RICHMOND – Gov. Tim Kaine challenged a joint session of the General Assembly this afternoon to fix the state’s transportation funding problems, saying “none of us should tolerate inaction.”

On the opening day of a special session devoted to transportation, Kaine made another appeal for his plan to increase taxes and fees for statewide road and transit needs and for regional projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The Democratic governor appears to face an uphill fight in a politically divided legislature that has clashing views on the severity of the state’s transportation problems and strategies for fixing them.
Kaine told lawmakers that “citizens and businesses believe that our current transportation network isn’t meeting their needs.”

 “It is clear that this problem is real, significant and growing,” Kaine said. “Our public expects us to act.”

The latest transportation funding debate was triggered by a February Virginia Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the taxing powers of regional authorities in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The court’s ruling scuttled a key component of a transportation funding package lawmakers passed last year.

In addition, an economic downturn has slowed revenue growth, forcing the state to rely more heavily on its road construction budget to cover maintenance costs for existing roads and bridges. Kaine said the maintenance shortfall will approach $400 million in the upcoming fiscal year, and could reach nearly $600 million in the next 6 years if lawmakers fail to act.

Kaine’s plan would increase the sales tax on vehicles and vehicle registration fees to generate funds for maintenance. He also called for an increase in the grantor's tax on home sales to fund rail and mass transit needs, and regional sales tax increases to pay for projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

“That is a solid plan that gets the job done,” Kaine said. “But, if you want to make improvements, amendments, changes, adjustments, I’ll work cooperatively with you to do so.”

Republican leaders in the House of Delegates oppose statewide tax increases and some have accused Kaine of exaggerating the severity of the maintenance shortfall. Some GOP lawmakers have called for an independent audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation to ensure that the agency is spending dollars efficiently.

“We are adequately funding VDOT,” said Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, before Kaine’s speech. “We’re just not getting a bang for the buck.”

Kaine cited studies and statistics to make his case that VDOT’s performance and efficiency has improve significantly over the past six years.

“The notion that VDOT is something we can kick around as the all-purpose excuse to do nothing is transparent and irresponsible.”

Kaine concluded his 24-minute speech by urging lawmakers to look past political concerns as they debate the issue.

“If we let our actions be dictated by the insular concerns of Capitol Square, the problem could well be evaded until infinity,” Kaine said. “But, let’s fit our actions to a different standard, the standards that prevail outside Capitol Square—the standards of our citizens who send us here to solve problems and get things done.”