Fairfax County Park Authority Doesn't Want Developer Money, only Taxpayer Funds

Fairfax County voters will be asked next week to approve $25 million in new bonds for land acquisition, upgrading soccer fields and trail expansion. These all seem to be good projects, but since this is Fairfax County, there's more than meets the eye.

At a public meeting last week, Dranesville Supervisor Joan DuBois was asked why the County fails to request any proffers for parks and recreation. Prince William County, which has a lower real estate tax rate than Fairfax County despite our oceans of commercial office buildings, requests more than $3900 for parks from new new home built in Prince William County under rezoning. What is Fairfax County's target proffer for parks? Nothing. Zero. DuBois answered that she has never been approached by anyone from the Fairfax County Park Authority for any proffer money. The FCPA's policy is too hold developers harmless. Why?

The FCPA has been more than willing to charge fees for children's sports, decrease discounts for senior citizens using parks, accept funds and work from volunteers, raise fees for recreational activities, and seek voter approval for bonds, but will not request a single dime from a developer. Who are these people, the members of the Park Authority? Edward R. Batten, Sr., William G. Bouie, Kevin J. Fay, Kenneth G. Feng, Harrison A. Glasgow, Georgette Kohler, George E. Lovelace, Joanne E. Malone, Gilbert S. McCutcheon, Winifred S. Shapiro, Harold L. Strickland, and Frank S. Vajda. If you know any of them, you might want to ask why they are protecting developers from paying proffers comparable to what these very same developers pay when they build in nearby Prince William County. You might also want to ask them why they are working against their neighbors.