Yesterday Metro proposed a regional sales tax increase to raise the $15.5 billion that the system needs over the coming years. Now some Loudoun leaders are objecting to this increase in our sales taxes. Let’s not forget that northern Virginia and Hampton Roads already pays more in sales taxes under Bob McDonnell’s massive tax hike in 2013. Our sales taxes increase by 20%. Those taxes were supposed to go to roads and to fund metro. Apparently it wasn’t enough. No surprise there. The metro is worse than ever and our roads are more congested than ever.
One Loudoun county Supervisor who voted for this mess to come to Loudoun, Matt Letourneau, says this additional sales tax is unfair to Loudoun county.
The political realities of that are going to be very difficult, and I think there is a fairness issue,” Letourneau said. “I don’t think it will be fair to ask somebody who lives in Leesburg or Lovettsville or Hamilton to pay an additional cent … on every single thing they purchase in order to fund Metro.
Exactly. We’ve paid and paid and paid for a system that less than 1% of the citizens of Loudoun will ever ride. Why must the rest of continue to subsidize their trips on Metro?
This is far from a done deal. Virginia’s General Assembly would have to approve any increase in taxes to fund metro.
Much more on the reactions around the region to this proposed increase in sales taxes here.
9 comments
Ban metro!
Anyone votes for this increase needs to be routed next election. Matt is so smart figure a at out of this boondoggle, please!
You! Seem very! Passionate about ! This!
For the new annual price of Metro, the DC Metro region could buy 150,000+ brand new Honda Civics EVERY YEAR and pass them out for free.
Think about that.
Instead we get a failing subway system that will cost us billions and our children billions and our grandchildren billions. I’m betting our kids and grandkids would rather have a Honda Civic!
I will take a used Honda civic and call it even.
I have been saying this for years – the entire METRO system from top down needs a complete, OITSIDE audit because there has been SO MUCH skimming for DECADES. And check the politicans up there, of both parties too.
Many hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into the system, but didn’t reach its proper designatiin. A significant amount went into pockets.
The special tax districts they set up aren’t going to be enough. Our BOS was warned about this 5 years ago – that new taxes, fees, money of any kind was going to have to be “found” because Metro is a fiscal disaster. Does anyone remember this??
I don’t recall anyone mentioning this before. If only there was a group of people who researched it and provided concrete statistics and held public meetings who could have warned the Board. If the facts were presented to them, I’m sure they wouldn’t have sided with the greedy developers who needed to flip their properties at taxpayer expense.
If only we had a transportation economist to explain to the BOS what a disaster Metro was and will continue to be. If only Ken Reid had been better informed. Had he been informed surely he wouldn’t have voted for this disaster!