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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1989_11_14_R228Leesb~'drg in ~rirginia P~SOLUTION NO. PRESENTED November 14, 1989 89-228 ADOPTED November 14, 1989 A RESOLUTION: REQUESTING THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ADOPT THE TOWN'S 1990 LEGISLATIVE POLICY STATEMENT AND AUTHORIZING AN APPROPRIATION TO JOIN THE COALITION FOR EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT WHEREAS, the Town of Leesburg generally supports the 1990 Legislative Program and Policy Statements adopted by the Virginia Municipal League; and WHEREAS, the town particularly opposes certain actions being considered by the General Assembly such as vesting rights to zoning and the potential restriction on city transition and town annexation rights; and WHEREAS, the town has been invited to join the Coalition for Effective Local Government to lobby the General Assembly against the annexation and city transition restrictions; and WHEREAS, the town supports actions by the General Assembly that win particularly benefit the citizens of Leesburg such as changes in the local option income tax law, and the method of allocating sales tax revenue and estimating population of towns. THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as follows: SECTION I. The Town Council respecffuny requests the General Assembly to adopt legislation consistent with the Town of Leesburg Legislative Policy Statement. SECTION II. An appropriation in the amount of $8,000 is made from the General Fund Unappropriated Fund balance to account number 200.9100.560.150, for the purpose of joining the Coalition for Effective Local Government. PASSED this 14th day of ATT T: ~ Clerk of C,o~dl November 1989. Robe~ E. S~vilh, Mayor Town of Leesburg Legislative Package Page 2 1990 LEGISLATIVE POLICY STATEMENT VESTING OF ZONING RIGHTS The Town Council of the Town of Leesburg strongly opposes any restrictions on its land use powers to establish, modify or enforce zoning classifications. Local governments are the most responsive to community concerns regarding determining and enforcing land use. Any restriction established state- wide that reduces local governmental control over land use regulation obviously limits responsiveness to community needs. The town is aware, through the Virginia Municipal League, that there has been some discussion to introduce a "vesting" bill in the 1990 General Assembly. VML and VACO have stated opposition to such attempts to legislate for localities this important land use issue. The town supports VML's position. COMMISSION ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES AND RELATIONSHIPS Known as the Grayson Commission, this body is expected to propose on November 21, 1989, legislation designed to limit town's annexation and transition rights. As stated in the 1989 Leesburg Legislative Policy Statement the town opposes the unnecessary restriction of these rights. If adopted these expected proposals will undermine the position of all large towns in Virginia with respect to future negotiations with counties relative to revenue sharing, annexation and city transition. For town governments to function and plan effectively, towns must have the authority to annex neighboring property where urban services are essential. Additionally, Leesburg, with utilities under design to accommodate over 45,000 citizens, may best serve those citizens as a city. Further restrictions on city transition will potentially impair contractual agreements with Loudoun County which have dealt effectively with this issue. As an alternative to the restrictive proposals of the Grayson Commission, the Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Association of Counties have negotiated an agreement that provides for the creation of new cities and town annexation by ordinance within appropriate limitations. Any joint agreement proposed by cities, towns and counties should be seriously considered by the General Assembly. The Town of Leesburg strongly recommends that the General Assembly weigh the Legislative Package Page 3 Grayson Commission recommendations against the agreement forged by all levels of local government in Virginia. INCOME TAX AND OTHER REVENUE SOURCES FOR TRANSPORTATION The Council of the Town of Leesburg encourages the General Assembly to include towns in the local option legislation authorizing income tax. The current law adopted last year provides only for collection of income tax by county and city governments, specifically excluding towns. Though the Council is not currently considering proposing an income tax, it is important that towns, which maintain their own roads under Section 33.1-41.1, the 1950 Code of Virginia, as amended, have the same opportunity to collect additional revenue as cities and counties. The additional revenues are required to meet Leesburg's msjor transportation needs. As outlined on many occasions, examples of the specific future growth needs of our transportation system are: 1. Widen Route 15 by-pass to four lanes in the northeast quadrant at an estimated cost of $3.5 million. 2. Acquire right-of-way and complete cloverleaf interchange at Route 15 bypass and East Market Street at an estimated cost of $10 million. 3. Construct a grade separated fly-over at Route 15 bypass and Sycolin Road at an estimated cost of $2 million. 4. Construct grade separated interchange on Route 7 at Battlefield Parkway at an estimated cost of $10 million. These and other transportation improvements cannot be effectively accomplished with conventional revenue sources. Income tax revenue and other sources are urgently requested from the General Assembly to meet the community's expanding transportation needs. SALES TAX ALLOCATIONS Sales tax revenue is now distributed on the basis of the percentage of school age children by jurisdiction. The Town Council recommends that a more appropriate method of distributing sales tax revenue would be to allocate revenue to the government where the business is located. POPULATION ESTIMATES Legislative Package Page 4 The Town Council urges the General Assembly to adopt legislation which requires the accurate estimate of town population. Current methods of estimating town population do not provide up to date figures while cities and counties are properly updated every year. ABC and law enforcement revenues are distributed based upon population estimates which are updated for cities and counties each year by the Tayloe-Murphy Institute but are based on census data for towns, collected every ten years. This obviously unfair allocation method must be corrected, as it costs citizens of growing towns such as Leesburg (which has doubled its population in ten years) tens of thousands of dollars annually. R:legislative