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Support for $800 Million Transportation Deal a Sticking Point as Chamber Ranks Legislators

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — It was report card day for legislators at a breakfast hosted by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce.

The business organization on Wednesday doled out scorecards, giving elected officials who represent the county in Richmond both high and low marks on bills they supported or opposed, with the outcomes of the of bills impacting business owners and some 2,000 Chamber members.

Democrats like Toddy Puller, Charles Colgan, and Luke Torian, and Republican Mark Dudenhefer got high marks for voting for a transportation funding package that will provide $800 million in new road funds, and increase sales taxes in Northern Virginia to as much as 6%.

“I voted for the transportation bill because it had real funding behind it. I don’t like the funding source – I would prefer funding it through the gas tax – but we needed it,” said Puller.

The state’s 17.5 cent gas tax not adjusted since 1986 was eliminated in favor of 3.5% wholesale tax on fuel. Sales tax statewide will increase from 5 to 5.3%, with another 0.7% increase possible in the commonwealth’s most congested areas – Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

The passage of the bill also signaled a comprise where Medicaid will be expanded in Virginia, with the feds funding 100% of the expansion for the first three years and up to 90% each year afterward, said Puller.

Jackson Miller, R-Manassas, voted against the transportation package, and wasted no time voicing his disappointment for his score of 79 out of 100 points. Touting himself as a supporter of small business in Prince William, Miller said fixes are needed within state transportation funding formulas that send Prince William’s tax dollars to Richmond, and then mandate they be given to larger entities like Fairfax County.

“My voting record reflects what I thought would be best for Prince William County, not the commonwealth,” said Miller. “We need to stop Fairfax from getting more of our tax money to build new roads and highways in that county.”

Miller also took at stab at local politicians in Prince William by saying their neighbor to the south, Stafford County, is better off because they’re attracting more business to that county.

“Stafford is already ahead of us because they don’t have [a Business or Professional Licensing Tax], and we do,” said Miller.

The tax, which is common in Virginia, is collected on businesses’ gross receipts.

Calling for unity among legislators, Delegate Richard Anderson, R – Prince William — who also opposed the transportation because of tax increases – said leaders need to move on and work together.

“I liken this to a disagreement with people in the same family, but then those family members come together, move on, and continue working on making this a better place to live,” Anderson said.

The Chamber gave high marks to legislators on their support for bills concerning transportation improvements, allowing local school boards to set the start of the school year and doing away with the “Kings Dominion law”, a mandate that states schools must begin after Labor Day, abolishing a four-year term limit for the governor, and lowering taxes on computer data centers.

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