John Vihstadt delivered tonight on campaign promises to stop construction of the proposed Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcars by offering a 3-part motion to: 1) Defund any County Government expenditures in FY 14 and FY 15 for Columbia Pike or Crystal City streetcar systems 2) Provide the County Board and the public with a full and transparent accounting of all FY 14 and FY 15 funds intended directly or indirectly for the Pike or Crystal City streetcar project 3) Task County Staff with recommending alternative uses of funds dedicated to the Columbia Pike streetcar so a) No funds be used for any streetcar project in any other corridor b) A substantial portion of any funds dedicated solely for transportation will be used to improve bus transportation on the Pike c) A substantial portion of funds not dedicated solely for transportation will be used to benefit Arlington's public schools.
For her part, County Board Member Garvey offered a motion to prohibit using TIF funds for Crystal City Infrastructure. According to County Staff, a Crystal City streetcar system and other Crystal City infrastructure would consume hundreds of millions in TIF funds, which would be debited from the General Fund accounts over the next decade.
Both motions were defeated by a 3-2 vote (Fisette, Hynes, and Tejada voting against), after acrimonious accusations by County Board Members Tejada and Fisette that Vihstadt and Garvey aren't going along with a previous County Board's program.
On a more positive note, John Vistadt's campaign promise to bring an Independent Auditor to County Government appears to have been accepted by all County Board members and is going forward.
Cindy
10 comments:
Garvey was incensed that tens of millions are being stashed in transportation and transit funds and the County won't provide $35,000 for a school nurse for HB Woodlawn and the Career Center.
Tax rate in FY 15 will be reduced by a penny, largely by reducing or eliminating the amounts deposited in the County's various so-called 'rainy day' funds.
Vihstadt is insisting that the Independent Auditor be truly independent.
Appears that hundreds of millions will be taken from a TIF account for Crystal City and Pentagon City and used for a Crystal City streetcar. That's what Garvey and Vihstadt are trying to stop.
Independent Auditor should audit both the annual give-aways to pet non-profits and DTS, which never saw new hardware or software DTS didn't want to buy.
"Both motions were defeated by a 3-2 vote (Fisette, Hynes, and Garvey voting against), after acrimonious accusations by County Board Members Tejada and Fisette that Vihstadt and Garvey aren't going along with a previous County Board's program."
You must mean Fisette, Hynes, and Tejada, right? I'm kind of baffled - why would the majority think this was somehow illegitimate? Vihstadt RAN on the promise not to go along with the previous County Board's program.
-dave schutz
Yupette, how about a report about the massive amount of disorderly conduct, DWI, and public drunkenness by the pub crawlers in Clarendon, which the police, county manager, and county board are ignoring except to wring their hands while saying 'what can we do?'
Yes, Fisete, Hynes, and Tejada voted against the motion. Tejada bitterly complained that Garvey and Vikstadt aren't going along with the Crystal City program passed by a previous County Board.
Will the Post print a comprehensive report about the April 16th CB-CM meeting? 'Cause no blog has so far.
A LOT happened during the April 16th County Board - County Manager FY 15 Budget Work Session. A.Y. will try to provide a synopsis about what occurred. Post Metro Section reporter Patricia Sullivan attended this meeting.
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