Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., introduced legislation Tuesday to give Virginia a much greater share of control over local airports and the Dulles Metrorail project, elbowing out officials in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Wolf’s moves comes after weeks of outcry from both Democratic and Republican Virginia officials over the rising costs of Metrorail to be constructed to Dulles International Airport, and beyond into Loudoun County.
The decisions leading to the soaring construction costs have been made by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, consisting of board members in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. The actual costs of the upcoming phase of the project will be paid almost exclusively by Fairfax and Loudoun taxpayers and by Dulles Toll Road users.
The airport authority’s current estimate for phase two of the project is about $3.5 billion. Completion is expected by late 2017.
Wolf’s legislation would expand Virginia’s representation on the airports authority board from five members to nine. Maryland would remain at two members, D.C. at three members, and presidential appointees would remain at three, as well. With the legislation, Virginia would have more board members than all other constituents combined.
“With both airports located in Virginia and with northern Virginia residents and local governments providing a lion’s share of the revenue for the Dulles rail project, it is only fair that the majority of the board be Virginians,” Wolf said.
The legislation would also allow the governors of Virginia and Maryland, the mayor of D.C. and the president, to remove board members appointed by their predecessors.
