Press Releases
01-31-2008 Press Release on the Public Outcry Over Proposed Business Property Tax Increase.
05-14-2007 Press Release Welcoming Statements from Special Election Council Candidates
05-09-2007 Press Release on the City Council's property tax rate hike.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Reports
09-10-2007 Report on our suggestions for improving the Alexandria City Assessment Department Website
04-19-2007 Report comparing Council campaign tax pledges to Council votes to allow property tax rate increase.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Opinion Articles Re: “Deadline missed for key refund of transportation tax,” June 2 Hundreds of people expecting big tax refunds will face longer delays than expected. Missing this key deadline raises additional questions about the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority: 1. Why did the NVTA collect these taxes when they knew that their constitutionality was being reviewed by the Virginia Supreme Court? If a private person or a private organization had inappropriately taken millions of dollars from thousands of Virginians, the perpetrators would end up receiving free room and board courtesy of the criminal justice system. However, the NVTA was designed to avoid public accountability, so it is unlikely that anyone who made this foolish decision will face any substantial consequences. To our knowledge, not a single NVTA member has stepped forward to accept responsibility. Please call or write your representatives in Richmond and urge them to abolish this anti-democratic body. Bud Miller The NVTA could have waited two measly months while a pending Supreme Court challenge against the taxes was decided (which is exactly what the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority did), but it pushed ahead anyway. Remember, one NVTA official was quoted in The Examiner in 2007 as saying, “we would rather have to deal with refunds than give up the revenue we would not collect during that waiting period.” Are they still so sure about that? The NVTA’s arrogance in collecting the taxes and their incompetence in refunding them are just two more reasons to shut down the unelected authority for good. Kristina Rasmussen Despite numerous warnings that all was not well, including 150 protesters at one of its meetings, the NVTA board voted to impose seven new taxes previously rejected by voters in referendum. Then they decided to start collecting the taxes on Jan. 1, knowing full well that the court was still reviewing the constitutionality of their actions. A similar transportation authority in Hampton Roads wisely decided to wait for the court’s decision. NVTA now owes an unknown number of people millions of dollars plus interest for illegally collected taxes but apparently didn’t plan for the possibility of issuing refunds. If NVTA can’t handle the basics, how do we reasonably expect it to handle the terribly complex issues associated with transportation in Northern Virginia? It’s time to put this flawed, anti-democratic, unelected body to rest and move on to better solutions than resorting to end runs around the voters. Bud Miller I am one of 19 plaintiffs challenging the constitutionality of the Virginia Abusive Driver’s fees and taxation without representation. Professional politicians have degraded Virginia to the point where it not only shakes down every possible dollar from driving mistakes, it allows unelected boards to impose taxes on people like you and me. One of these “authorities” has already created seven new taxes to lighten our collective wallets by more than $300 million a year. It should not surprise you that many of the political hacks on this board take contributions from heavy construction companies and other businesses which will financially benefit from paving over what is left of Northern Virginia. Much to my surprise, I found that our own local Chamber of Commerce is an active member and supporter of “The Alliance,” which has successfully lobbied for these new taxes and violations of our Constitutional rights. I had hoped that this was some oversight or even a simple misunderstanding, but to my dismay found that our Chamber and its Government Relations Committee, which is chaired by an employee of a local utility, continues to support these questionable activities. I urge other members of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce to temporarily suspend your membership and to delay paying your 2008 dues until the Chamber either withdraws its support of draconian driver’s fees and taxation without representation or these provisions are ruled unconstitutional. Bud Miller 1. Democratic Governor Tim Kaine’s goal of reducing Virginia’s operating expenses by 5 percent, and 2. Fairfax County’s anticipated decision to impose its greatest tax increase on commercial property in decades. Governor Kaine’s decision to reduce Virginia’s operating expenses by 5 percent is a bold step back towards fiscal responsibility. Given the complexity and size of the budget, Democrat Tim Kaine, working with a State Legislature divided by party lines, should be applauded for this step and should serve as a model for local Virginia jurisdictions, including Alexandria. This would be a great opportunity for the mayor to work with the new ideas of recently elected Councilman Justin Wilson to show Alexandrians that it is no longer business as usual and the era of ever