Fiscal Straits Debated by Fairfax Rivals For Top Job

The Republican candidate for Fairfax County's top political post, Supervisor Pat S. Herrity, said yesterday that his Democratic rival had failed to rein in spending as the county headed into an economic crisis.

Herrity's criticism of Supervisor Sharon S. Bulova (D-Braddock) came at their first major debate of the special election campaign, less than three weeks before voters are scheduled to choose a successor to former Board of Supervisors chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D).

Bulova, a 21-year member of the board and a Connolly ally, defended her record and Fairfax's political leadership. She said her long-standing efforts on behalf of a flourishing county offer ample proof that she is best suited to tackle the projected $650 million hole in next year's county budget.

The county's financial woes dominated the largely polite debate between two of Connolly's former colleagues on the board. Four candidates are competing Feb. 3 to replace Connolly, who this month was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Also on the ballot are independents Christopher DeCarlo and Carey Campbell, neither of whom participated in yesterday's debate in Annandale.

"We've done things like spent $200 million over the last few years to buy apartments and created a large housing bureaucracy and become among the largest landlords in the county," said Herrity (R-Springfield). "We haven't had anybody on the board with . . . the financial discipline to say no."

Bulova, who heads the board's budget committee, sought to portray herself as a careful steward of the public's money who has directed tax dollars toward such priorities as schools, public safety and environmental programs. But she said she is ready to scale back spending now that the budget forecast has darkened.

"If we are going to address this very serious economic downturn that Fairfax County is affected by, it is going to take someone who can work deliberately and who can work effectively and receive the cooperation of our colleagues," Bulova said.

Herrity, however, criticized Bulova's leadership of the budget committee over a decade during which tax bills doubled and spending soared. The Republican said he would consider dramatic measures to keep taxes low. For example, he suggested reversing course on a three-year-old initiative to use a penny of each real estate tax dollar to preserve affordable housing.

He said the county has failed to attract new businesses to contribute to its tax base, leaving too much of the burden on homeowners.

At the same time, Herrity criticized the school system for spending too much money on "wants" while allowing teacher salaries to become less competitive. Teacher pay represents about 60 percent of the system's $2.2 billion budget.

In addition to their different approaches to the budget, the two appeared divided on the development of Tysons Corner. Bulova pledged her full support for remaking Tysons Corner into an urban locale. Herrity said the board has proceeded without sufficient regard to fiscal prudence or the impact on traffic.

Herrity reminded the audience at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce-sponsored debate that his father, John F. "Jack" Herrity (R), served 12 years as board chairman in the 1970s and 1980s.

"I had the great fortune to grow up around the kitchen table, learning about the value of leadership and public service from my late father," he said. "But I've been a successful businessman and a community, civic and sports leader in my own right."

Bulova also looked to the past, saying she steered the county through the recession years of the early 1990s, after which Fairfax "not only landed on our feet, but landed on our feet better than we had been before," she said.

Adding urgency to the race is this week's stunning special election to replace former state delegate Brian Moran (D), who stepped down to run for governor. Although the Alexandria area 46th District is heavily Democratic, Democrat Charniele Herring defeated Republican Joe Murray by only 16 votes in a low-turnout race.

The results suggest that none of the candidates can expect party affiliation alone to secure a victory.