Fewer women in the U.S. are having babies.
The national birth rate declined in 2013 to 3.93 million births, continuing a six-year drop off. Women between the ages of 15 and 44 last year bore an average of 1.86 babies, and that’s below the 2.1 average the National Center for Health Statistics said is necessary for a stable population.
The average property tax bill in Prince William County may not increase next year as much as planned.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan from Gainesville Supervisor Peter Candland that directs County Executive Melissa Peacor to develop a 2016 budget where the average property tax bill increases no more than 1.7%. That number is down from an annual projected 4% tax bill increase approved by the Board of County Supervisors last April. The average tax bill was to increase by at least 4% per year, every year under the old 5-year plan.
Virginia Railway Express will not operate service the day after Christmas.
Scott Jacobs is no longer a member of the Prince William County Republican Committee.
The group dropped him from their member list on Tuesday prior to debate featuring Jacobs and two other candidates hoping to fill the position of Brentsville District Supervisor.
Metro to western Prince William County doesn’t appear to be a popular idea.
The three candidates seeking to be the next Brentsville District Supervisor said bringing the heavy commuter rail service west from Vienna is a non-starter.
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The candidates differentiated themselves early on the in the debate. However, on the issue of broadening Prince William County’s light commercial tax base, it was easy to see how much all three agreed.
The debate will be held Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Linton Hall School on Linton Hall Road in Bristow beginning at 7 p.m. Candidates will each be faced with questions on the following topics:
All three candidates seeking the seat – Republican Jeanine Lawson, Democrat Eric Young, and independent Scott Jacobs – are expected to appear at the debate. It is the only debate schedule before the Dec. 23 special election.
Prince William County officials told legislators cuts to the county’s school system have taken a toll over the last five years.
In total, Prince William Schools have lost $48.6 million in education funding from state sources, said Tracy Gordon, assistant to the county executive. Most of the cuts have been from raises provided to attract qualified teachers to work and live in the area, known as “cost to compete” or cost of living adjustments.
Commuter bus service in Prince William County is heading toward a fiscal cliff.
A budget deficit of $17.7 million is looming for OmniRide commuter buses and OmniLink local buses. The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission or PRTC — the agency that operates the buses — asked Prince William leaders to help make up a budget shortfall that could lead to 1/3 of all PRTC to be slashed, starting in 2018.
A Prince William County legislator is seeking statewide uniformity on how license plate readers collect and store data that has been linked to solving crimes.
Delegate Richard Anderson told the Prince William Committee of 100 that he and Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen will submit new legislation that would address how police agencies, like Prince William County’s, collect and store photos of license plates collected from cars in parking lots and from vehicles driving on county streets.
