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Stafford residents will have a chance to weigh in on a proposed county government budget that would see the average homeowner pay $276 in Real Estate taxes next year, amounting to an average homeowner’s $3,866 Real Estate tax bill.

Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the budget at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the county government center, 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford.  You can also watch the meeting here.

While the prosed rate is lower, tax bills would increase after property assessments jumped 13% on average for homes and 24% for commercial properties.

County documents state Stafford has one of the highest median household incomes among comparable jurisdictions and continues to see employment growth in our community. However, Stafford faces a fast-growing population. Stafford’s school division is projected to send the state’s second most considerable enrollment increase even as localities to the north lose students.

The Supervisors are a vital funding source for local schools. The county School Board adopted a $460 million operating budget for the coming year and needs $15 million more from the Supervisors to adequately fund the budget.

Under the Supervisors’ current proposal, the schools would see just $13 million.

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[Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash]
Stafford County could get a new skate park at St. Clair Brooks Memorial Park, 80 Butler Road in Falmouth.

The skateboard park at St. Clair Brooks Park must be replaced due to age and safety issues. The Board of Supervisors recognized the need to replace the skateboard park and approved Capital Improvement Funds (CIP).

We most recently reported on an effort to improve the skate park in February.

The Department of Parks, Recreation, Facilities, and Tourism (PRFT) took over the operation and maintenance of St. Clair Brooks Memorial Park in 2007. At that time, the condition of the skatepark was poor. Over the years, the skateboard park has been repaired numerous times and rebuilt as much as possible. According to county documents, unsafe portions have been and continue to be removed as necessary.

The bid process has been completed, resulting in Anike Group, Inc., from Chesapeake, Virginia, submitting a responsive bid of $489,000. Due to the contractor’s workload, construction would begin in the fall, with completion expected in late Fall 2024. The county received Only one responsive and responsible bid it called “responsive and responsible,” which was submitted by Anike Group Incorporated.

The Board approved CIP funds for $470,000 for this project. Due to design costs, the\ remaining balance of the project is $429,625. For this project to proceed, an additional appropriation of $112,271 is needed: $63,371 for construction and $48,900 for contingency (10% of the contract
amount).

Sorry, skaters, the county didn’t include information on improving the skate park. We’ll pass along those details once we have them.

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Stafford County’s Historical Commission could soon be a thing of the past.

The Board of Supervisors will dissolve the 32-year-old body at its meeting tomorrow, March 19, 2024. The public meeting will be held at 3 p.m. at the county government center, 1300 Courthouse Road.

A Cultural Resource Specialist was hired in 2023 to lead preservation efforts in the County, and the Cultural Resource Specialist can provide recommendations. According to county documents, to the staff and Board and consult with other entities and agencies to help guide recommendations on all things history.

According to its website, The Historical Commission’s role is to work toward identifying, evaluating, and preserving the county’s prehistoric, historic, and cultural resources.

A separate organization, Discover Stafford, is working to open a $30 million museum and cultural center in the county.

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To conduct disaster recovery testing, the Interstate 95/395 E-ZPass Lanes will undergo a double-reversal overnight from March 22 to March 23, 2024. Transurban will conduct two successive reversals of the Express Lanes from midnight to 4:15 a.m.

March 23, 2024

Midnight First reversal begins – southbound to northbound

  • 2 a.m. First reversal complete
  • 2:15 a.m. Second reversal begins – northbound to southbound
  • 4:15 a.m. Second reversal complete

“Travelers can still use the Lanes just like during normal reversals,” said Jacqueline Woodbridge, a spokeswoman for Transurban, the firm that manages the lanes. “Travelers who are accustomed to the Lanes pointing southbound overnight on Fridays should expect the Lanes to be pointed northbound for a portion of the night between midnight and 4 a.m. overnight this Friday (3/23-3/24, 2024) and may have to use general-purpose lanes to continue a southbound trip.”

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In a bold move to accommodate the region’s growing transportation needs, Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has unveiled extensive expansion plans that will transform the commuter railroad landscape by 2050.

The proposal was unveiled at the VRE Operations Board meeting on Friday, March 15, 2024. Backed by financial forecasts and strategic ridership projections, it outlines a comprehensive strategy to enhance service frequency, extend operational hours, and cater to burgeoning populations and evolving travel patterns.

Forecasts indicate a substantial surge in operating costs and revenues by 2050, with projections estimating a 136% increase in operational expenditures and a 63% rise in operating revenues. The VRE Board recommends a significant boost in train frequency, particularly during peak periods on the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. This initiative is anticipated to attract 21,000 weekday users by 2030, with a further expansion to accommodate 4,500 Saturday riders and 3,700 Sunday passengers.

Under the proposed plan, VRE anticipates adding 116 more trains per day, with 68 trains operating on Saturdays and 60 on Sundays. The Fredericksburg line will extend south of Spotsylvania County with a bus service to Hanover County from Fredericksburg. Similarly, the Manassas line will stretch service beyond the Manassas Regional Airport, with a corresponding bus service from Manassas to Culpeper County.

However, future infrastructure constraints loom large, particularly regarding midday train storage capacity in Washington, D.C. Despite identifying a suitable site capable of housing 13 trains, logistical challenges persist, necessitating careful planning to ensure seamless operations. With every six trains arriving in Washington D.C., four will be required to return to Virginia, highlighting the complexities of managing the expanding network.

