A Penny For Your Thoughts
Fairfax County voters will decide on four bond referendums this fall, and the Board of Supervisors took action at its Monday meeting to finalize the amounts of the bonds and establish a citizen’s committee to provide information about all of the referendums. The four referendums are:
- Human Services – an amount of $32.5 million is included for construction and renovation of various human service delivery facilities including Mount Vernon and Woodburn Mental Health Centers, and Juvenile Court residential facilities.
- Libraries – an amount of $52.5 million is proposed for construction of two new libraries (in Burke and Oakton) and renovation of four older libraries, including Thomas Jefferson on Arlington Boulevard near Loehmann’s Plaza.
- Parks and Park Facilities – an amount of $50 million was proposed originally for park development (80 percent) and land acquisition (20 percent). At Monday’s Board meeting, the Board agreed to increase the requested amount by $15 million, for a total Park Bond request of $65 million. Included in the bond amount is $10 million for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority’s (NVRPA) capital plan. Fairfax County is a member of NVRPA along with other local jurisdictions.
- Transportation – an amount of $165 million would allocate $110 million to satisfy Fairfax County’s commitment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to support the capital plan for mass transit. Of the remaining bond capacity, $50 million would support the Board’s four-year Transportation Plan adopted in February, and $5 million would be allocated for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic initiatives.
Bonds are used by local governments to build and support community infrastructure needs over the long term. When voters approve bond referendums, essentially giving local governments permission to incur debt, capital projects, which are demanded by residents and often planned years in advance, can be designed and built. Examples of bond-funded projects are the Providence Recreation Center, the George Mason Regional Library, and fire and police stations. Bonds fund the construction; operational and staffing expenses are provided through the county’s General Fund.
Monday’s Board action included establishment of a citizen committee to run the public information campaign about the bond referendums. Printed materials will be developed to explain each bond and the projects included in them. A video presentation also is expected to be produced. The Board also will petition the Circuit Court to order a special election on the bonds, which will coincide with the November 2 Election Day. Voters will be able to vote in their regular polling places, as well as by absentee ballot.
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