Fairfax County residents and officials are facing a $2.2 billion transportation funding shortfall during the next three years.
That funding gap will balloon to more than $5 billion during the next 10 years, according to figures presented to the board of supervisors by the county’s transportation department.
“We’re trying to look ahead and be responsible about our future growth and what will be required to support it,” said Board Chairwoman Sharon Bulova, when asked about the massive spending estimates.
Military-related road improvements and other projects — including Tysons Corner’s transformation — are projected to rack up the bulk of the roughly $4 billion in costs between fiscal 2011 and 2013.
The county expects to take in $1.8 billion in revenue during that period, leaving a hole that has county officials scrambling to identify new funding options.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of how Fairfax County is going to make this up, but how the state, the region and the county are going to make this up,” said Fairfax Transportation Director Kathy Ichter.
But while state and federal authorities will pay a chunk of the county’s transportation tab, Ichter said residents and local businesses also would bear a heavy burden.
The board of supervisors is considering funding options, including a countywide meals tax, pulling money from the county’s general fund, an increase to the county’s commercial and industrial real estate tax and new special taxing districts.
Fairfax transportation officials presented those options along with additional state and federal funding sources to supervisors.
“Making up this deficit is doable, but whether or not it’s politically doable is a different matter,” Ichter said.
