MCC Board Candidates: What They Said, What They Did

McLean Patch will assess claims made by candidates running for election as many newspapers do.

Sean Dunn and Risa Sanders, both incumbents looking for re-election, have made claims concerning the tax rates that the Community Center board sets. McLean citizens pay for more than half of the expense of running the center through an additional tax on their property.

Dunn, who is seeking his third term, said: "I have represented the community on the Governing Board for six years now. As chairman for two years and treasurer for two years, I've supported or introduced three successive tax rate reductions, maintained a healthy vigilance on MCC expenses ..."

FACT: Here are the tax rates set by the board during Dunn's years on the board:

Dunn initially opposed lowering the 2012 tax rate paid by residents. As head of the Finance Committee, Dunn recommended a budget that kept the current tax rates. At one meeting of the finance committee, board member Craig Richardson asked about lowering the rate and  Dunn said no.

The McLean Community Center board  meeting at its Sept. 22 meeting was about to adopt the FY 2012 budget recommended by Dunn’s committee with no change in the tax rate.

Then Dunn said, Dranesville Supervisor John Foust  had requested a slight decrease in the tax rate by .001 cents. After much discussion and division among board members, the finally agreed to the mini-reduction.

That reduction means if your home is assessed for $600,000, you save $6. If your home is assessed for $800,000, you save $8.

FACT: During Dunn's two terms on the board the McLean Community Center surplus has grown by  nearly $8 million and now stands at more than $12 million.

The board has accumulated this surplus by collecting more in property taxes than they needed to run the center.

Risa Sanders, who is seeking her second term, said: "I am honored to be completing my first term on the MCC Governing Board. Among my proudest achievements are: ... Voting for a decrease in the tax rate each year."

Here are the tax rates set by the board during Sanders two years on the board:

Sanders originally opposed lowering the tax rate during the board's budget discussion at its Sept. 22 meeting. Dunn proposed slightly lowering the rate at the request of Supervisor John Foust.

Risa Sanders, along with Board members Kevin Dent and Jay Howell, said they feared the center might not have enough money for unexpected expenses if the rate was even slightly lowered.

Board member Robin Walker was alone in saying, "I think it's in good faith that the board lower it. We are now stockpiling loads of money. ... We have nothing planned, and we're not going to keep (accumulating) a huge stock pile of money."

Board chair David Sanders (no relation to Risa) finally said, "My personal view is we do have a large surplus and keeping a large surplus is not fair to the people paying to that surplus."

He added that many McLean taxpayers are senior citizens living on fixed incomes.

For the final vote, Howell and Sanders changed their minds.  They joined Dunn, Lee DiCenso, Craig Richardson and Walker in lowering the rate. Dent was the lone opposing vote. He said the board had earlier agreed to a flat budget. David Sanders, as chair, did not vote.

Source: All the numbers in this story come from the McLean Community Center section of the Fairfax County budget and from documents distributed at meetings of the center board and the center finance committee.