VIRGINIA BRIEFING
VIRGINIA BRIEFING
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TRANSPORTATION
Judge Won't Move Suit
An Arlington County Circuit Court judge has denied a request by opponents of regional transportation taxes to move their legal challenge to another court.
A group of conservatives and anti-tax activists has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority's power to issue bonds. As part of transportation legislation approved in April, the General Assembly gave the authority permission to sell bonds and impose regional taxes and fees to pay for road projects.
The activists contend that the bonds cannot be sold without a referendum. They asked Judge Benjamin N.A. Kendrick to move the lawsuit to a neutral court outside Northern Virginia, but Kendrick turned down the request yesterday.
The transportation authority has filed a separate lawsuit asking Kendrick to validate that it has the authority to raise and spend more than $300 million in taxes and fees.
-- Daniela Deane
FAIRFAX COUNTY
Student Count Lowered
U.S. Army officials at Fort Belvoir have reduced their estimate of the number of children who will enter Fairfax County public schools as a result of regional base realignments.
In June, the Army estimated that 3,200 schoolchildren would move to southern Fairfax County when the Fort Belvoir workforce is expanded.
Belvoir officials said yesterday that the number will be closer to 2,800. They also said that other base shifts would reduce the number of students in the region by 12,700, resulting in a net increase in Fairfax of only 265 students.
