Northern Virginians will begin paying new taxes and fees to fund transportation Jan. 1 even though the state Supreme Court will not have ruled on the levies’ legality.

The state’s high court is scheduled to hear arguments in January in a lawsuit challenging the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s power to impose the new taxes and fees.

The landmark transportation-funding package enacted in April granted the taxing powers to the NVTA. An Arlington judge upheld the NVTA’s powers, but the group initially intended to wait until the Supreme Court’s decision came down.

“We realized we need to start right away,” said David Snyder, who heads the authority’s legal subcommittee. “We would rather have to deal with refunds than give up the revenue we would not collect during that waiting period.”

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The new taxes will be imposed on vehicle repairs (5 percent), rental cars (2 percent), hotel and motel rooms (2 percent), first-time vehicle registrations (1 percent) and land sales (40 cents per $100 of assessed value). The package also adds $10 to vehicle safety inspections and registrations in the region. No revenue will be spent until the Supreme Court rules.

“I am still opposed to the taxes and fees being collected, but if they are going to be collected, it seems to me that the NVTA should get on with its work,” said Del. Jeff Frederick, R-Prince William County, an NVTA member who fought the funding package.

Other opponents of the transportation plan, however, are upset that the NVTA is plowing ahead.

“It shows how excited they are to raise taxes,” said James Parmalee, head of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. “Some of the fees would be easier to refund than others. It is one thing when the government has a record and can send you a refund check, but every single auto repair shop would have the burden of refunding money to all of their customers.”

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com