growing budgets is over. Fiscal responsibility should not be a partisan issue. Alexandria’s overpriced and underperforming city attorney’s office and the school system, recently ranked dead last in the country for economic efficiency, would be two obvious areas to begin rationalizing. Gerald Connolly of Fairfax County is pushing though a massive tax increase on businesses in his jurisdiction. This tax increase will put those businesses at a competitive disadvantage compared to our Alexandria businesses. The mayor and City Council only have to take one simple, easy, step to gain advantage of Connolly’s mistake: nothing. Simply keeping commercial property tax rates the same, or even a creating a modest temporary tax holiday for new/relocated businesses, will draw in new businesses and new opportunities for all Alexandrians. Simply put, our Democratic City Council should follow the lead of our Democratic governor by reducing our budget and Alexandria should reap the benefits as less enlightened jurisdictions tax businesses to such an extent that they move here. Bud Miller
08-30-2008 Op-ed "Put the NVTA out of its misery"
08-30-2007 Op-ed "Two Golden Opportunities for Alexandria"
08-02-2007 Op-ed "My View - A Taxing Solution"
02-02-2007 Op-ed "Taking the Bite Out of Alexandria's Budget Crunch"
_____________________________________________________________________________
Letters
04-16-2008 Letter Asking VA Transportation Secretary Not to Fund NoVA Transportation Authority
07-20-2007 Letter Providing Comments on the Tax Hikes in Alexandria’s Long Range Transportation Plan
01-09-2007 Letter to the General Assembly Supporting Property Tax Reform Plan
11-15-2006 Letter to Alexandria Mayor and City Council on possible tax increases
12-19-2006 Letter to Alexandria City Council on grant and contract transparency
_____________________________________________________________________________
In the News
ATU featured in Alexandria Times article about 2008 property tax rate increase. See here.
ATU featured in Washington Examiner article about 2008 property tax rate increase. See here.
ATU featured in Alexandria Times article about 2008 budget tug-of-war. See here.
ATU featured in Dollars & Sense, a national taxpayers publication. See here.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Letters to the Editor
Slow tax refund reveals NVTA’s incompetence
Published in the Washington Examiner on June 4, 2008
2. Why aren’t NVTA’s victims receiving fair market rate interest and administrative costs for the monies unconstitutionally taken from them?
3. Why can’t the NVTA refund these taxes as quickly as they collected them?
4. How much has this debacle unnecessarily cost Virginia taxpayers?
5. Why hasn’t the NVTA issued a formal apology for its actions?
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Taxpayers suffer arrogance of transportation authority
Published in the Washington Examiner on March 26, 2008
Taxpayers deserve a faster, more straightforward refund system than the patchwork process put together by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to refund the unconstitutional taxes it began collecting at the start of 2008.
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Put NVTA out of its misery
Published in the Washington Examiner on March 7, 2008
With the Virginia Supreme Court ruling its unelected board structure unconstitutional and its $300 million in new taxes “null and void,” there’s no hope for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. NVTA should focus on issuing refunds and then shut its doors for good.
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Questions chamber’s alliance
Published in the Alexandria Times on October 25, 2007
I recently asked to have my membership in the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce suspended. Having been a member in good standing for more than seven years, this was a difficult decision to make. Unfortunately, I really didn’t have a choice.
Efficient Research Solutions Inc.
Alexandria
Two golden opportunities for Alexandria
Published in the Alexandria Times on October 4, 2007
Recent events have provided two golden opportunities for Alexandria to substantially enhance its city government and its overall economic situation:
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Alexandria should take a hint and do nothing
Published in The Examiner on August 23, 2007
Recent events provide Alexandria with two golden opportunities to substantially enhance its economic situation:
1. Gov. Tim Kaine’s goal of reducing Virginia’s operating expenses by 5 percent is a bold step toward fiscal responsibility that should serve as a model for all local jurisdictions, including Alexandria.
Given the size and complexity of the budget and a legislature divided by party lines, Kaine should be applauded.
This would also be a great opportunity for Mayor Bill Euille to work with recently elected Councilman Justin Wilson and show Alexandrians that the era of ever-growing budgets is over. Fiscal responsibility should not be a partisan issue. Alexandria’s overpriced and underperforming city attorney’s office and school system, recently ranked dead last in the country for economic efficiency, are two obvious areas to begin.
2. Fairfax County’s anticipated decision to impose the largest tax increase on commercial property in decades will put those businesses at a competitive disadvantage compared with ours.
