HomeMy Public PortalAbout1998_11_24_R271 Supporting Full Funding of House Bill 599'The Town of
Leesburg,
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RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION:
PRESENTED November 24, 1998
98- 271 ADOPTED November 24, 1998
SUPPORTING FULL FUNDING OF HOUSE BILL 599
WHEREAS, the General Assembly passed HB 599 in 1979 as part of a legislative
package intended to direct additional state financial assistance to cities, towns and counties in
exchange for the loss of authority to annex land in surrounding counties; and
WHEREAS, one type of state financial assistance included in HB 599 was payment to
cities, towns and counties with police departments, which was intended to compensate for the
disparity between state funding for local police departments and sheriffs' offices; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia Code directs the Governor and the General Assembly to
increase the total amount of HB 599 funds to be distributed each year by the anticipated
percentage change in state general fund revenues; and
WHEREAS, funding for HB 599 was reduced from $80.5 million to less than $67
million in fiscal year 1992, and has remained frozen at that level since 1992; and
WHEREAS, based on annual general fund growth rates, the total amount of HB 599
funding would have increased to $151 million by fiscal year 1999 if the state had funded this
program in accordance with state law; and
WHEREAS, if the state had funded this program in accordance with state law, the Town
of Leesburg would currently be receiving $331,286 per year from the state instead of $146,422
which it is currently receiving. If the Town of Leesburg were receiving the higher amount of
funding, it would help offset the $3.7 million per year police department budget; and
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RESOLUTION: HB 599
WHEREAS, by fiscal year 2000 the total amount of funding that the state would have
distributed to localities since the HB 599 program's inception if the law had been observed will
be $610 million; and
WHEREAS, since the program' s inception the total amount of funding that the state has
failed to distribute to the Town of Leesburg totals $1,131,053; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth benefits when the relationship between the state and its
local governments is based on mutual trust and support; and
WHEREAS, Delegate Joe May, Delegate Richard Black and Senator Bill Mims are
supporting the Governor's proposed budget which will include full funding for HB 599.
THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as
follows:
The Town Council fully supports the Governor and the General Assembly in their efforts
to fully fund HB 599 by the year 2000, and that the amendments to the 1998-2000 budget
enacted during the 1999 General Assembly should include a substantial increase in this program
beginning in fiscal year 1999.
PASSED this 24m day of November, 1998.
Ces E. Clem, Mayor
Town of Leesburg
ATTEST:
Clerk of Council
R:HB599