Sales tax bill coming back next year

Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington, told The Examiner she will try again to guide a tax increase through the General Assembly when it reconvenes next month.

The increase would generate about $50 million, which would be Virginia’s share of federal matching funds required by legislation being pushed by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va. The Davis bill would allocate $150 million a year to the District, Maryland and Virginia for Metro projects if they come up with $150 million in annual matching funds. “This is certainly a great opportunity to help our region,” Whipple said. “You can’t find a much better deal than this.”

The legislation sailed through the Senate on a 37-3 vote earlier this year but met its demise in the House Finance Committee, which was a graveyard for transportation-funding bills during the 2006 session. “Things might be different this session,” Whipple said.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, thinks Whipple will have to wait longer. “There’s no chance for it this time,” he said. “We’ll have to see what happens with the elections in November 2007. The 2008 session could be a different story.”

If Whipple is unsuccessful, the state’s share of the funding could come from other sources. A group of Northern Virginia lawmakers are crafting a fee-increase package that would generate $400 million a year for transportation projects in the region, including the $50 million a year in federal matching funds.

Northern Virginia’s traffic problems have become so severe in recent years that segments of the business community have pushed for sales-tax increases to fund projects and transit services.

“Anyone who doesn’t think the congestion imposes a heavy tax on Northern Virginians either doesn’t think about it or lives a very sheltered life,” said Doug Guernsey, CEO of Guernsey Office Products and a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance.

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com