Ridership forecasts show exponential growth, with an estimated average of 28,100-weekday passengers and 10,820-weekend travelers anticipated by 2050. This represents a 262% increase in ridership since 2014, underscoring the imperative for phased infrastructure development and strategic expansion initiatives.

VRE officials say their transportation service of choice fosters meaningful connections and catalyzes economic opportunities in a safe, sustainable, and equitable manner. However, questions linger regarding the accuracy of population projections amid evolving telework trends, prompting stakeholders to scrutinize the reliability of regional travel models and their adaptability to dynamic socio-economic factors.

In February 2024, VRE saw 6,900 average daily riders, down from 20,000 in February 2020 (a CEO report for February 2020, the last showing its pre-pandemic ridership numbers, has been removed from its website). By comparison, an average of about 4,400 people choose to ride OmniRide commuter buses.

Sarah Romero documented the VRE Operations Board meeting.

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Fredericksburg and the Rappahannock River have a rich history, and this bond was prominent at the recent Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the University of Mary Washington. River enthusiasts and filmmakers highlighted the positive effects that rivers bring to an area.

Ten films were selected to show the needs of various rivers, and each approached an environmental theme or message. Amongst the first films viewed, a theme surrounded the idea that the well-being of a fish upstream could predict the well-being of other fish hundreds of miles away downstream. The brook trout and the striped bass were used as one example. “As those fish go, so go our stripers down in Kent Island,” said a Maryland fisherman in a film called “A Journey Upstream.” Water quality is an issue here, too. “The biggest threat to the Chesapeake Bay is water quality,” said one of the narrators.

In the Rappahannock River, the salamanders “let you know how clean the water is,” said a representative from the Master Naturalists, who were there along with the Downtown Greenspace, the Sierra Club Rappahannock Group, Sustainability at the University of Mary Washington, and the Friends of the Rappahannock, which also sponsored the film festival.

In another film, the sport of fly fishing is linked to mental health. A man teaching his son to fly fish brings happiness even though the father was impacted by his upbringing in a rough neighborhood and the George Floyd murder more recently. “Fly fishing allowed me to reconnect with my sensitive side,” he said.

Other topics included migratory birds and dust storms, surfing the Kampar River in Indonesia, freshwater mussels, and an abandoned coal mine’s toxic runoff. Many of these films showcase a group or an individual grappling with a problem and working to find solutions.

A panel chose the films to cover community science, litter, outdoor recreation, ecotourism, wildlife, and more. While the films are meant to inspire and encourage conservation on a local level, they bring up topics that uncover other topics that go on and on. It’s like a game of “Whack-a-Mole” from an earlier era.

Brent Hunsinger, from the Friends of the Rappahannock group, noted the issues with water quality, for example. There are surface water intake regulations to consider, the Potomac River aquifer, the chemicals in the water, and the draught in 2023 were all considerations as a tidal program manager. It seems like an uphill battle all the way, but a film festival with upbeat messages presented positively is a good way to get these messages out.

“Our festival allows people to be hopeful,” he said.

The audience was a mixture of the Friends group, concerned environmentalists, students, and residents from the area.

Christine Thompson is a past member of the Friends group, which attended this festival years before. “I love thinking and learning what other organizations are doing,” she said.

She lives close to Old Mill Park and sees the trash left behind after a good park day. “I think it would be simple to just educate people,” she said. The Master Naturalists have a trash pickup day at Old Mill Park on their calendar.

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On Friday, March 15, at 12:49 p.m., a 72-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed in the 800 block of Widewater Road.

A press release indicates that the Traffic Safety Unit revealed the victim went outside to check her mailbox when the driver traveling eastbound on the two-lane Widewater Road struck her. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on the scene and was uninjured.

The pedestrian was identified as Shelley Moncure of Stafford.

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Anderson [Photo from Facebook]
According to a press release, Virginia 7 Congressional District candidate Derrick Anderson will turn in more than double the required number of signatures to get on the Virginia ballot today.

The state requires 1,000 signatures to enter the June 18, 2024 Primary Election Ballot. Filing begins at noon today and ends at 5 p.m. on April 4.

Anderson has been endorsed by a slate of Virginia leaders, including Rep. Jen Kiggans, Stafford County Sheriff David Decatur, Greene County Sheriff Steven Smith, Greene County Supervisor Davis Lamb, Spotsylvania County Supervisors Jake Lane and Gerald Childress, and every GOP member of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. It’s Anderson’s second bid for the seat, losing a June 2022 Primary Election to Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega, who is not running this cycle.

The deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration is May 28, 2024. (Voters may register after this date, through Election Day, and vote using a provisional ballot.)

The deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you is June 7, 2024. Your local voter registration office must receive your request by 5 p.m.

The first day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office is Friday, May 3, 2024.

Voter registration offices open for early voting on Saturday, June 8, 2024.

The field of candidates for the race for the 7th District seat is crowded. Nine Democrats and 11 Republicans are vying for their party’s nomination. Ranked by the dollars raised, Anderson has the most cash on hand, more than any other Republican in the race, with $464,060.

Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, of Prince William County, leads Democrats with over $2 million in cash, many of which come from the national political fundraising platform ActBlue.

Each party’s nominee will go on to compete in the November 5, 2024, General Election.

Incumbent Abigail Spanberger (D) won’t seek re-election to the seat, opting to run for Virginia Governor in 2025. The district (map here) includes eastern Prince William County, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George and Caroline counties, and Fredericksburg.

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