The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) is a regional governmental unit established to fund regional transportation programs. The NVTA covers Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
The Virginia General Assembly created the NVTA in 2002. It is led by an appointed governing board with 14 voting members and two non-voting members. As a part of a 2007 comprehensive transportation legislative package, the new tax sources became available to the NVTA, including taxes from increasing the initial vehicle registration fee, a local vehicle-repair tax, an additional transient-occupancy tax, and a local rental-car transportation tax. The transportation package also authorized local governments to impose a real estate property tax surcharge to help fund the NVTA. Funds raised from such surcharges would be earmarked to be spent on pet political projects in each locality.
On February 29, 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the 2007 transportation law was unconstitutional, in response to a case filed by State Del. Robert G. Marshall and numerous other residents. The Court ruled that the General Assembly could not delegate its taxing powers to an unelected body. On March 3, 2008, the NVTA announced the end to the collection of its fees and taxes and its intent to refund the taxes that had been collected since January 1, 2008.
On March 24, 2008, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine signed a law to authorize refunds of the estimated $13 million in fees collected by the NVTA since January 1, 2008. Under the new law, the five circuit courts will jointly develop guidelines for the return of the home seller's, or grantor's, tax that was collected to relieve traffic congestion, within 60 days.
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