As a member of Northern Virginia Transit Authority Jennifer Wexton voted to support a toll of $17 for commuters on Interstate 66. She has denied her vote but there is now proof she’s not being truthful. How silly for her to think she could lie about it. Her opponent, Republican Stephen Hollingshead has the proof and today issued the following press release.
WEXTON VOTES TO SUPPORT $17 TOLLS ON I-66
Hollingshead Pledges to Oppose McAuliffe Tolling Plan<nbsp;>
Minutes of the October 1 Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) reveal that State Senator Jennifer Wexton (D, Leesburg) cast a vote to authorize the NVTC Chairman to testify to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) that the NVTC is “excited” about the governor’s plan to charge tolls on I-66 inside the Beltway, which the testimony also refers to as a transportation “milestone” it wishes to “celebrate.”
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Copies of the minutes and of the draft testimony that NVTC members were asked to authorize are attached, with relevant portions highlighted.
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At the Candidates’ Night at the ADAMS Center on October 9, Wexton’s opponent in the November 3 election, Stephen Hollingshead (R, Leesburg) pointed out Wexton’s vote in favor of this draft testimony, holding up a copy. Wexton responded, calling the claim a “falsehood” — that she had never voted in favor of tolling. Today, the Hollingshead campaign acquired a copy of the minutes of the meeting (attached) that demonstrate the senator did in fact vote to authorize NVTC testimony praising the governor’s plan to toll I-66. The governor’s tolling plan would require commuters from Leesburg to DC to pay $757 per month in tolls — almost double what they pay now.
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“Many 33rd Senate District commuters already pay just over $17 a day to drive the Greenway and the Tollway,” Hollingshead said. “It is ridiculous to ask them to pay ANOTHER $17 a day to prop up a failing Metro system and to build jogging paths in Arlington. I pledge to fight this plan in the state senate — commuters already pay high tolls to support Metro, and confiscating even more of their money to drive on an already-existing road is a non-starter. My opponent has claimed not to support more tolls, but her vote to authorize NVTC support of the plan is evidence she will let the transit cronies have their way.”
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Virginia’s 33rd Senate District includes portions of eastern Loudoun and western Fairfax counties, and is home to many commuters in Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Brambleton, Herndon, and Chantilly.
Embedded below are the NVTC Consent Agenda for October 1 Meeting (1 page); draft Testimony that commissioners were asked to authorize in the vote (2 pages); and draft minutes of the meeting obtained from NVTC, recording the vote (2 pages).
Wexton should be ashamed of misleading the voters like this, but we know she won’t be. The question is whether the media covering this race at the Loudoun-Times Mirror, Leesburg Today, and Washington Post will call her on it, or be complicit in the lie.
