Authority approves taxes and fees to build major road projects

For those of you who think leaving Virginia is the answer then by all means move. Running away from a problem never fixed anything, but don't think for one minute others won't be moving in. I'm from VA, but have lived in a number of other states, but trust me the grass is not greener. So put you house on the market, wait a year or 2 for it to sell, and then leave. Bye!

So you think moving to NC will save you money. Try a higher sales tax on gas, double taxation if you live in a city that happens to be in a county. That is double if you pay property tax. A higher state sales tax, a higher state income tax, and higher fees on a multitude of services. Add to that your commute from NE NC to Hampton Roads, the lack of services in your new state and the frequency of hurricanes. Enjoy!

Ok Mr. Barrett, instead of allowing the people to vote on new taxes we now have a new entity that can tax us at will without fear of reprisal. Yeap, I'm rejoicing. Rejoicing in the fact that I'm about to leave this area. As the mass exadous continues to move out of the area (see Pilots own numbers on people leaving the tidewater area) people fail to see that there is a direct corralation between the amount of money being ripped from our wallets and just how many people are willing to take it. Sure, you will have your diehards that will continue to live in the area, most are already established however; for those of us who were hoping this area would provide a stable future for our familes, well it is us that area packing up and leaving.

I would like to commend the HRTA board for doing the right thing. Although I hope some of these fees will be reviewed, I understand that the "no new taxes" crowd created this mess. We waited too long to address the issue, so the solution is going to be a bit more painful than it had to be. The majority supports you and will gladly pay their fair share. If some of the "no taxes crowd" decide to leave, all the better. If these boards are any indication, some of the citizenry is as bad as the roads.

I won't go through each one, but a 5% increase on car repair is a total rip off. It's bad enough to find a repair shop you can trust, and then add 5% more on the repair is just wrong. BTW Quentin, I'm a Democrat, and I don't like all of the fees.

Thanks Mark for your valuable posting on who voted for what. Do you have any information on who the rogue delegates voters were? Any info anyone can provide will help greatly when November arrives.
Thank you.

The Daily Press provided video coverage of the Authority vote. Those voting "no" were Council Member Hayes (for Mayor Edge) of Chesapeake, Mayor Kearney of Hampton, Mayor Helsel of Poquoson, Mayor Johnson of Suffolk,and Board of Supervisors Chair Bowman of York County. Those voting "yes" were Board of Supervisors Chair Ivy of Isle of Wight County, Board of Supervisors Chair McGlennon of James City County, Mayor Frank of Newport News, Mayor Fraim of Norfolk, Mayor Holley of Portsmouth, Vice Mayor Jones (for Mayor Oberndorf) of Virginia Beach, and Mayor Zeidler of Williamsburg. Although we did not elect any of these officials to impose such fees on us, we have the power (and responsibility) to "unelect" those who did. I plan to do my part.

...those of us planning on leaving before even seeing the first project begin can be made exempt from these stupid fees. I can't wait to leave this place that feels it's ok to tax me on everything except the air I breathe (ohh--hold on long enough, they'll figure out how to do that soon too!) As for the comment of fining those who break down on the side of the road. That's heartless and uncalled for. Some people simply can't afford repairs because they're buying necessities like food with their meager income. I personally have had to turn down a suggested repair in favor of making sure we had milk in the fridge for our kids. I also agree with another poster here--let's get a recall or something going to get these bums out of office!

Guess its time to move to NC

The HRTA is by no stretch of the imagination a perfect solution, however it is a much need step forward in a region that has been completely stagnant for more than a decade about the serious transportation issues confronting it. The reactionary bile that is being spewed here by mostly republican ideologues who oppose the new fees and taxes for that no other reason than the fact they are fees and taxes are part of the problem. Had they been a little more proactive in advocating and agitating for a solution to the ongoing and impending transportation concerns then maybe they could have fashioned a solution that they find more palettable. You can't just be against everything you have to be for something.

Make sure you find out how your state delegate and senator voted on the transportation bill. Also, find out how your HRTA representative voted. Remember this in November!

I guess the republican control board had to give this the go ahead due to all the able body democrats who don't work but are getting hand outs from the General Funds. Money that should have gone to roads in the first place and not buying femocrat votes.

Good grief! Does it ever stop?

How can a non-elected individual dictate taxes. Kaine and his cronies - dems and reps alike - are stealing from us out in the open. I wish there was a boat of tea from Richmond in the Va Bch Marina somewhere.....

Soak the rich is what we hear, how nice to know that I'm rich on my 40k/year salary!! I'm paying nearly $3,000.00 a year more in taxes now than I was just 4 years ago, and they want more because we aren't paying our "faor share". I bet these individuals who voted to tax us more can't even tell you what they paid for their last gallon of milk. (pssss.......it's over $4.00/gallon now thanks to the wonderfully effecient ethanol). Hold on....this is just the start. You'll love the way your morning commute will now be with toll plazas every few miles like in NYC.

