Nearly $1 Million More Needed for Downtown Undergrounding Project

Fairfax County ended Fiscal year 2012 with a $13.4 million surplus or carryover of which nearly $1 million is proposed to pay for unexpectedly higher costs of putting utility lines underground in downtown McLean.

Fairfax County executive Ed Long presented the year-end accounting for the just completed 2012 Fiscal Year, called the Carryover Budget, Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors.

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust said last year the county always has a carryover at the end of a fiscal year because it conservatively estimates revenues. Last year's carryover was

The downtown under-grounding utilities which is underway along Chain Bridge Road, was originally budgeted for about $2.5 million

The General Fund transfer to fund the under-grounding of utility wires in the center of downtown McLean "is increased by $950,000 " the Carryover budget stated.

"The construction contract for digging the trenches and placing the conduits associated with the infrastructure for the under-grounding of the utilities and the utility company estimate to bury the electrical wires were both higher than anticipated," the report explained.

Foust said "if the carry-over item gets approved, it will mean that we have funding up to about $3.5 million."

"The solid cost number we have is the contract for the duct bank installation which came in at $2.3 million. That portion of the project has funding of about $2.5 million to also include contingencies and other support costs. If the carry-over item gets approved, there will be an additional $950,000 to fund the estimated cost of the utility companies pulling the cables," Foust explained.

Citizens will be a chance to tell the supervisors how they should spend the $13.4 million surplus at a Sept. 11 public hearing.