MCC Asked to Give Taxpayers More Information

A former officer of the McLean Citizens Association and the president of one of McLean's best-known homeowners associations asked the McLean Community Center Board to give taxpayers more information about the MCC budget, contracts and agendas.

Bill Denk, former MCA treasurer, and president of the El Nido Homeowners Association, recently sponsored a motion, unanimously adopted by the MCA board, asking the MCC Board to release a $100,000 taxpayer-funded report and, perhaps, consider refunding to taxpayers their $12 million surplus.

Denk, continuing to pursue residents' right to know more about how the MCC board operates, attended the board's Wednesday meeting. He gave MCC president Kevin Dent and other board members a suggested list of items to add to the MCC website.

Denk's list* included: a copy of the MCC's $6 million budget and a single sheet summarizing the budget and the balances.

McLean residents live in a special tax district and pay additional taxes to support the community center. Denk suggested adding a map showing the district's boundaries. Also a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding that explains how MCC operates as an agency of Fairfax County government. (The board reports to the Board of Supervisors through the Dranesville supervisor.)

Denk said he made the request because he went to the MCC website and coudn't find these items and others.

"I needed the information to do the draft of the MCA letter to the MCCGB (McLean Community Center Governing Board).  I needed to authoritatively quote (rather than relying on the press) the actual $12M balance in the MCC account. I was seeking the tax rate for District One and did not find it. I was seeking for background the detailed ballot question words that the McLean district residents originally voted on (and the exact date) approving the establishment of the tax district some 40 years ago," and he couldn't find it.
 
"Also, as I said last evening, the 'minutes' of previous meetings are not posted on the website, only the agendas of meetings," Denk said. "Which leaves the public not knowing if motions were passed nor any background information."

Dent told Denk at the meeting, "These are good suggestions. ... ‘Frankly, it’s much appreciated. ... Thank you for your time.”

After the meeting, McLean Patch asked Dent what action the board would take on the requests. "I believe that some of what he identified is already included on the MCC website. We will investigate how best to include the other information suggested by Mr. Denk as part of our current initiative to enhance and expand MCC's website (and other social media capabilities) as a way of communicating more directly and efficiently with the McLean community," Dent said. " Any citizen is welcome to attend our upcoming Communications Committee meetings (the dates of which are posted on our website) where this initiative will be discussed and developed prior to being presented to full Governing Board."

The MCC Board has not answered the Citizens Association request to release the $100,000 report paid for by taxpayers. Dent said he has created a group to review the request.

The MCA board voted unanimously June 1 to ask the MCC board to release to taxpayers a copy of a $100,000 consultant's report concerning the MCC's plans to replace the Old Firehouse Teen Center in downtown McLean.  Dent led that fight for the public's right to know the contents of the secret report.

"Under these circumstances, the MCA Board simply does not feel that this study should be withheld from the public even though it may be related to a potential real estate transaction," the MCA letter said.

The MCC board has said that the Virginia Freedom of Information law allows it to discuss real estate negotiations in private and the report is part of those negotiations.

 *Here the complete list of the information that Denk asked be added to the MCC website.

Financial Information

• Budget
• Balance Sheet/Expenditures
• 15-page PDF from County Budget Document

    Public Law

• PL Cite and copy of current PL Charter
• History of Establishment

 Map of the District (special taxing district)

 Clarification of Agendas or Posting of Minutes

• Do “motions” indicate passage?
• Are there minutes published?

  Contracts

• Post contracts awarded or up for competition