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NVTA needs tax increases, fees from assembly to keep running
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The first assumes a special General Assembly session will raise taxes to pay for transportation projects. That would require $1.2 million for the NVTA to hire six staff members and administer hundreds of millions of dollars in new road and rail improvements across the region.
The other option uses about $350,000 to pay off debts and close shop, assuming the General Assembly is unable to replace the $336 million in tax dollars the Virginia Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in February.
“Our fate is in the hands of other people,” NVTA Chairman Chris Zimmerman told The Examiner.
“If they give us the go-ahead, we’ll get right on it, but if we don’t get the money the region needs, this thing will be mothballed, and traffic will continue to get worse.”
Local lawmakers are not optimistic the General Assembly will approve tax increases to pay for road and rail improvements in the region in the special session, which starts June 23.
The organization, formed in 2001, would continue holding regular meetings without new money, but would eliminate the staff, consisting of Executive Director John Mason, pay off the accumulated lawyer and accounting fees, and terminate the Fairfax office lease.
The General Assembly last year gave the NVTA the authority to levy seven taxes and fees, but the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the plan unconstitutional just over two months into collecting the new taxes, prompting millions of refunds still under way.
Though lawmakers including Del. Dave Albo, R-Springfield, are developing their own transportation tax plans, “They’re all dead unless people can figure out how to get the [leadership] on board,” he said.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, and Republican House Speaker William Howell, R-Fredericksburg, have sharply different philosophies on solving the transportation tax gridlock.
A stalemate is bad for everyone, said Del. Adam Ebbin, D-Arlington. “With gas over $4 a gallon, the public does not want to continue to sit in traffic.”
dgenz@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
8:15 AM MST on Wed., Jun. 11, 2008 re: "NVTA needs tax increases, fees from assembly to keep running"
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8:00 PM MST on Thu., Mar. 13, 2008
re: "Tax verdict may threaten park and sewer fees"
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9:55 AM MST on Thu., Mar. 6, 2008
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8:59 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 5, 2008
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10:50 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 4, 2008
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8:47 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 4, 2008
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11:37 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 15, 2008
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re: "Transportation projects on tap for region"
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3:30 PM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008
re: "Va. justices question NVTA power to tax"
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6:43 AM MST on Fri., Nov. 30, 2007
re: "N.Va’s ability to collect taxes for transit projects on trial"
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7:00 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 11, 2007
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Northern Virginia Dummies! said:
If you like higher taxes, vote for Gerald Connolly for Congress, 11th District. He loves higher taxes. So does Obama. You ain't seen noth'in yet!
0 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
they also said the civil fees on driveing was going to be repealed to and the money collected paid back its already been passed to be repealed said it would be as soon as the gov sighns it that was 3 weeks ago and its still not been sighned i think the people that have paid money out on those stupid fines should sue for interest on the money as well if the gov is gone drag his feet and not sighn it to hold your money longer,they should have to pay the people interest.
13 agree | 2 disagree
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Abolish the NVTA said:
The situation demonstrates a complete failure to plan, effectively manage and account for some fairly simple issues. If the NVTA can’t handle the basics, how do we reasonably expect them to handle the terribly complex issues associated with Northern Virginia transportation? Fairfax County has already attempted to divert some $30 million of the NVTA funds to help balance their existing transit budget. How can we trust that future funds will be used as intended? The NVTA has failed in its mission. It has had its taxation powers invalidated as unconstitutional; and has been discredited with the public. It’s time to put this flawed, anti-democratic, unelected body to rest and move onto better solutions. Hopefully, our elected leaders will face these issues head on, learn from the failure of last year’s transportation bill and take the time needed to create reasonable, bi-partisan, cost-effective, long-term solutions without doing more end runs around the voters.
8 agree | 5 disagree
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GMU92 said:
So now people have to go scrounging around for a car rental receipt that was probably tossed out weeks ago? And why do people have to present receipts for taxes paid on car purchases and registrations?...the state already has that data, it is their job to fix the mess. I still can't believe that they actually started collecting the taxes BEFORE the Virginia Supreme Court ruled on the matter. The ineptitude in this state is mind boggling.
8 agree | 3 disagree
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SomeITguy said:
Got to love this one. The NVTA told people they were going to keep collecting while the court decided becauise they thought it was going to be upheld. Now they have no backout plan. I plan to sue for the interest on my money as well as the refund. They could have NOT collected the tax until the court announced it's decision and they would not be in this position.
