Northern Virginia Transportation Authority

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The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) is a governmental unit for promoting regional transportation improvements in 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 a governing board with 14 voting members and two non-voting members. As a part of a 2007 comprehensive transportation legislative package, the new funding sources became availble to the NVTA, including funds from increasing the initial vehicle registration fee, a local vehicle-repair tax, an additional transient-occupany tax, and a local rental-car transportation fee. 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 transportation projects in each locality.

On February 29, 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the 2007 transportation law was unconstitutional in response to a case filed by State Del. Robert Marshall and seven other residents. The court ruled that the General Assembly could not delegate its taxing powers to an unelected body.^[1] 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.^[2]

On March 24, 2008, Governor Kaine signed a law to authorize refunds of the estimated $13 million in fees collected by the NVTA since January 1. 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.^[3]