At delegates’ meeting, only two residents show up

By Cheryl Chumley

Published: January 7, 2009

Blame it on the weather, but only two residents showed up Tuesday evening for a scheduled town hall meeting at the Development Services Building with Prince William's legislative delegation.

Still, discussions ensued and for the two who did attend, it was an hour-and-half of near-private face time with four of the county's representatives, and their accompanying staffers.

Attending on the politician side were Dels. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31 District), Paul Nichols (D-51 District) and Jeff Frederick (R-52 District), as well as Sen. George Barker (D-39 District). Lingamfelter has held the post since 2001; newly elected Nichols has attended one session in Richmond; Frederick, who also serves as the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, was first elected delegate in 2003; and Barker joined the Senate in 2007.

From one resident came lingering concerns about illegal immigration; from the other, calls to legislatively control the ability of noncitizens to obtain drivers' licenses.

"On illegal immigration," Frederick said, "and with the budget constraints, there's not a whole lot you can do [at the state level] … Between the economic issues and the good efforts of Prince William County to address the problem, that combination made it not such a problem any more. Frankly, I don't have constituents screaming about this now."

Toward the end of the session, talk turned to the budget.

"It's going to be a difficult year," Lingamfelter said. "Most of us go down there with the view the glass is half full, not half empty. You have to go down there with the view that you take lemons and make lemonade."

Discussions are going to demand a nonpartisan approach, the four politicos agreed, but even better would be a change in the way the process begins, Frederick said.

"If we had the benefit of a legislative budget office to give us the numbers we could [use for appropriations]," he said, "we wouldn't be going through the [budget] pain we are going through now."

The initial budget numbers come from the governor's office, Frederick said, and the General Assembly then uses these figures as the basis for appropriations and fiscal planning. But if the numbers from the executive level aren't sound, then the budgets that emerge from the General Assembly aren't either, he said. The point is this: the budget process can become mired in politics and deceptive figuring, Frederick said, and the creation of a special budget office with fiscal experts who could—autonomous of the executive branch—analyze revenues and expenditures could negate that threat.

The Prince William delegation is scheduled to hold another town hall meeting Friday at 7 p.m. at the Manassas City Council Chambers at Manassas City Hall, 9027 Center St.

Sen. Chuck Colgan (D-29 District) and Del. Bob Marshall (R-13 District) are due to attend as well.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.