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Transportation Sales Tax Referendum
Vote Tuesday November
5th
FACT SHEET
In 2002 the General Assembly passed
legislation requiring a referendum in nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions to
determine whether voters support an increase of one-half cent (0.5 cents) on
the sales and use tax, except on food purchased for human consumption and prescription
and non-prescription drugs. The revenue would be devoted to road projects (60%)
and transit projects (40%) in Northern Virginia.
The sunset provision states that the increased sales and
use tax will terminate upon completion and implementation of the Northern Virginia
Regional Transportation Program and upon final payment of principal and interest
on all bonds.
The legislation provides that sales tax revenue cannot
be used to calculate and reduce state transportation funds available to localities.
The
text on the ballot will read:
Shall an additional sales and use tax of one-half of one percent be imposed
in Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County,
the City of Alexandria, the City of Fairfax, the City of Falls Church, the City
of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park, with the revenues to be used solely
for regional transportation projects and programs as specified in Chapter 853
of the Acts of Assembly of 2002?
If
the referendum is approved by the voters, the Northern Virginia Transportation
Authority can use the proceeds from the ˝ cent increase in the sales tax to
issue debt not to exceed $2.8 billion in bonds for specified projects in the
Northern Virginia 2020 Transportation Plan and to pay the interest and principal
on that debt.
THE PROJECTS
SPECIFIED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR FUNDING ARE:
Dulles Corridor Transit (locality share)
$350,000,000
I-66 Improvements and Rail Extension (I-495 to Route 15)
$300,000,000
I-95/I-395 Improvements and Transit Improvements
$250,000,000
Route 1 Transit Improvements (Arlington, Alexandria)
$ 75,000,000
Route 1 Improvements (Fairfax and Prince William)
$150,000,000
Route 28 Improvements (Loudoun and Fairfax )
$ 50,000,000
Route 28 Improvements (Prince William)
$ 50,000,000
I-495 Improvements and Transit Improvements
$200,000,000
Fairfax County Parkway
$125,000,000
Tri-County/Loudoun Parkway
$100,000,000
VRE New Railcar Purchase
$100,000,000
Eisenhower Valley Highway & Transit Improvements
$ 25,000,000
Route 234 bypass/Route 659 Relocated
$ 50,000,000
Metrorail Infrastructure Replacement Program
$250,000,000
Gallows Road/ Route 29 Improvements
$ 25,000,000
Secondary System Improvements (including unpaved roads) $150,000,000
Urban System Improvements
$100,000,000
Route 7 Improvements (Fairfax/Falls Church)
$ 80,000,000
Route 7 Improvements (Loudoun)
$100,000,000
Regional Transit Capital
$ 75,000,000
Alexandria Transit Capital and Facilities
$ 25,000,000
Route 50 /Columbia Pike Improvements
$ 25,000,000
Columbia Pike/Route 7 Transit Improvements
$ 75,000,000
Rail Safety Improvements (Manassas Grade Separations)
$ 20,000,000
This information was compiled by: Alexandria, Arlington, Falls
Church,
the Fairfax Area and Loudoun County Leagues of Women Voters.
PRO:
-
State funding for Northern Virginia transportation needs has
been sharply reduced. New sources of revenue are badly needed to meet transportation
improvements.
-
The projects to be funded by the sales tax will provide
transportation improvements primarily in already developed areas rather than
opening up new areas to development.
-
All the proceeds from the sales tax increase raised in Northern
Virginia will stay in Northern Virginia. In the case of most other taxes
paid to the state, only a fraction of what Northern Virginians pay is returned
to us.
-
The
new sales tax will not apply to food purchased for human consumption, prescription
and non-prescription drugs lessens the regressive effect of the tax.
-
The Washington region is classified as a “serious” air quality
non-attainment area and must improve its air quality or lose federal funding
for road projects. The transit projects and HOV lanes that can be funded
through the referendum will help improve air quality.
-
The
projects to be funded were specified in 2002 General Assembly legislation
and are included in the N. VA 2020 Transportation Plan, assuring what projects
will be selected for bond money.
-
For
years Northern Virginia has pleaded with the General Assembly to meet the
needs of Northern Virginia; failure to adopt this referendum would undermine
our credibility with the General Assembly.
CON
-
Transportation
is a state responsibility, and the state should step up to that responsibility
to provide for Northern Virginia's transportation needs.
-
Historical data indicate that building highways and transit
does not relieve traffic congestion, when development patterns continue to
sprawl outward from urban cores and commercial/office centers. New highways
through sparsely developed areas increase development and traffic.
-
The
Northern Virginia 2020 transportation Plan will cost about $15 billion; the
increase in the sales tax will fund only $2.8 billion of that.
-
Sales
taxes are regressive, having the most impact on those with the least discretionary
income.
- Building new highways cannot be relied on to help air quality.
When VDOT recently removed 100 lane miles from Northern Virginia's road-building
program, its estimated effect was to reduce air pollution.
- There is no assurance when or if the projects named in the
referendum will be built. In many cases, the amounts listed are down payment
on multi-billion dollar projects for which remaining funding has not been
identified.
- Changes other than building roads may be more effective in
reducing congestion. Highway lane miles in the region grew faster than population
in the last two decades yet congestion got worse.
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