The debate over how to fund transportation needs in Virginia seems to be never-ending, but there’s one idea gaining steam in Richmond that has both Republicans and Democrats in Virginia’s D.C. suburbs worried: “devolution.”

Devolution is the term for having counties and cities take over maintenance of secondary roads, and the idea has been discussed for years.  Right now Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT)  has much of that responsibility, but with the agency severely underfunded and a steady stream of complaints about road deterioration in the Commonwealth, the prospect of saddling cities and counties with the task is becoming more attractive to some.  Earlier this year the state commissioned an extensive study on ‘devolution’ by George Mason University researchers.

“It’s something that’s on the table — we have to consider it,” VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley says.  ”It’s just difficult, based upon the funding that we have, to do all things. So we’re going to have to pick a few things and to them well.”

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart, a Republican, says if the governor and general assembly push ‘devolution’ through, it’s local taxpayers that would suffer.

“It will cause a massive tax increase all over Northern Virginia, not just Prince William, but also Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria,” says Stewart.

Fairfax County Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay says Fairfax could likely do a better job than the state’s Department of Transportation, but not without new revenue.

“If it devolves to local government, with the funding scheme that’s in place today, we simply don’t have the money to do it,” McKay says.

But both Stewart and McKay say they fear Virginia’s general assembly could push the idea through no matter what local leaders have to say about it.