NORFOLK (AP) -- A public hearing on whether Virginia should turn over the operation of its port terminals to a private company has been set for July 17.
State lawmakers who have formed a special working group to advise the governor on the decision will hold the hearing at Norfolk's Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center. The hearing follows the unsolicited proposal to do so that is valued at nearly $4 billion.
The Port of Virginia is currently the third-largest port on the East Coast, but state officials have been frustrated that it hasn't rebounded back from the recession as quickly as its competitors in New York and Savannah, Ga., have. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell replaced 10 of the port authority's 11 commissioners last year in an effort to spur growth.
AP-WF-07-10-12 0747GMT
