ARLINGTON, Va. — Is the budget battle in Richmond derailing Metro? This week, WMATA was set for a first vote on the transit agency’s already frugal 2025 budget. Then Governor Glenn Youngkin unveiled more than 200 amendments, including one that changes how Virginia will contribute to Metro’s budget shortfall.
Metro’s Thursday meeting should have moved the much-maligned 2025 budget to its first vote. Instead, it’ll take time.
“We were potentially going to have the committee vote on it today, but there’s a public comment section to it and there’s a Title VI element,” Metro GM Randy Clarke said.
Clarke still thinks Metro will pass the budget on time. He wouldn’t lay the blame solely on Virginia’s governor’s last-minute changes.
“There’s just a little decision-making in Virginia by the legislature, the governor, and Northern Virginia about how that subsidy will get paid,” Clarke said.
So what happened?
For months WMATA worked with DC, Maryland, and Virginia to get their lawmakers to help fund a $750 million budget deficit. During the 2024 legislative season, everyone delivered.
Then this week, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released more than 230 amendments to the budget.
One that directly targeted where Metro’s additional funding will come from.
“That has all of our residents in the region and all of our constituents concerned,” Matt de Ferranti chair of the Northern Virginia Transit Commission said.
Now instead of that additional Metro funding coming from the overall Virginia budget, under Governor Youngkin’s budget, the money would come from the commission’s local transportation fund.
“That money was set aside for bike projects, roads, and transportation safety projects, it really depends on the locality,” de Ferranti said.
He added if things go through the way the governor has planned them, it could eventually lead to, you guessed it, higher taxes.
“[It means] having to go back for an additional tax increase [in the future] beyond the ones that all our localities are being forced to do this year,” de Ferranti said.
Given that hurdle, the Northern Virginia Transit Commission will continue talks with the General Assembly over the coming weeks.
Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you. Tell us about it by emailing newstips@wusa9.com.
MORE WAYS TO GET WUSA9
DOWNLOAD THE WUSA9 APP
Apple App Store: WUSA9 News on Apple
Google Play Store: WUSA9 News on Android
HOW TO ADD THE FREE WUSA9+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WUSA9.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "WUSA9" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE WUSA9 NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our daily WUSA9 Newsletter for top stories from WUSA9 curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Commanders content, weather, and more delivered right to your inbox.