23 agree | 21 disagree
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Chambek said:
Never met a politician that didn't need more taxpayers money and less taxpayer interfearance. Snail mailing out instructions to stop collecting an illegal tax is faster than email? Yea - got it. Vote !
26 agree | 24 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Because of these taxes imposed, I believe illegally, I will never sell my house (will rent instead) nor will I ever buy a new car in VA. I also use a mechanic shop in another state. Many of the slow times are slower on purpose! If a person sells because they can no longer afford to live here or to downsize due to a fixed income - VA will take even more $ of their lowered bottem line. There were double digit tax increases for a decade due to housing assessment increases - taxes have not come down - they went WAY up & are still there. VA Gov is just not getting EVEN MORE $ over the previous yr - so they make up new taxes in the guise of fees!! That's how the VA St. leg. supports their own downtrodden.
55 agree | 51 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Are the home owner sellers the only ones who travel in Virginia Roads, that they have to be the ones to pay this abussive penalty? and that on top of loosing lots of money in the actual real state market, and furthermore on money assessed but not received since the real market price is lower than the assessed value that milks also to the homeowners? An angered selling home owner
78 agree | 65 disagree
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Reid Greenmun said:
HB 3202 is a cancer upon our Republic and must be abolished. HB 320 stands up all-appointed regional taxing authorities that citizen have no control over. Our state requires a regional referendum to ask the citizens if they desire to stand up a regional government. HB 3202 and other such bills seek a backdoor to avoid the effort required to earn the support of voters at the ballot box. The regional taxing authorities created by HB 3202 are a dishonest attempt to create taxation without representation.
89 agree | 91 disagree
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terelli said:
Will this tax, which affects real estate transactions, help or hurt the current housing marketplace? Sellers (and those buying from builders) will have to pay 5x more than "usual"....which, in my situation, makes a 500 dollar tax go to 2500 dollars.
91 agree | 89 disagree
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Loudoun Tea Party said:
County Resident has it all wrong. While I agree that the way the state devides up the taxes is unfair to NoVa, what is to stop them from giving us LESS now that we are taxing ourselves? Now we will pay for the roads in NoVa with the local tax and the roads in the the rest of VA with our income and gas taxes. Mark my words, Richmond will send NoVa LESS money now and they will justify it by saying that we have another revenue source.
75 agree | 75 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
What is the tipping point? All the taxes and fees, federal and state, county and city, for every thing imaginable. I give up, trying to be a working stiff and have a nice little house. Might as well live like in Russia. I pretend to work, and the government pretends to pay.
110 agree | 103 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
If non-elected government officials can raise/levy taxes, how can the public exercise it rightful recourse ? With elected politicians we at lease have the opportunity to vote them out, but with appointed officials, we are stuck with them for life.
184 agree | 178 disagree
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Masonman said:
That's all we need, another layer of government to pick our pockets. Not sure about the rest of you but my family pays more than our fair share of taxes. The answer here is to better spend the money collected. Focus on the real issues, don't try to all things to all people.
169 agree | 177 disagree
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County Resident said:
WFY - You are absolutely correct, but the alternative pushed by Kaine and the Taxocrats was to raise state taxes higher and send even more money to Richmond for distribution elsewhere. Any statewide tax increase is unfair to NoVA residents. If we need more tax dollars, raise them locally and spend them locally.
227 agree | 170 disagree
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WFY said:
How delightful, we get the privilege of taxing ourselves more even though we get back much less than we send to Richmond. I'm tired of subsidizing the rest of the commonwealth.
192 agree | 175 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Aren't taxes already high enough? I recently moved to the area, and know that Loudoun county will already charge $4600 per year on my property, and that I will be liable for approx. $2500 in transfer tax already. More taxes imposed on property sales will hurt the number of sales as people will hold onto property longer to outrun the cost of this newly proposed tax, thus harming the already struggling housing market. I agree with this article, too, that anyone with half a brain cell will simply drive to a neighboring county in order to get services at a reduced rate. By imposing taxes on services, you will simply push those providing those services in the affected counties out fo business as customers move outside of the counties affected. Instead of levying new taxes, let's take a look at how the money is currently being spent, especially with an audit of cost overruns on current projects and overhead that is going nowhere (or into someone's pocket) instead of into our road
208 agree | 177 disagree
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