Seems that the elections for the State Legislature will now become a referendum on this plan. And next year's council elections as well.

It was in the paper earliar this week, that a lawyer is filing a lawsuit against the HRTA Bill and the new traffic fines.The lawyer said that there should have been a referendum for the public to vote on this new authority, as according to laws of the state you can't appoint a committee to regulate taxes.Many laws passed by federal and state legislatures have been ruled unconstitutional and were thrown out and could not be enforced.The western state delegates would not approve a statewide tax for road improvements as they knew most of the taxes would be used in Northern and Richmond areas with a little more to the Tidewater area and hardly nothing for the western part of the state.Read the papers as u will be surprised what you may read.

In St. Louis , there are many "taxing districts". Hampton Roads will get more too.
I will be leaving STL soon and find a place to hide - as best as I can and die before the socialist collapse.
Spell - USSR2

Mr. Barrett and the rest of the developers, both commercial and residential, will continue to skip and laugh straight to the bank. The "contributions" they make to the infrastructure that their projects depend on is chump-change to them. This area is overcrowded on 10,000 sq. ft. lots and city councils will continue to approve every subdivision plan that crosses the table. The grantor's tax being raised forty cents per one hundred is completely unfair. The Pilot should grow a backbone and publish how each member voted.

Who are these transportation officials, where did they come from, who do they work for ? I did not elect them. I do not believe that they have any powers to tax me, to decided what is needed in the way of road building or anything at al for that matter. I consider the city council here in Portsmouth corrupt and incompetent. I want an FBI investigation of this whole thing. This flim-flam has to be against our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It's un American, ant-republic and undemocratic... I'm mad as hell, most politicians seek public office to earn a living it's that simple, what have they been paid for this scam?

Michael Barrett, CEO of Runnymede Corp, a real estate and development company. Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserves. I'm sure Mr. Barrett is quite happy with the increased taxes the residents of the HRTA will be paying to build more road projects for his exploitation. By the way I have a feeling the HRTA will do far more to "Balaknize" the Hampton Roads area than anything the lack of roads could have done. But time will tell.

I have never seen such highway robbery. These polictians made all this mess with approving all this over building and we have to pick up all the new fees. Moving is looking quite good now. If anyone wants to sue as this being illegal they could get alot of donations toward the bill.

Down here in Texas, they got the bright idea of funding new roads by turning existing roads into toll roads, plus making the new roads toll roads as well. I still want to know what they are doing with all the tax collected on each gallon of gas right now. What ever happened to matching federal funds? Let's follow California's lead, and start the recall process. It gave them Arnold as governor, but it got that lying sack of crap Gray Davis out. It's time to scare these jerks into a place of accountability. Or follow through with the process.

As a former resident of the area, I read the Pilot online. We've had the same situation in Tampa arise and have asked locals where all this additional tax revenue has gone, mostly from real estate. Finally it was discovered about 80% has gone not to improvements but additional staffing, shoring up pension funds and "cadillac" health benefits for government employees. Good luck in determing if/when the additional taxes ever are used for roads.

If we want to address the deterioration of our roads, you must identify the cause. The shipping containers that come off of cargo vessels in Hampton Roads are loaded onto trucks and moved overland. That in turn degrades the roads because of the sheer number of containers moved and the combined weight of the containers and the truck. I would think it prudent to attach that cost to each container coming into Commonwealth. It should be done as the cost of doing business. This finacial burden should not be forced upon the citizens of the Commonwealth. The solution to the problem on both sides of the equation are the cargo containers.

Gosh, if only the republican-controlled General Assembly had done its job and passed a statewide tax for road improvements ... Let me know when you knuckleheads catch on to the fact that the state will be raising more money for roads ... the only question remaining is how.

I lived in Hampton Roads for over 30 years and loved it.
I was intending to move back but after reading the new tax
article I don't think so. Good luck selling and renting all of the new empty housing that I saw while visiting. I really think they have found a way to prevent over populating the Hampton Roads area and making current residents leave the area.

Well I certainly appreciate roads, even though they suck around here. It's nice to visit other areas where there aren't speed bumps on the highway all over the place & potholes & the like. I'm sure transportation folks work hard though so can't complain too much. My question/concern is this, "Where is all the money going that is currently being collected for roads?" I never see any accountability or breakdown, only incessant calls for new taxes & establishment of an illegal taxing authority to administer even more taxes on top of all the taxes/fees/surcharges/consumption-taxes/concessions/funds/etc that we're currently paying. When is enough, enough & we get what we are paying for? I think what I'm seeing here is that it's time to move...

You got to be kidding me. I will definetly look into moving out of this area!! Tax for selling, tax for buying and tax for owning. Hell, tax for living and dying. This place is a joke!

But now the counties in NC must cap groth to stop in bi influx of people moving here. Repair shops will be booming with business!! CHA CHING!!!
Oh by the way all you liberals that giant sucking sound is two things, people and businesses moving and most importantly money leaving your bank accts!!! LMAF