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WHEREAS the Northern Virginia 2020 Transportation Plan requires a projected $700 million per year of new revenues for transportation improvements; and

WHEREAS a referendum to raise the sales tax in Northern Virginia by one-half cent would provide only $100 million of new transportation funding per year, assuming that of the estimated proceeds of $140 million per year, a third would pay for interest to float bonds; and

WHEREAS the current FY2002 Virginia budget of $23.5 billion is $8 billion more than is needed to cover inflation, population, public school enrollment, and public college enrollment increases over the last twenty years; and

WHEREAS over this period inflation-adjusted spending per student increased 100 percent for public schools; and

WHEREAS over this period there was no significant increase in Virginia SAT scores; and

WHEREAS over his period inflation-adjusted spending per student increased 40 percent for public colleges; and

WHEREAS over this period, inflation-adjusted welfare spending per capita increased 50 percent; and

WHEREAS over this period inflation-adjusted transportation spending per capita did not increase; and

WHEREAS the car-tax refund accounts for only one-tenth of the $8 billion; and

WHEREAS the reason none of the extra $8 billion went to transportation is because state policy currently funds transportation only from "non-general funds", e.g., gasoline taxes, motor vehicle sales taxes, motor vehicle license fees, and federal funds, while income tax and four cents of the existing 4 1/2 cent sales tax are "general fund" revenues and are held off-limits to transportation; and

WHEREAS transportation is of at least equal importance with other government programs and should therefore have access to income and all sales tax revenues;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Fairfax County Republican Committee petition the Virginia Governor and General Assembly allow existing state income tax revenues and more than 1/2 cent of existing sales tax revenues to be expended on transportation.

Submitted by:
Arthur G. Purves, Hunter Mill District
Marie Schumaker, Providence District
Phil Rodokanakis, Sully District

Updated April 6, 2002