James City County and Williamsburg can easily afford to pay the debt for the buildings they are constructing, their financial advisors assure us. But an increasingly vocal group of taxpayers are asking whether that is the best use of their money.
Economists call the decisions governments make on where to spend tax dollars “Public-Sector budget prioritization”. Businesses call it business spending priorities. We consumers talk about consumer choices.
Critics say the $895 million that the three localities in the Historic Triangle will spend over the next few decades could be used for a variety of other purposes besides putting up libraries and government centers.
Our local governments are currently on track to pay an average of $40 million a year on debt service. That is well within their capacity, according to Davenport and Company, their financial advisor.
But critics say that money could go in part to schools…