprised that she promised the bond rating agencies another big real estate tax hike every year for the next several years to maintain the County's AAA bond rating? Why am I not surprised that the County awards no-bid and one-bid contracts where the final cost of the program or project is much higher than the amount appropriated by the County Board?

Time is overdue for a change. Time for Barbara Donnellan to retire. North Carolina beckons. Good old boys and good old girls at the local Chamber of Commerce control everything. She will love it there. Plus, she can visit Ron Carlee for lunch and ride the Charlotte streetcar.

Pike Rider 22204

Pike Streetcar Fiscal Trainwreck Continues - Feds Say Trolley Folly Will Cost at Least $310 Million

Hey Yupette,

Check out this afternoon's County Board meeting on arlingtonva.us - part where County Board went back and forth about the stupid Pike streetcar system.

Then County Transportation Staff weighed in about its meeting with the Federal Transit Administration about the Pike streetcar. Turns out the County significantly underestimated what the cost of the Pike streetcar is going to be - at least $310 million - and so the project was too expensive to qualify for a Federal Small Starts transportation grant. Oh, FTA also estimated that the Pike streetcar system would require a contingency for another $90 million or so

Only one on the dais who didn't go along with Zimmy's program was Libby Garvey. Go  Libby!

Pike Rider