The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) is a regional governmental unit established to fund regional transportation programs. The NVTA covers Arlington

Arlington County, Virginia

Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...

, Fairfax

Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...

, Loudoun

Loudoun County, Virginia

Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...

 and Prince William

Prince William County, Virginia

-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...

 counties and the cities of Alexandria

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...

, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas

Manassas, Virginia

The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...

 and Manassas Park.

The Virginia General Assembly

Virginia General Assembly

The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...

 created the NVTA in 2002. It is led by an appointed governing board with 14 voting members and two non-voting members. As a part of a 2007 comprehensive transportation legislative package, the new tax sources became available to the NVTA, including taxes from increasing the initial vehicle registration fee, a local vehicle-repair tax, an additional transient-occupancy tax, and a local rental-car transportation tax. 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 pet political projects in each locality.

On February 29, 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the 2007 transportation law was unconstitutional, in response to a case filed by State Del. Robert G. Marshall

Robert G. Marshall

Robert G. "Bob" Marshall is a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 13th District, currently serving his 7th term. His district includes portions of Prince William and Loudoun counties.In 2008, Marshall was a candidate for the United States Senate seat being...

 and numerous other residents. The Court ruled that the General Assembly could not delegate its taxing powers to an unelected body. 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, 2008.

On March 24, 2008, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine

Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...

signed a law to authorize refunds of the estimated $13 million in fees collected by the NVTA since January 1, 2008. 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.