A Fairfax County supervisor’s request for information about creating a financial oversight body to control Metro drew rebukes from his colleagues during a meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 8).
It also led to some testy exchanges between Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the lone Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and some of the board’s Democrats.
Herrity requested that information be provided to supervisors about the implications of a financial-control board for Metro, similar to one that had oversight of the D.C. government from 1995-2001.
Herrity’s proposal was inspired by a Sept. 23 op-ed piece in the Washington Times, a conservative newspaper, that argued the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority needs to rein in spending before it gets dedicated funding. One of the authors of the piece was former U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10).
“To avoid bankruptcy and restore faith in Metro, WMATA needs a data-driven, results-oriented financial officer with unfettered powers, the ability to rewrite contracts and the ability to think outside the box to generate revenue,” the authors wrote.
In his request, Herrity said WMATA’s financial challenges and need for infusions of local cash impact the county government’s ability to fund other priorities. One of the bond referenda on the county’s ballot for the Nov. 5 general election would allow $180 million in bond sales to fund Metro capital projects.
“It’s a model that could work,” Herrity said of an oversight board. “Let’s talk about the pros, cons and costs.”
Other supervisors, however, dismissed the proposal as an assault on efforts currently underway to improve Metro’s long-term financial viability — a top concern for the D.C. region with pandemic relief funds spent and future deficits projected to reach up to $1 billion.
The transit agency staved off major service cuts and layoffs this year by raising train and bus fares, starting July 1, and securing additional funding from Virginia, Maryland and D.C.
“This is the wrong time,” said Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who has served as an alternate director on WMATA’s board since 2020. “Let’s not play this set of games.”
The back-and-forth continued for several rounds, with Democrats saying Herrity was offering a simplistic solution to a complex problem and Herrity saying his proposal was “a simple request for information,” not “direction to go down a path.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said consideration of an oversight board is part of the options on the table, as a host of groups at the regional and state levels look at creating a sustainable path for Metro.
WMATA staff presented a proposal to their board of directors this morning (Thursday) for revisions to the formulas used to calculate the subsidies needed from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. to fund Metro’s rail and bus systems.
McKay, a member of the DMVMoves task force created in May by Metro and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, called Herrity’s proposal “grossly out of reality” and termed it “offensive” to those who are attempting to find consensus on ways to fix the system.
“You didn’t do your homework. If you had just asked, we would have told you,” he said, adding that there’s a “comprehensive, bipartisan review that is taking place.”
In the end, supervisors voted 8-2 to reject Herrity’s request, which found one ally in Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman.
Patrick Herrity’s concerns about the viability of Metro may be embedded in his political DNA. His father, Jack Herrity, had long-running battles with Metro leaders over funding when he served on the Board of Supervisors, first as Springfield District supervisor and, from 1976-87, as chair.
Supervisors wary of resolution honoring Christian churches
Members of the Democratic supermajority on the Board of Supervisors also balked on Tuesday over a resolution proposed by Herrity to designate Nov. 21 as “Church Heritage Recognition Day.”
Noting that the designation was requested by several speakers during a public-comment period at the board’s Sept. 24 meeting, Herrity said his proposal would honor Christian churches that have “a rich and prominent history” in the county and made a “profound impact” on its welfare by supporting schools, hospitals, orphaned youth and other causes.
However, McKay said there were “significant problems” with moving forward, absent more specificity about the wording and intent of the resolution.
“This is not just a simple, straightforward matter,” the chairman said.
McKay and other board members suggested that some local churches might take issue with the characterization of the “Christian tradition” in Herrity’s proposal, though they didn’t single out any particular passages.
In between extolling the work that churches do to promote “peace, justice, and reconciliation,” Herrity’s board matter states that Christianity includes the “belief that each human being holds inherent value and dignity” — phrasing that evokes anti-abortion rhetoric.
“The historical church tradition has had a strong role in strengthening the family unit as a foundational institution of society, advocating for healthy marriages, and the importance of parenting,” the board matter said.
Herrity contended that his aim was “pretty simple,” but said he would be happy to create and circulate draft language for a possible resolution in advance of the board’s Oct. 22 meeting.
Supervisors OK resolution promoting adoption
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution designating November as “Adoption Awareness Month” across the county.
The measure, sponsored by Supervisors Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Daniel Storck (D-Mount Vernon), is designed to draw attention to the need for adoptions out of foster care.
About 700 youth in Virginia’s foster-care program are eligible for adoption at the moment, state officials say.
