STAFFORD — The Stafford Board of Supervisors has decided to move forward with plans of a bond referendum in order to help fund transportation projects. Developing a funding plan for transportation is listed as one of Stafford’s 2040 strategic priorities.
County officials say 10 major road construction projects are desperately needed after they reviewed the results of a year-long Comprehensive Road Study. Together the 10 projects cost $180 million based on preliminary estimates.
At a Transportation Work Session on June 4, the Board was presented with two options for the bond as not all ten projects can be funded with the bond.
The first option proposes a bond amount of $50 million to address five projects — road improvements at Butler, Shelton Shop, Garrisonville, Mountain View roads, and road widening/safety.
These five projects total $113 million which could be funded with the bond in addition to revenue sharing and matching funds.
The second option increases the bond amount to $60 million and adds improvements at Onville Road in North Stafford, White Oak Road near Fredericksburg, and improvements at Route 1 between Enon Road and Stafford Indians Lane. It also adds a widening project for Leeland Road.
The main differences between the first and second option are the choice between either Butler or White Oak Road. Butler Road cuts between a church and a cemetery. Widening of that road would require one of those two to be removed, likely the church.
Board will decide on a final list of projects on its June 18 meeting. It must then decide by July 2 to send the bond referendum to voters in the November General Election.
The county petition the Circuit Court by July 10 to place the bond on the ballot with the projects identified. Afterward, the Board is restricted to what is put on the list and cannot add any additional projects. However, the Board will not be required to do everything on the list of projects they propose.
Though the recommended bond amounts are relatively low, with the matching funds through revenue sharing, the $50 million bonds become $100 million over 10 years. A total of $60 to $70 million is on the upper end of where revenue sharing is probable.
As the bond amount grows, the likelihood of receiving matching funds goes down. The bond amount remains at the discretion of the Board.
“In my humble opinion, if you are going to go for a bond referendum, then $50 million is not enough,” said Meg Bohmke of the Falmouth District. “It needs to be for $75 or maybe $100 million.”
There are other funding options to help pay off any potential debt, to include tapping into the county’s operating funds.
Additionally, the Board will use an estimated $1 million dollar surplus at the end of each year to help pay for transportation capital.
Officials are also reviewing the possibility of increasing fees to pay for the projects. If a Vehicle License Fee that currently rests at $23 was increased to the maximum of $42.75 then the fee could help generate about $2.3 million.
Funds could also be raised through Smart Scale Funding for certain roads or through the Regional Surface Transportation Program and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Options that could support some of the proposed road projects.
At the close of the meeting, Board members discussed implementations of the bond referendum and brought attention to potential problems.
“My concern is how we are going to pay for it,” said Tom Coen representing the George Washington District. “Also if we are going to make the decision, I don’t know how much the public is going to be able to communicate with us about it within two weeks. I have the apprehension that we are rushing this through and the voters may not be happy.”
Garrisonville District Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer responded to Coen’s concerns.
“I want to counter what Mr. Coen said,” Dudenhefer said. “We aren’t rushing anything. The only reason that we are having this discussion before our August meeting is because of the deadline put on us by the Court. Any delay on our part means we have to wait a year, and is that what we are really willing to do?”
