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Home My WebLink About1/10/1998 - Adopted Board RecordsAT AN ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ROANOKE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, HELD ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1998 RESOLUTION 011098-1 ADOPTING A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 1998 SESSION OF THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND PETITIONING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO FAVORABLY CONSIDER THE TOPICS AND ISSUES ADDRESSED HEREIN WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, has identified major legislative issues of state-wide concern to be considered by the 1998 session of the Virginia General Assembly; and WHEREAS, the Board adopts this resolution as its Legislative Program for the 1998 session of the Virginia General Assembly. NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, that the following legislative initiatives are submitted for its legislative program for the 1998 session of the Virginia General Assembly for its favorable consideration and adoption. A. Education. Realizing that public education is the foundation of American democracy and the cornerstone of our future economic well being, the County urges the General Assembly to consider favorably the following actions. 1) The General Assembly should enhance funding for public education, including increasing the funds available to the Literary Fund for local school capital construction or renovation projects. The General Assembly should increase funding for capital construction and renovation projects based upon the locality's local effort in support of these capital projects. 1 for school. 2) Local school divisions should be authorized to establish opening dates 3) Disparity funding should be based not only upon the number of students eligible for free or reduced fee lunches, but also upon the locality's local tax effort in support of education. Disparity funding should be based upon the composite index (which measures a locality's relative fiscal ability to provide its share of the cost of a local school system that meets the standards of quality) and the locality's local effort in support of that school system. 4) Roanoke County opposes legislation that would permit the creation of chartered schools unless (i) local and/or district school boards and governing bodies are guaranteed that no funds will be withheld from the public school system for the establishment of or the support of chartered schools, and (ii) that no charter school shall be established in any locality without the consent of the school board and the governing body of that locality. The elimination, modification or waiver of laws or regulations for charter schools shall also be eliminated, modified or waived for all public schools. 5) Roanoke County supports the creation, funding, and implementation of the Higher Education Center Project located in the City of Roanoke. 6) Roanoke County supports funding in the biennial budget for the College of Health Sciences located in the City of Roanoke. B. Transportation and Highway Safety. 1) Roanoke County supports additional new construction and maintenance funding for the Virginia Department of Transportation for secondary and 2 primary roads. Additional funding for new construction projects will address critical transportation needs of all local governments. Additional maintenance funding shall be used for an expanded program to mow grass and weeds, and inspect and clean drainage pipes and culverts. 2) Roanoke County supports expanding local authority to create transportation districts, to impose local option motor vehicle fuels taxes, and to expend these tax proceeds for local transportation improvements. 3) Roanoke County requests that Section 33.1-75.3 be amended to add Roanoke County to the list of counties authorized to expend general revenues, revenues derived from the sale of bonds, or federal revenue sharing funds for the purpose of constructing or improving primary or secondary highways. C. Public Safety. 1) Roanoke County supports legislation appropriating funds and directing the State Compensation Board to modify staffing standards for local jails and court services positions for Sheriff's offices. 2) Roanoke County requests that Section 46.2-1001 be amended to add Roanoke County to the list of jurisdictions whose law-enforcement officers are authorized to perform vehicle safety inspections. 3) Roanoke County requests the General Assembly to authorize the establishment of a commission to fund and/or operate a joint juvenile detention facility for the Counties of Roanoke, Botetourt and Franklin, and the Cities of Roanoke and Salem. 4) Roanoke County supports increasing the "Two -for -Life" funding for the 3 benefit of rescue squads and the emergency medical services system to a 14 -for -Life" Program. D. Environment. 1) Roanoke County supports amending Chapter 6. 1, "Virginia Tire Tax" of Title 58. 1, "Taxation" (a) to increase the tire tax from $.50 to $1.25, and (b) to direct and authorize the Department of Waste Management to utilize the increased Waste Tire Trust Fund to remediate illegal or abandoned waste tire dumps. 2) Roanoke County supports legislation relieving local governments of the responsibility of meeting recycling rates on all wastes collected by private haulers and diverted from waste disposal facilities identified to receive such wastes as set out in the local solid waste management plan. This legislation should also require that private haulers diverting such wastes be held accountable and responsible to meeting the same recycling rates and requirements as the local governments, and require that private haulers be subject to the same recycling mandates as local governments. 3) Roanoke County supports allowing the disposal of land clearing vegetative debris (including tree stumps) in less expensive facilities in a manner not detrimental to the environment. This would require groundwater and methane gas monitoring, financial assurances from the owner/operator, and local governing body certification of compliance with all local ordinances. E. Local Taxation and Funding. 1) Roanoke County vigorously opposes any attempt to restrict or eliminate local sources of taxation, including personal property taxation and business and 4 professional occupational licensing, unless local governments are guaranteed the opportunity to replace lost sources of local revenue with comparable, equivalent, independent sources of revenue to allow localities to fulfill their public service obligations. 2) Roanoke County supports continued and increased funding for the Comprehensive Services Act, the Virginia Community Juvenile Crime Control Act, the Family Preservation Act, local police departments (HB 599 funding), and the Regional Competitiveness Act. 3) Roanoke County supports increasing state aid for public libraries by $1.4 Million each for FY 99 and FY 2000; That the Commonwealth fully fund state aid by FY 2001; and that the Commonwealth shall adopt and fund a statewide technology plan for public libraries. The objective of such a plan will be to provide public libraries with the technological support for public, universal access to networked information. 4) Roanoke County supports an amendment to the BPOL tax (Chapter 37 of Title 58.1) to provide for a limitation of gross receipts for employee leasing companies. 5) Roanoke County supports authority to impose an additional one-half percent ('/%) local option sales tax. 6) Roanoke County supports legislation amending Section 14.1-46.0:1 to increase the salary supplement for the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors from $1,800 to $2,500 per year. 7) Roanoke County supports Chesterfield County in its proposal to amend the Code of Virginia to require the state tax department to remit sales taxes derived 5 from catalog, out-of-state and home T.V. purchases based on population percentage within a zip code. That the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors is directed to send a certified copy of this resolution to Senator John S. Edwards, Senator Malfourd W. "Bo" Trumbo, Delegate H. Morgan Griffith, Delegate Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, Delegate C. Richard Cranwell, Delegate A. Victor Thomas; Mary F. Parker, Roanoke City Clerk; Members of the Roanoke City Council; Forest Jones, Clerk for Salem City Council; Members of the Salem City Council; Carolyn S. Ross, Clerk for the Town of Vinton; Members of the Vinton Town Council and the Fifth Planning District Commission, and the Virginia Association of Counties. On motion of Supervisor Minnix to adopt the resolution as amended by Supervisor Nickens and with language requested by the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, and carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Minnix, Harrison, Nickens, Johnson NAYS: Supervisor McNamara A COPY TESTE: — Mary H. Allen, CMC Clerk to the Board of Supervisors cc: File Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney The Honorable John S. Edwards The Honorable Malfourd W. "Bo" Trumbo C f' The Honorable H. Morgan Griffith The Honorable C. Richard Cranwell The Honorable Clifton A. Woodrum The Honorable A. Victor Thomas The Honorable Bruce F. Jamerson, Clerk of the House The Honorable Susan Clarke Schaar, Clerk of the Senate Carolyn S. Ross, Clerk, Vinton Town Council Forest Jones, Clerk, Salem City Council Mary F. Parker, Clerk, Roanoke City Council James D. Campbell, Executive Director, VACo Wayne Strickland, Executive Director, SPDC 7