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By Mike Hixenbaugh The Virginian-Pilot May 16, 2012 VIRGINIA BEACH After a year without raises, the city"s firefighters unionhas come out against light rail, delivering a potential blow to thecity"s efforts to win public support for the system. The city"s police officers will meet Thursday night toconsider taking a similar stance. Public teachers might do the sameif the city can't guarantee the project won"t cut into futureeducation funding. Supporters of light rail meanwhile have sought to downplay thisopposition six months ahead of a referendum question that, whilenon-binding, could help decide the fate of the city"s topeconomic development priority. Voters will be asked this fall if they support extending The Tidelight rail system from Norfolk into the city. Opposition amongpublic employees has the potential to derail that effort, politicalobservers said. Mayor Will Sessoms said he was surprised and disappointed when helearned members of Virginia Beach Professional Firefighters hadvoted last week to oppose The Tide in the Nov. 6 referendum.Firefighters voted a day after the City Council approved a $2billion budget package that raised the real estate tax rate but didnot include raises for city employees. Sessoms and other light rail advocates said they wouldn"tsupport expanding the system if it came at the expense of publicsafety or education. "I honestly don"t understand where they"re comingfrom," Sessoms said. A consultant estimated last year it would cost $807 million toextend light rail to the Oceanfront, or $254 million to take it ashorter distance to Town Center, though the project would becontingent upon federal and state funding. Norfolk contributed about $56 million out of the $318 millionneeded to build its 7.4 mile starter line, which opened in Augustand has exceeded ridership expectations. It"s estimated thecity will spend between $6 million and $7 million a year to operatethe line. "Even in the depths of the recession, what have we not cut?Public safety." Sessoms said. "We"ve worked toensure we have a safe city and well-educated city. We even raisedtaxes to make sure that was the case." There"s no guarantee light rail wouldn"t chip away atpublic safety funding, said William Bailey, president of thefirefighters group. The city"s fire department is alreadyunderstaffed, he said. "The budget has been bleak," Bailey said."It"s our position that the city shouldn"t bespending money on light rail if it can"t afford to hireadditional firefighters or take care of the obligations it alreadyhas." Chip Condon, president of the Virginia Beach Police SupervisorsAssociation, said his group and another representing thecity"s 806 officers will meet Thursday to vote on taking asimilar position. "I think we"ll probably go down the same path as thefirefighters," Condon said. The Virginia Beach Education Association might do the same laterthis year if the city fails to reinstate a funding agreement todivide tax revenues between the city and schools, said DominicMelito, association president. All of that could spell trouble for light rail, said Brian Kirwin,a political consultant in Virginia Beach who has polled residentson their support for the line. The referendum will be moredifficult to pass if outside groups frame it as a choice betweentrains and firefighters or teachers. Voters here rejected light rail in a 1999 referendum. Opponentsspent tens of thousands of dollars ahead of that vote to convinceresidents the system would cost too much and do little to reducetraffic congestion. "Every endorsement matters, but it"s what you do withit that"s most important." Kirwin said. "What arethey going to do to make their position known? Will there be an adcampaign? Will there be rallies?" The firefighters group plans to hire a film crew to create shortadvertisements explaining their opposition, said Bailey, whounsuccessfully lobbied the City Council to acceleratestate-mandated changes to local retirement contributions in therecent budget. Councilman Jim Wood said he doesn"t understand thefirefighter group"s opposition. He noted that fewer than 10percent of the city"s 435 firefighters were at the unionmeeting when they voted to oppose light rail. Police officers hehas spoken with are divided on the issue, Wood said. "I would hope everyone would take the opportunity to learnabout the merits of approving mass transit before making adecision," he said. Retired fire department division chief Jimmy Kellam is a boardmember with Light Rail Now, a advocacy group created a couple ofyears by Virginia Beach business leaders. He"s been lobbyingBailey and other firefighters to rethink their opposition. "The referendum is not obligating the city to spend any moneyat all," Kellam said. "All it"s saying is thatcitizens would like to see it pursued, and then getting the fundingwould be another issue." Mike Hixenbaugh, (757) 222-5117, mike.hixenbaugh@pilotonline.com. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Waterproof Phone Holder , China Sound Effects Keychain, and more. For more , please visit Key Finder Keychain today!
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