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Health & Fitness

Ashburn District Newsletter - March/April

The Ashburn District Newsletter for March/April.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I frequently hear complaints about the inordinately high tolls on the Dulles Greenway from my friends, neighbors, Ashburn District constituents and even those well outside the Ashburn area.  I firmly believe that these extremely high rates divert commuters to other major roadways (Waxpool Road, Route 7 and Route 28) causing increased traffic congestion throughout eastern Loudoun. Instead of increasing tolls, the Greenway should pursue strategies that would encourage more traffic volume.  Supervisor Williams and I brought an item to the 2 January BOS General Business Meeting asking the Board to take a position against the proposed increase and convey that position to the State Corporation Commission (SCC).

Disappointingly, the SCC approved the rate hike which prompted Delegate Ramadan to file a complaint with the SCC as Virginia Code specifies that rates "shall be set at a level which is reasonable to the user in relationship to the benefit obtained; which will not materially discourage use of the roadway to the public; and which will provide the operator no more than a reasonable return as determined by the Commission."  The SCC is now conducting an investigation with public hearings to be held in Loudoun and Richmond on the proposed toll rates.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Please visit www.LowerGreenwayTolls.com to learn when public hearings are being held, sign the petition,and/or submit your comment electronically via the SCC’s website: www.scc.virginia.gov/case.  Click on the "public comments/notices" link and then the "submit comments" button for case number PUE-2013-00011.

Mindy Williams who is co-owner of Access Point Public Affairs chose to “Profile” me in her new Blog series.  It is titled “Profile of a Driven Man”  and I am deeply touched and honored by her kind words.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Warmest regards,

Ralph

BUDGET

The Board of Supervisors completed its work on the FY14 budget on Wednesday, 3 April.  The approximately $1.8 billion budget for the general county government and school system passed on a 5-3-1 vote (4-3-1-1 on the tax rate).

The final tax rate will be $1.205/$100 of assessed real property value. This is two cents less than the equalized tax rate (the amount that would represent a flat tax amount), three cents under the FY13 rate, and eight cents below the rate when we took office in 2012.  I am pleased to note that this rate includes two cents solely dedicated to transportation.  The Ashburn District saw an average increase in assessments of 1.76%. The average assessment for 2013 is $470,865. At the FY14 adopted rate of 1.205%, the average tax bill for an Ashburn District resident will be $5,673.92.  By comparison, in 2012 (FY13), the average assessment was $467,590. The tax rate was 1.235%, thus the average tax bill was $5,774.73. On average Ashburn District residents will see a tax bill decrease of $100.81.

The FY 2014 fiscal plan includes $1.2 billion for operating costs, including $841.7 million for the school system, $412.8 million for the general government, and $8.8 million for the Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth Act (CSA). In addition, the adopted fiscal plan includes $153.7 million for annual debt service, of which $109.2 million is for the school system and $44.5 million is for general government projects.

About 65% percent of the $1.02 billion in revenues from local taxes will be used for school operating expenses, capital projects and debt service. The remaining 35% percent will be used for the general county government for operating expenses, capital projects and debt service. In adopting the FY 2014 budget, the Board of Supervisors increased the School Board’s budget by $20.5 million.

The FY 2014 budget includes funding for a limited number of enhancements for the general county government, most of which focus on core operating service needs and new facilities. The budget also includes a 2 percent merit-based pay increase for eligible county employees.

The approved Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes a total of $215.4 million on road projects and $406 million on school projects.  This is by far the most the county has ever allocated for road projects.

HIGHLIGHTS

Despite the fact that the board decreased the average tax bill last year, I approached this budget cycle knowing we needed to continue to do the hard work of finding budget reductions while remaining focused on our goals of addressing transportation, ensuring the schools have sufficient funding to provide a high quality education to our children and delivering the level of service our citizens expect. I believe we have accomplished our goal.

ROADS

Belmont Ridge Road Improvements: I think you will be pleased to hear we were able to accelerate the construction of all phases of the Belmont Ridge Road project. We added design funding for the section of road from Gloucester Parkway to Hay Road and from Truro Parish Road to Croson Lane in the amount of $3.3 million to FY15.  Construction at $12.7 million for the Gloucester Parkway to Hay Road portion is programmed in FY16. Construction for the portion from Portsmouth Boulevard to Hay Road is funded at $13.2 million in FY17. Construction of the final portion from Truro Parish Drive to Croson Lane has been funded at $15.7 million in FY18. The interchange at Route 7 is fully funded and right of way acquisition has begun. I am hopeful that construction will be complete in the 2017 timeframe.

Waxpool, Waxpool, Waxpool & Gloucester Parkway/Loudoun County Parkway: We continue to focus on improving Waxpool Road. As mentioned in previous newsletters, the board has partnered with the state for a $7.4 million project to make turn lane and intersection improvements at  Waxpool Road, Pacific Boulevard and Broderick Drive. We have also accelerated the funding for the completion of Gloucester Parkway from Loudoun County Parkway to Route 28.  We allocated $4 million this year for design and engineering work, $28 million for construction in FY14 and an additional $8 million for completion in FY15. The Kincora development will reimburse the county over time for the total $40 million project cost through proffers. Kincora will also be completing the construction of Pacific Boulevard using funding from a $35 million Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank loan. Construction on this portion could begin in early 2014 if the loan closes on time.

