The Virginia House Republican majority blocked a duet of massive tax increases on Wednesday as Governor Ralph Northam and House Democrats were set to increases taxpayer contributions to assist in the repair of the Washington-area Metro rail system. Although they hold a slim majority, it was enough to hold back a wave of statewide tax increases.
Democrats needed at least two Republican lawmakers to give their vote to Northam’s amendments to Metro legislation to extract $154 million per year from Virginia taxpayers to repair the under-maintained and deteriorating rail lines that scythe through Northern Virginia into the nation’s capital. However, the bulwark of conservatives stood strong, leading to a 50-48 procedural vote that derailed Northam’s funding increase proposals that would have raised taxes on lodging and other services in the six separate districts that are a part of a group that oversees the Metro system and subsequent transportation subsidiaries.
Therefore, the Metro funding compromise set in place just before the adjournment of the House will remain. House Bill 1539 is set to amend the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) compact of 1966. The legislation will create a three-person interim advisory commission that is required to advise on recommendations, “to the signatories on reforms to the National Capital Interest Arbitration Standards Act,” according to the bill.
The original Metro compromise will be given an additional $35.1 million from the regional funds established by the passage of new taxes in the state transportation funding package approved in 2013. The total is now over $84 million allotted to highway and other transportation projects in the localities served by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA).
According to a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Delegate Tim Hugo (R-Fairfax) said, “The General Assembly passed this year a major funding and reform plan to ensure Metro is fully funded, but from the very beginning the House was clear that we would stand firm against tax increases for Metro.” He was the leading force that held together the 51-strong Republican majority that thwarted Governor Northam and House Democrats.
After the vote, Hugo said that the NVTA possesses “plenty of money” for top-priority projects in the Washington-metro area. Moreover, last week, WMATA withdrew its funding requests for $96 million worth of Metro projects, instead deciding to self-fund, leading to an increase of funding yet to be appropriated to future projects and repairs.
Through a statement released by the office of the governor, Northam was unhappy with the measure, claiming that the majority decision may, “‘potentially divert funding from transportation improvements in Northern Virginia,’ while hurting projects in other parts of the state by ‘forcing Northern Virginia localities to now compete with other regions for limited transportation dollars.'”
Earlier that morning, the upper chamber voted 26-12 to uphold the governor’s amendments to the Metro legislation, with seven Republicans joining Democrats. The later House vote rejecting the amendments meant the Senate’s measure was useless.
Northern Virginia Senator Dick Black (R-Loudoun) said the proposed new taxes were “rather modest” and preferable to losing regional transportation funding that localities would have to raise taxes to replace.
“I very much dislike raising taxes, but we’re on the hook,” Black said.
Northam has suggested that he not finished in seeking a way, “to improve this plan so that all Virginians get the most return on the investments they make in their transportation system statewide.” Though, his options are rather limited as the continuing budget impasse looms.
