Category: Broader Reporting, Analysis on Balanced Growth Issues (page 1 of 4)
In 10 major DC-area public school districts, teacher pay varies widely. Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park the lowest, paying up to $20K less than close-in counties.
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Board of County Supervisors Chairman Stewart challenged by PWCBG on his post-Brentswood (2006) "180-degree reversal of position" in which he now ignores the "harmful effects of high-density, tax revenue-negative housing on school overcrowding, traffic congestion, local taxes, the environment" and supports harmful housing developments like Stone Haven, Brentswood's successor project. Stewart replies to PWCBG, fails to specifically defend Stone Haven; numerous "falsities" in his response, conflicts of interest noted. Connection seen between Stewart's "apparent loss of interest in balanced, managed residential growth and the fact that" he's set his "sights on higher political office" and now needs "a lot of housing developer money to run for statewide office."
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Board of County Supervisors Vice Chairman Covington refuses to respond to PWCBG queries regarding his "serious conflicts of interest on land use issues", including apparent efforts to enrich himself by steering land development towards his own considerable land holdings in Brentsville District. Unlike Chairman Stewart, Covington ignores PWCBG queries regarding his misrepresentations and attempts to mislead media and local citizens about new high school, developer proffers, the high cost to taxpayers of most residential development, and Stone Haven, successor project to the failed 2005-06 Brentswood residential development rezoning plan; appears to be "shilling for the developers yet again".
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Stewart notes negative impact of sequestration on county, emphasizes Tri-County Parkway to Dulles. Stewart claims county's commercial-to-residential real estate tax revenue ratio has improved, with 23% of revenue now coming from commercial, though county records reveal that only 14% comes from commercial. PW School Board President Johns discusses impact of rapid growth on schools.
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PW "Committee of 100" debates "whether county has lost its vision" on land use. Panelist and PWCBG co-founder Bob Pugh notes that county has "decided not to do" fiscal impact studies on development projects, adding that "in 2002 and 2003, taxes skyrocketed because of excess residential development that didn't" pay "its way in taxes." He concludes that "we're building a low-wage service economy in Prince William County" where "population growth outstrips job growth" and are fast becoming a bedroom community with no room for tax-revenue-positive commercial development.
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Local non-profit PW "Committee of 100" debate reviews county's land use strategy. Residential development results in "a net revenue loss for the county of about $900 per unit and contributes to higher tax rates"; only "residences worth more than $385,000 are actually revenue-positive for the county". County highly dependent on residential (sted commercial) taxes for revenues, although county's commercial vacancy rates relatively low; panelist and PWCBG co-founder Bob Pugh says county should wait for and actively court more commercial instead of jumping at residential development plans that worsen the low commercial to residential tax revenue ratio.
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Video of 90-minute debate reported in the two news reports immediately above. Topic: "It has been almost 40 years since Prince William Board of County Supervisors developed its first Comprehensive Plan. Since that time, the population of the county has increased fivefold. The Prince William Committee of 100 is pleased to offer a program where a panel of experts will examine whether the long term vision for proper land use is still being given the proper emphasis."
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New commercial developments in eastern county and western county's Innovation Park are part of efforts to attract new business; county had "lowest commercial vacancy rate in the past three years" in 2011
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