Despite tensions between Fairfax and MWAA, the Fairfax County Board on Tuesday rejected a proposal by Supervisor Pat Herrity, R-Springfield, that they write Northern Virginia’s congressional delegation to officially express support for legislation that would add four Virginia representatives to the MWAA board, effectively giving the state control of a regional board that also includes representatives from Maryland, the District and the federal government. Instead, supervisors are now considering writing to Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., who sponsored the legislation at the request of state officials, saying they’re not sure the bill is the right approach to take.
Supervisors acknowledged their frustration with MWAA, but said Wolf’s legislation would only anger MWAA board members from Maryland and the District.
“We always have enough votes to demand what people in the region want to do,” said Supervisor Jeff McKay, D-Lee. “When you see a bill like this introduced, all it does it make our regional partners dig in further.”
Others said the legislation would serve as a wake-up call to MWAA. Virginia deserves more say on the board, they said, given that it is home to two of MWAA’s three airports and the Dulles Rail project known as the Silver Line.
“It’s an expression of my view for our support of looking at organizations that need a good look,” said Supervisor John Cook, R-Braddock. “We need to be reviewing their structure. We need to be reviewing their performances.”
Fairfax’s problems with the MWAA board stem from a dispute earlier this year over the cost of a proposed underground Metro station at Washington Dulles International Airport, which MWAA was insisting on building even though Fairfax and Loudoun counties, which are paying part of the cost, wanted the cheaper aboveground station. The authority eventually agreed to approve the cheaper station.
With that dispute now mostly resolved, Fairfax County Board Chairman Sharon Bulova said that demanding that Virginia have control of the MWAA board might just reignite tensions.
