Supervisors delay vote on VDOT-aided road improvement projects

Citing budgetary concerns in the coming fiscal year and a desire not to raise taxes to meet budgetary commitments, a majority of the Warren County Board of Supervisors urged delay of a vote approving a VDOT-requested Resolution committing the County’s contribution to preliminary engineering, right of way acquisition and construction costs on seven projects through the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Revenue Sharing Program.

While the vote was unanimous to table the matter to the February 4 meeting, it appeared that non-first term members Archie Fox and Tony Carter concurred only because it did not appear a two-week delay approving the Resolution would jeopardize VDOT’s matching contribution on road improvement projects on the table for several years.

The fact the County’s share of the dollar-for-dollar state match totaled $753,312.50 was too much for the three newly-seated supervisors without further information on, not only road improvement expenses, but other anticipated funding needs in the coming budget cycle. It appeared the three newly-elected supervisors were firmly committed to avoiding any tax increase to balance the coming FY 2021 budget.

The staff summary of the agenda item noted that the County already has $411,220 set aside in “special projects” for the revenue sharing program; and anticipated having another $100,000 in carryover from the current budget for the program which often spans several budget cycles.

Deputy County Administrator Bob Childress, himself a former VDOT employee, explains the year-to-year logistics of the state-local revenue sharing program on road improvements approved by previous boards. Photo and video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

“To complete payment of the remaining share of the projects would require less than $250,000 moving forward,” staff wrote in the agenda summary of committing County revenue to what would be a total revenue input of $1.5 million toward VDOT eligible projects in the county.

However, without departmental, outside agency and other FY 2021 budget aspects yet on the table, Supervisors Mabe, Cullers and Oates were reluctant to forward commitment of all or part of the three quarters of a million-dollar-plus county half of that money to road infrastructure improvements.

Impacted projects include the Cauthorn Mill Road Rural Rustic Project; Old Oak Lane, Phase IV Rural Addition Project (Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District); Youngs Drive, Phase II (Shenandoah Farms); Rockland Road grade-separated (railroad) crossing; Grove Farm Road – Rural Addition Priority # 6 (Fairfield Acres Subdivision); Blue Valley Road, Phase I, Rural Addition Priority # 7 (Linden Heights Sanitary District); and Old Oak Lane, Phase V – Rural Addition Priority # 8 (Shenandoah Farms).

Cullers said she was willing to move forward with approval of the Rockland Road project, noting that $710,000 in BUILD Grant/SmartScale funding appeared to have been secured – “I haven’t totally lost my mind up here,” Cullers observed of not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

During the discussion it was explained that in Sanitary District projects, VDOT paid 50%, the County 25%, and the Sanitary District taxpayers 25%.

See the discussion in this exclusive Royal Examiner video: