A proposal that would enable county governments in Northern Virginia to generate funding for local transportation projects will be among the bills the commonwealth’s General Assembly considers next year.
Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis, R-Vienna, told The Examiner that she plans to introduce legislation next month when the legislature starts its 2007 session that would allow local governments to increase the sales tax, hike a tax homeowners pay when selling their homes and impose higher first-time vehicle registration fees. She said the increases would raise $400 million a year for transportation if every Northern Virginia jurisdiction enacted them.
Northern Virginia localities have had the option for several years to impose a higher income tax to pay for transportation projects but have not done so, citing the requirement that citizens approve the hike in a referendum and a five-year limit on the higher tax, which local officials say does not allow enough time to raise sufficient revenues.
Davis-Devolites’ bill would delete those never-used powers. The legislation does not include a time limit on the new tax increases or require a referendum.
“All the money would all stay in Northern Virginia, which is what our constituents want,” she said.
The legislature’s inaction this year on transportation funding frustrated local government officials in Northern Virginia, who point out Virginia law gives responsibility for funding transportation to the state government.
They want to see the General Assembly enact revenue-generating measures, not shift the decisions to them.
“There are a lot of solutions available to the General Assembly if the General Assembly will step up and meets its obligations,” said Gerry Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Anti-tax Republicans, including some from Northern Virginia, will fight the bill.
Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge, found the tax on home sales especially objectionable.
“We have people who have to sell their homes because of high property taxes and then we are going to take them again as they go out the door?” he said. “I don’t think so.”