Old Ashburn Sidewalks: My fellow board members supported my motion to allocate $638,000 from the FY13 fund balance to repair and upgrade the sidewalks on the west side of Ashburn Road between Partlow Road and the W&OD Trail. We will be reaching out to residents and stakeholders in this area to gain community input on this project.

PARKS AND RECREATION

There are currently fewer public facilities in the Ashburn District than in our neighboring districts. We also have a severe lack of playing fields for all the leagues that wish to play. For these reasons, I focused on the Ashburn Recreation Center and increasing the use of existing field facilities.

Ashburn Recreation Center: This facility has been moved around in the CIP for many years as other county projects competed for scarce funding. Had a private public partnership succeeded a few years back, the facility would already be open and in use. In order to deliver this much needed facility to Ashburn residents, I worked with Supervisor Shawn Williams to pare back the original price tag of $62.5 million to $54.965 million in order to gain support to keep the project in the 2013-2018 CIP – it is currently programmed to begin construction in FY17.

Ashburn Senior Center: In the 2000s, there was a senior center programmed for the Ashburn area. That funding was removed to fund other projects in faster growing regions of the county. The Capital Facilities Needs Assessment indicates the senior population in the Ashburn area warrants this facility. Supervisor Williams and I collaborated to reduce the cost of the Ashburn Recreation Center in order to have room in the CIP for the Senior Center.  We allocated $8.345 in FY18 for this much needed facility.

School Field Irrigation Systems: Parks and Recreation reported to the Board that they could increase field time by irrigating existing LCPS fields. The Board added $2.1 million to install irrigation systems to the 25 worst fields in the County, as graded by the Parks and Recreation department.  The irrigation will create better playing surfaces and lead to higher utilization.

LCPS Field Maintenance:  Based on a Parks and Recreation Board recommendation we increased the Parks and Recreation budget by $470,000 to provide funding for preparation and maintainence of LCPS fields which in turn will increase the overall amount of playing time.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Ashburn Sheriff’s Station: This project is funded entirely by cash proffers. $1.33 million was transferred in FY13 for design and professional services and the final $7.84 million will be transferred in FY14.

Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Station: Ashburn is blessed to have a dedicated team of Fire and Rescue volunteers who have been operating in an aging facility. The volunteers conducted a strong fund-raising campaign, but in order to meet their opening deadlines, determined they would need county support. We allocated $3.6 million to this project in FY14.

In summary, as Chairman of the Finance Committee, I worked diligently to create a budget that balanced the needs of our schools, public safety departments, and other county departments while being sensitive to the tax burden placed on our residents.  I am continuing to work with the Government Reform Commission to implement additional reforms and efficiencies that will make Loudoun the best run county government in America.

EDUCATION UPDATES

The process for establishing attendance zones for three new schools for the greater Ashburn Area is currently underway.  Two of these schools are within the Ashburn District: Trailside Middle School (MS-6) which is located adjacent to Newton-Lee Elementary School will open for the 2014-15 school year; and HS-8 which will be constructed adjacent to Belmont Ridge Middle School in the Lansdowne development will open for the 2015-16 school year.  HS-6, located in the Blue Ridge District adjacent to Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School, will open for the 2014-15 school year. Please note the Board of Supervisors has NO jurisdiction in this matter, however, I am letting our School Board members know my position on keeping Ashburn communities together.

According to the Loudoun County School Board:

In establishing attendance zones for the three new schools, the current attendance boundaries for Belmont Ridge Middle School, Eagle Ridge Middle School, Farmwell Station Middle School, Mercer Middle School, Stone Hill Middle School, Briar Woods High School, Broad Run High School, John Champe High School (specifically only those areas within the John Champe High School attendance zone which are presently within the Stone Hill Middle School attendance zone), Stone Bridge High School, and Tuscarora High School (specifically only those areas within the Tuscarora High School attendance zone which are also presently within the Belmont Ridge Middle School attendance zone) will be reviewed.

NEW DEVELOPMENT

Loudoun Hounds Stadium at One Loudoun

On a 7-0-1-1 vote, the Board approved the necessary land use applications to allow the development of a 5,500 seat ballpark/stadium.  I voted in favor of the stadium.  The stadium is being privately funded and developed by VIP Sports and Entertainment, which is the owner of two professional sports teams; The Loudoun Hounds (Atlantic League of Professional Baseball) and The Virginia Cavalry (North American Soccer League).  It is not the Board’s job to determine location, but rather to consider whether the desired location meets the county's land use guidelines.  We paid close attention to the concerns of neighboring communities and the mitigated impacts that might be caused by fireworks displays and concerts.  PLAY BALL!!

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

Ban on Panhandlers

At the 13 March meeting the Board voted unanimously to implement a ban on roadside panhandlers, deeming it too severe of a safety risk.  This is a difficult issue as the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) “Fill the Boot” campaign has utilized roadside soliciting for their fundraising efforts.  However, this is a safety issue as it opens up opportunity for frauds to collect money for reasons other than what they're advertising and the aggressiveness of some solicitors, not to mention traffic and pedestrian safety. 

OTHER BOARD NEWS

Action Reports

 The Board’s 6 March BOS Business Meeting and Public Input Session, the 13 March BOS Business Meeting, the 20 March BOS Public Hearing  and the Board’s 3 April BOS Business Meeting and Public Input Session  Action Reports are posted on my Facebook page.

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