|
|
||
Assembly is in second day of special session Date published: 6/25/2008
RICHMOND-- The Fredericksburg region could pay an additional 1 percent sales tax for roads under an amendment put on two transportation revenue bills yesterday.Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, wrote the amendment--which will help Fredericksburg and Richmond areas--because he said those areas are being bypassed by a focus on transportation needs in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. "They're not part of either region, yet these are the two fastest-growing areas in the entire state," Houck said. "I want our region to have a regional plan This takes a step toward having a regional component for Fredericksburg." Lawmakers were in the second day of a special session on transportation, with much of the discussion involving ways to get more money for roads in those congested two regions. The Fredericksburg area is outside the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority area. Houck's plan says that any metropolitan planning area where there are more than 8.5 million vehicle lane miles traveled in a year will automatically be subject to the 1 percent sales tax increase. In effect, that means Fredericksburg and Richmond. The Fredericksburg region has already passed that threshold, Houck said. If passed, the sales tax increase would go into effect a year from now. Houck said the money would stay in the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for use on local projects, although for bookkeeping purposes it would go to a special fund administered by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Houck attached his amendment to two Senate bills that include a variety of tax increases to provide money for statewide maintenance needs, as well as additional increases in Northern Virginia and Tidewater. One bill, from Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, increases the gas tax 6 cents over the next six years, plus another half-percent on the auto titling tax, and includes other provisions for Northern Virginia and Tidewater. The other, from Sen. Chuck Colgan, D-Prince William, increases the vehicle titling tax by three-fourths of a percent, and indexes the gas tax to compete with inflation. It also eliminates the remaining half-cent tax on food. Those two bills will be recommended to the full Senate Finance Committee this morning; a subcommittee heard them yesterday. The committee is likely to pass them on to the full Senate for a vote.
If there were any doubts as to the stupidity of burdening County residents with additional taxes to subsidize a small number of VRE commuters, on top of increased real estate taxes and, now, the probability of this 1% increase. How could anyone justify a total increase, just on the tax on gas, of 3% when some folks are already struggling in today's economy?
"Amendment benefits Fredericksburg area" should read "Local Senator Pushes Higher Local Taxes"....
|
|
||||||||||||||
