Providence Candidate Charlie Hall Assails Closed Meetings on Rail
Patterns of Secrecy and Exclusion Thwarts Goal of Informed Citizenry, Hall Says
April 23, 2007

Charlie Hall, candidate for County Supervisor from the Providence District, called upon County, state, Dulles Rail, and Metro officials to end the pattern of secrecy surrounding the Metro rail extension project.

Hall said that continuing closed-door sessions by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the rail project are a serious violation of the public interest. He noted that the board already has held two secret discussions on the $4 billion proposal, and that a third was scheduled to be held during Monday's board meeting.

"It is unacceptable that our local elected officials spend hour after hour behind closed doors discussing Dulles Rail and the proposed Tyson elevated train," Hall said. "This is the largest public works project in Northern Virginia history, and one of the most controversial. The Board of Supervisors must open the doors to the public right now."

Hall, who is challenging Supervisor Linda Smyth (D-Providence) in a June 12 primary, noted that state and local bodies have kept the public in the dark with a series of closed-door meetings, including two prior executive sessions by the Board of Supervisors. The Virginia Coalition for Open Government said a March 12 Board of Supervisors meeting should have been open under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

"The board has been specifically challenged on its legal justification for these closed-door meetings, and yet the supervisors continue to hold them," Hall said. "The bottom line is that people have a right to know about decisions that will affect their everyday lives. There is no legitimate reason to keep this process hidden from the public."

Noting the major implications of the project to the region, and the costs to taxpayers and especially Dulles Toll Road users, Hall challenged all involved parties--including County, state, Metro, Dulles Rail and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority leaders to open their discussions and decision-making processes to the public.

The state has declined to disclose details of the agreement with builders of the first phase of the Dulles rail project. A news report indicated that specifics of the agreement remain subject to change, resulting in questions regarding the ultimate outcome and cost of the project. This prompted the chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission to call for disclosure.

Links to articles on closed meetings:

http://www.examiner.com/a-671697~Fairfax_board_again_discusses_Dulles_rail_in_closed_session.html

http://www.examiner.com/a-663478~Board_may_have_violated_FOIA_in_closed_door_Dulles_rail_discussion.html