Government Affairs

General Assembly Update

February 21, 2012

HOUSE AND SENATE PROPOSED BUDGETS DIFFER ON TRANSPORTATION

On Sunday the House and Senate unveiled their respective budgets.  Each is scheduled to vote on their budgets this Thursday.  The two proposed budgets take very different approaches on transportation issues including funding. Below are key elements of each budget:

Senate Budget:

1.  Eliminates the Governor’s proposed transfer of ¼ of a cent of sales tax to transportation funding over the next eight years, with an impact of $110,600,000 over the biennium.  NOTE: the Senate has proposed indexing the gas tax in lieu of the sales tax transfer.
2.  Eliminates the Governor’s proposed transfer of the proceeds from the Waste Tire Fund to highway maintenance, with an impact of $2.9 million over the biennium.
3.  Eliminates the proposed deposit of $67.2 million to the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank from the FY 2011 General Fund surplus amounts and directs that a portion of this deposit instead be used for the one-time capitalization of the Intercity Passenger Rail Operating and Capital Fund.
4.  Reduces the proposed deposit of $67.2 million to the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank by 14.7 percent to account for the Mass Transit Trust Fund share of the FY 2011 general fund surplus.
5.  Directs the CTB to attempt to purchase American manufactured construction fabrics to the extent that these goods are available.
6.  Dedicates $400,000 for the development of a Hampton Roads Fast Ferry demonstration project.
7.  Provides over $1 million in “match” funding for the GRTC Express Bus Service.

House Budget:

1.  Transfers ¼ of a cent of sales tax to transportation funding over the next eight years, with an impact of $110,600,000 over the biennium. 
2.  Transfer the proceeds from the Waste Tire Fund to highway maintenance, with an impact of $2.9 million over the biennium.
3.  Prohibits the CTB from undertaking or funding any projects if the projects are subject to mandatory project labor agreements.
4.  Directs $9.9 million of the fiscal year general fund surplus be dedicated to support the Mass Transit Fund.
5.  Directs the Secretary of Transportation to convene a workgroup prior to the 2013 session of the General Assembly to examine and review potential options for the devolution of the secondary road system to large jurisdictions.
6.  Directs the Secretary of Transportation to work with the Transportation Accountability Commission to review the effectiveness of VDOT’s SWaM program.

Read the budget proposals in the entirety:

House Budget Proposal

Senate Budget Proposal