McDonnell cutting our community funding, keeping our taxes

July 9, 2012

The Roanoke Times editorializes, "Cities, counties and towns across the commonwealth have felt more than a little put upon in recent years by state budget cuts that have slashed support for public schools, law enforcement and other local services. It turns out they have reason to be annoyed... The commonwealth walked back support to localities by 8.5 percent between 2009 and 2010. Only New Mexico and Wyoming conducted harsher reductions."

Progressive Point: Virginia families and small businesses pay their taxes to ensure we have good schools, public safety protections, and functioning infrastructure. But while we're working harder than ever, Gov. McDonnell is taking our tax money and cutting community funding. One billion dollars in community cuts means our police officers, firefighters, and students suffer from less money to fix our roads, repair our kids' schools, and provide essential community services.

Bob McDonnell is passing the buck on providing community services but not passing along the funds required to pay for them. Since conservatives in Richmond refuse to allow localities raise revenues on their own to fill this budget hole, we hurt even more. Cuts to police and firefighter services mean our communities are less safe. Cuts to teachers and school hurts our children and cuts investments in our economic future. Cuts to community services damages everyone's quality of life. Our cities and counties are working hard for us, but Bob McDonnell cutting $1 billion from our communities hurts our businesses and families alike.

Get the Facts:

• According to a recent report by 24/7 Wall St. Virginia has cut support to localities by 8.5 percent between 2009 and 2010 which equals a loss of $1 billion for communities, which was the 3rd worst cut in the entire country. (Roanoke Times, July 9, 2012)


• The Lynchburg City Council was forced to raise real estate taxes for the first time in 23 years due to new costs to local school budgets Governor McDonnell and the General Assembly has forced upon them. (The News & Advance, May 16, 2012)


• Appomattox, Nelson, Campbell, Amherst, and Bedford county are also all now having to look for local sources of revenue to make up for the cuts in funding from the state. (The News & Advance, May 16, 2012)


• Virginia ranks 7th in the country in per capita income, but 47th in per capita spending on transportation. The reason for such a large imbalance is the majority of Virginia's transportation funding comes from the fuel tax which currently sits at just 17 cents per gallon. However, the gas tax would be "35 cents today had it been indexed for inflation." (Bob Chase, president of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, Daily Press, December 9, 2011)


• Virginia loses $12.5 billion in revenue a year through credits and giveaways that receive little-to-no scrutiny and accountability. (JLARC)

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