While some Marylanders may be slowly warming to the idea of regionwide sales tax to fund Metro, Virginia leaders are less open to the idea, with particular concerns about its political feasibility.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recommended the region impose a 1 percent sales tax in all cities and counties served by Metro, which would help provide the $15.5 billion needed for repairs and upgrades over the next decade.
WTOP News reported comments pushing back against this proposal. Virginia Sen. George Barker said, “We have to be able to sell something to the entire rest of the Commonwealth of Virginia, not to decide what we want to do and then impose that upon them.” Matt Letourneau, Loudoun County supervisor, said, “The political realities of that are going to be very difficult, and I think there is a fairness issue. 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.”
Additionally, to implement this, even if it’s what the people want, the General Assembly would have to give local governments permission to raise any new taxes or change taxes that are currently set at the state level, which includes sales taxes.
