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Home My Public Portal About1991_12_10_R276The Town of Leesburg, Virginia RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION: PRESENTED December 10, 1991 91-276 ADOPTED December 10: 1991 AUTHORIZING LEGISLATIVE ENDORSEMENTS FOR THE 1992 VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY and WHEREAS, the 1992 session of the Virginia General Assembly will soon convene in Richmond; WHEREAS, as a member of the Virginia Municipal League (VML), the town regularly endorses the VML legislative program and participates during the VML legislative day in Richmond; and WHEREAS, the Virginia Municipal League adopted a 1992 legislative program at its annual business meeting on October 8, 1991; and WHEREAS, the Town Council has reviewed this program and other legislative initiatives, including those of the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission, the County of Loudoun, and the Town of Herndon; and WHEREAS, it is imperative that the Town of Leesburg continue to communicate our legislative concerns and goals to the Virginia General Assembly: THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as follows: SECTION I. The Town Council hereby endorses the 1992 Virginia Municipal League Legislative Program, with an emphasis on the following legislative initiatives: A. Local Option Sales Tax - The General Assembly is strongly urged to enact enabling legislation giving dries, towns and counties authority to adopt a half-cent local option sales tax in addition to the l-cent local option sales tax cities and counties now have, with the revenues to be used for general purposes. To avoid double taxation, legislation should provide that the county half-cent local option sales tax cannot be levied within the corporate limits of towns that levy the tax. Further, the General Assembly is requested to investigate the feasibility of allowing the full 1 percent of local option sales tax revenues to be distributed between the town and county governments based upon the town's population percentage in relationship to the county's entire population. B. Lottery - It is recommended that significant revenue from Virginia's lottery be distributed to cities, towns and counties beginning with the next budget cycle. Lottery revenue should not reduce or be in lieu of any other state funding affecting local governments. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING 1992 LEGISLATIVE ENDORSEMENTS Co Double T~x~tion - Legislation is supported which requires a county to reimburse a town or a Class A city for county services not provided in the town but funded in part by county taxes collected within the town. Further, the Town of Leesburg joins the Town of Herndon in requesting that the General Assembly authorize a study to identify and evaluate the administrative and fiscal implication of such an initiative. Do Transition to City Status and Annexation - Legislation is supported which allows a town with a population of 10,000 or more to become a Class A city pending approval from the Commission on Local Government and provided the town and county agree on a transition plan. Any legislation which limits a town's ability to annex and/or transition to independent city status is strongly opposed. Solid Waste Management, Funding - Since the state has taken such an active regulatory role in solid waste management~ the state should provide funding to help pay for the cost of meeting those regulations. State funding or other incentives for regional cooperation in the disposal of solid waste and recycling is supported. Fo Housing - First~ the General Assembly is urged to maintain a strong state role in the provision and funding of housing, including construction and rent subsidies for the needy. Secondly, the General Assembly is encouraged to increase the opportunity for local governments to address housing needs. Among the housing revenue tools that could be made available to local governments on a local option basis are revolving loan funds, tax increment financing and real estate transfer taxes. Transportation, Urban Construction and Preventative Maintenance Funds - It is requested that the General Assembly provide cities and towns receiving state urban construction funds the flexibility to use up to 50 percent of such funds for a broader range of transportation purposes than currently authorized. It is also requested that the General Assembly grant cities and towns greater flexibility in the use of state road maintenance funding be inserting "preventative maintenance" and "incidental betterment affected during the course of routine maintenance" in the definition used for the allocation of maintenance payments. Ho Emergency Medical Services - State and federal financial support is strongly urged for agencies providing emergency medical coordination services to local governments and volunteer agencies, including regional communications network for Advanced Life Support. All future mandated training and recertification requirements imposed by the Commonwealth must be funded by the Commonwealth. Town Information - The General Assembly is requested to require state agencies when compiling local government statistics to break out information for towns with populations of more than 1,000. SECTION Il. The Town Council hereby additionally endorses the following legislative positions: Educational Disparity - While the Town of Leesburg joins the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission to support the restoration and maintenance of State education funding to the FY 1990 levels; the Town of Leesburg does not support the retention of the exist/ng statewide sales tax distribution formula based on school aged population, but rather based on the town's percentage of total county population. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING 1992 LEGISLATIVE ENDORSE1V[ENTS Co Fo Child Care - The Town of Leesburg joins the Northern Virginia Planning Distric Commission to support the continuation of the development of equitable and enforceable licensing standards, provided such standards do not negatively impact parks and recreation playground programs. Virginia Recreation and Conservation Trust Fund - The Town of Leesburg also joins the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission in their endorsement for the establishment of a Virginia Recreation and Conservation Trust Fund. Public Notice Advertising - The Town of Leesburg joins the County of Loudoun in endorsing legislation to permit non-paid circulation newspapers to bid on public notice advertising. The Town Council has already gone on record requesting such action from the General Assembly through the adoption of Resolution No. 90-249 on September 26, 1990. Rental Property Tax Revenue - Presently Loudoun County collects annual business liscense taxes from town rental property businesses. As the town has traditionally been the leader in providing multi-family and affordable housing in Loudoun County, including a large percentage of rental units, it is appropriate that the town should receive this business license tax which is currently paid to the county. Further, it is recommended that the Town of Leesburg and the Town of Herndon present a joint proposal regarding this initiative to the General Assembly. Transportation Funding - The Town of Leesburg opposes the proposed reduction in state funding for the 6-year transportation plan projects from 98% to 80%. This proposal would require the town to fund over $2 million in additional costs for town projects which are included in the present plan. Personnel Matters - Two town charter amendments are requested. First, in keeping with the Council-Manager form of government, the positions of Clerk of Council and Zoning Administrator, which are presently appointed by the Town Council, should be appointed by the Town Manager. Secondly, regarding the town's Grievance Procedure, it is requested that the Town Manager's ruling on grievability be appealable to a panel composed of a town representative, an employee representative and a person selected by the other two. The decision of this panel may be appealed by either party to the Circuit Court. Proffer Statements - The Town of Leesburg requests that legislation be adopted to require all lien holders, deed of trust holders, etc. to subordinate proffer statements along with the owner(s) of record. Further, the owner should be required to provide financial statements to the governing body, and once adopted also required to duly record the proffers. Burned-out Structures - The Town of Leesburg requests that it be given clear authority to condemn, demolish, and clear properties which have suffered fire damage and are not attended to by the property owner. Such an amendment is deemed necessary to further protect the public health, safety, and welfare. Any expenses incurred by the town should be added to a property's real estate tax bill, then included as a lien if not paid. Pro-ration of Personal Property Tax - As proposed by Loudoun County for implementation on January 1, 1993, it is requested that the Town of Leesburg also receive authorization to pro-rate personal property tax bills on a monthly basis. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING 1992 LEGISLATIVE ENDORSEMENTS Jurisdictional Boundary Line Agreements - The Town of Leesburg recommends that Sections 15.1 - 1031.1 and 1031.3 of the Virginia Code be amended to clarify the process which the town and the county have used during the past several years to accomplish the Beus Tract and Edwards Landing Boundary Line Adjustment annexations along the Potomac River. There need not be an ambiguity as to the existing location of the boundary line sought to be changed in order for political subdivisions to utilize the provisions of the above referenced articles of the State Code. SECTION III. The Town Manager's office is hereby directed to join the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia to communicate and promote these legislative endorsements both before and during the 1992 Virginia General Assembly. PASSED this 10th day of December , 1991. Ro~or Town of Leesburg ATTEST: Clerk of Council