The mayor and City Council only have to take one simple, easy step to take advantage of Fairfax Board Chairman Gerry Connolly’s mistake: Do nothing!
Simply following the lead of our Democratic governor and keeping commercial property tax rates the same, or even creating a modest temporary tax holiday for new/relocated businesses from less-enlightened jurisdictions, will draw in new opportunities for all Alexandrians.
The authority vs. taxpayers
Published in the Alexandria Times on July 19, 2007
On July 12, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority voted to impose $300 million in new, regressive taxes on the residents and businesses of Northern Virginia. Never mind that the voting members of the Authority (including Mayor Bill Euille) had never been elected to that particular body by any electorate. Never mind that Virginia voters rejected a similar tax hike plan in 2002.
“Taxation Without Representation” is usually a slogan we see on D.C. license plates, but perhaps they’d be more fitting on Virginia plates.
Bud Miller
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Raising House Prices
Published in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on July 18, 2007
Of the seven taxes and fees approved by the NoVA Transportation Authority on Thursday night, the biggest revenue raiser is the new grantors tax on property sales. Home sellers will now have to pay 40 cents per $100 in value in new taxes ($1600 for a $400K home), which is estimated to bring in $171 million for transportation spending. Aside from the odd logic of making departing residents pay for traffic woes they're leaving behind, most sensible sellers will just pass along the cost in the form of higher prices. That doesn't bode well for first-time homebuyers and low-income families. Could it be that the Transportation Authority's new tax will largely negate the benefit of the affordable housing programs we hear so much about?
Kristina Rasmussen
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Appointed members of NVTA raising our taxes
Published in the Examiner on July 18, 2007
On July 12, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority voted to impose $300 million in new, regressive taxes on the residents and businesses of Northern Virginia.
Never mind that the voting members of the authority (including Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille) had never been elected to that particular body. And never mind that Virginia voters rejected a similar tax hike plan in 2002. “No taxation without representation” is a slogan we usually see on D.C. license plates. Now it also pertains to Virginia.
Costly suppression
Published in the Alexandria Times on January 18, 2007
How much did Alexandria’s futile attempt to suppress public input on Safe Haven cost taxpayers? It’s $95,824 as of Nov. 29, 2006. Substantial costs have likely been generated since then as the city is relying upon the exclusive Beveridge & Diamond firm of Washington, D.C.
That’s just the legal bill, excluding city staff time and resources. All wasted in order to fight and lose a lawsuit that should not have been needed in the first place. Indeed, it raises the question: Exactly why was the Community Services Board so intent in preventing public discussion of this matter? Why did they choose to ignore our democratic process and limit the very free speech that could have helped in carving the right solution for our community?
Those CSB leaders who decided to sidestep a public hearing, which carelessly wasted precious tax dollars, and who may still feel they pursued the right course for our city should be replaced. Blatantly disregarding the channels for local input within our government is unacceptable as the court wisely ruled last month.
Bud Miller
Alexandria Taxpayers United
Consider COLAs
Published in the Alexandria Times on October 26, 2006
Kudos to Councilmen Paul Smedberg, Rob Krupicka and Tim Lovain for sponsoring the first meaningful reform of
Considering that the City’s full-time employee payroll for 2006 is over $134 million, it is critically important to taxpayers footing the bill that any cost of living increases be included in the budget target as well.
Bud Miller
President, ATU
BID, one year later
Published in the Alexandria Times August 31, 2006
One year ago this month, an informal, ad hoc, coalition of neighbors, businesses, tax experts and locally based associations worked together to defeat a proposed 10% increase in commercial property taxes in Old Town Alexandria, known as The BID Tax Zone.
Readers may recall little red stop signs popping up all along King Street and other local streets as more and more citizens became aware of the many negative implications of the proposed new tax.
People and customers also quickly recognized little green dots in the windows of some businesses advocating higher taxes. Fortunately, the BID Tax Steering Committee understood that the tide of public opinion was against them and withdrew the flawed proposal in November.
The ultimate winners of this debate were the Citizens of Alexandria and the Members of City Council who all benefited from the greater awareness of tax and budgeting issues. Along these lines, several members of the original coalition have formed a new not-for-profit group: Alexandria Taxpayers United!
More information is available at www.atuonline.org Our non-partisan group is neither liberal nor conservative: Fiscal responsibility and tax reform/relief are common sense, not political issues.
