Mayors and council chairmen representing seven of 12 Hampton Roads localities say they support, or lean toward supporting, creation of a regional transportation authority to raise taxes and fees for transportation projects, reports Tom Holden with the Virginian-Pilot.
At least seven of 12 municipal governments representing at least 51 percent of the area’s 1.5 million inhabitants must pass resolutions approving the authority’s new power. Once the authority is empowered, at least seven of 12 representatives to the authority would have to approve the full package of taxes and fees in an all-or-nothing vote.
According to Holden’s nose count, the mayors of Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg and the chairmen in James City and Isle of Wight counties support the authority. Those opposed include the mayors of Chesapeake, Hampton and Poquoson and the chairman of York County.