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Mr. Craig Brown, City Attorney, said there is no advantage to a transportation <br />district absence a funding pool, unless there is a real property tax increase to fund it. <br /> <br /> Mr. Rooker said the Metropolitan Planning Organization has been talking about <br />the issue and has been watching State funding decline and an increasing number of <br />projects with no funding in sight, including the Meadowcreek Parkway interchange, <br />Southern Connector, Hillsdale Drive, Eastern Connector, and Route 29/250 interchange. <br />He said VDOT, through Butch Davies, has said that if we got authority to impose a gas <br />tax we could get $3.5 million in a year and VDOT would match it by one third. He said <br />this would allow us to leverage our funding. He said that the MPO, at the request of the <br />5C's organization, formed a committee to look at options for funding and projects that <br />could be included in a transportation district. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said the MPO is beginning to work with the State on next year's TIP. <br />He said there are $5 million in unmet needs, and the first choice is to get this funding <br />from the General Assembly, but added that is unlikely. <br /> <br /> Mr. Rooker said broad based community suppose is needed, and we need to build <br />this base of support. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said it is important to acknowledge that since 1985 we have told <br />VDOT that Pantops Mountain will be gridlock absent a connector. <br /> <br /> Mr. Rooker said that three years from now based on VDOT's plans, we will have <br />only one third of the money we had four years ago. <br /> <br /> Mr. Boyd said he agrees with the need but takes exception with the idea that we <br />have to impose new fees rather than shift the priority of where we are spending now. He <br />said transportation should be put on top of the priority list. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said that in the next six years all the available money will be used for <br />the Meadowcreek Parkway and Hillsdale Drive. <br /> <br /> Mr. Caravati said, in response to Mr. Boyd's comments, that we need to get the <br />authority as a first step, and encouraged the County to add this item to their legislative <br />package. He said if we get the authority then we can deal with the issues. <br /> <br /> Mr. Rooker said he thinks there is danger in the future of not getting legislation if <br />we ask for it now without broad-based support. Mr. Rooker noted that a gas tax would be <br />paid by people who use the roads. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said he would like the Council and Board of Supervisors to agree on a <br />list of projects and a price tag of $5 million a year. He said his first choice for funding <br />would be to ask the State to provide this funding, second choice would be to impose a gas <br />tax, and the third choice would be to come up with it elsewhere. <br /> <br /> Mr. Rooker said he would not want to pre-empt the Committee that was just <br />charged with this task. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown said he thinks the Committee is a good way to start. Dr. Brown asked <br />that suggestions be given for future meetings between Council and the Board of <br />Supervisors. <br /> <br /> Mr. Dorrier suggested that Council and the Board meet every two or three <br />months. <br /> <br />The meeting was adjourned. <br /> <br />President Clerk <br /> <br /> <br />