Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/14/2003 - Special November 14, 2003 1023 Roanoke County Administration Center 5204 Bernard Drive Roanoke, Virginia 24018 November 14, 2003 The Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia met this day at the Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia, this being an adjourned meeting from October 28, 2003, for the purpose of attending the Regional Leadership Summit meeting with the area legislators. IN RE: CALL TO ORDER Chairman Church called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. The roll call was taken. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Joseph McNamara, Vice-Chairman Richard C. Flora MEMBERS ABSENT: Michael W. Altizer, Joseph B. “Butch” Church, H. Odell “Fuzzy” Minnix OTHERS PRESENT : Michael A. Wray, Supervisor-Elect STAFF PRESENT: Elmer C. Hodge, County Administrator; John M. Chambliss, Jr., Assistant County Administrator; Brenda J. Holton, Deputy Clerk to the Board LEGISLATORS PRESENT: Senate John Edwards,Senator-Elect Brandon Bell, Delegate Morgan Griffith, Delegate Ward Armstrong, Delegate-Elect William Fralin OTHERS PRESENT: Elected officials and staff from the City of Roanoke, City of Salem, Town of Vinton, County of Bedford, City of Covington, County of Botetourt; and representatives from the Roanoke Valley-Allegheny Regional Commission. IN RE: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS November 14, 2003 1024 Mayor Carl E. Tarpley, City of Salem, welcomed the Roanoke Valley legislators to this annual meeting and introductions were made. He advised that this group can better understand the sacrifices of the legislators and the challenges they face on the issues of education, transportation and fully funding legislative commitments. There are no simple solutions to these problems but he requested that the legislators do whatever is necessary to make improvements to Interstate 81 and Route 220. He asked that the legislators call upon any of the elected officials or their staffs for assistance if necessary. He congratulated the candidates of the winning campaigns and advised that he looked forward to the leadership that they will bring to the Roanoke Valley. Mr. Wayne Strickland, Executive Director of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, advised that the agenda for this meeting represented comments from the local elected officials. He reported that more than 30 officials were present representing 11 localities which he felt was a positive sign of cooperation. He distributed a handout showing the calendar for the balance of the General Assembly Session for 2003 – 2004 which was adopted by the Joint Rules Committee. He asked that these dates be referred to when planning activities with the legislators. IN RE: DISCUSSION OF AGENDA ITEMS Education: Chairman Joseph McNamara, Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, advised that the General Assembly should fully fund the costs of the Standards of Quality (SOQ). The Commonwealth has an obligation to fund the SOQ on November 14, 2003 1025 the basis of realistic costs which will reflect actual educational practices and include capital, operating and maintenance costs. He noted that all of the localities have education as their number one priority, and stated that anything the legislators can do to provide assistance would be appreciated. Taxing and Funding: Mayor Tarpley stated that the General Assembly should eliminate the distinction in taxing authority of Virginia’s cities and counties. He feels that counties should possess the same authority as cities to levy taxes on tobacco products, lodging, meals and admissions. However, he advised that some counties, such as Craig County, may not have the same problems as Roanoke County. He reported that when the City of Salem raised its tobacco tax, a cigarette business moved to Roanoke County. He feels that Roanoke County should have the same right to tax tobacco products as does the City of Salem Mayor Tarpley stated that the General Assembly should not limit or restrict existing local revenue sources, and that the funding for Virginia's Regional Competitiveness Program (RCP) was eliminated in 2002. The General Assembly needs to fund this important program. The Commonwealth established the RCP in 1996 and since that time, more than 227 regional projects throughout Virginia have been supported by RCP funds. Each dollar of RCP funds has been leveraged with 19 dollars of non-state funds. In the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany region, RCP funds have been used to support regional industrial parks, workforce development/education, tourism and infrastructure development. November 14, 2003 1026 Chairman Wayne Angell, Franklin County Board of Supervisors, advised that the Commonwealth needs to move aggressively to reform its tax system. The localities rely primarily on property taxes and although Franklin County is fortunate to have a lower tax rate, they also are experiencing growth. In their current budget year, they collected a total of $21.4 million which included $17.7 million in real estate taxes and $3.7 million in personal property taxes. The total of the tax revenues did not equal their local allocation to schools which was $23 million. He does not envy the legislators their tasks but advised that the local officials are willing to assist them and share their problems. He asked that they give tax reform careful consideration. Local Authority: Mayor Temple Kessinger, City of Covington, advised that the General Assembly should not pass legislation that takes away the local governments’ authority over land use issues. He stated that legislation which may be considered in an upcoming session will require manufactured housing to be permitted "by right" in all residential zoning districts. Such legislation would directly affect the power of local councils and boards to control land use in their communities. The localities do not want to see anything hamper the manufactured housing industry because Franklin County depends on that industry. However, they do not want to lose control of local land issues because when zoning issues surface, they need to make decisions based upon what is best for their locality. He advised that some of the legislation from the Virginia Municipal League last year included manufactured housing in historic districts which he felt was detrimental. He asked that these issues be left to November 14, 2003 1027 the localities so that they can vote to locate manufactured housing in the areas where they are desired. Transportation: Chairman Steven Clinton, Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, advised that even though I-81 has been discussed many times, it must be brought up again. Even though he is representing the entire region, he has a particular interest in I-81 since Botetourt County was recently declared the deadliest stretch of I- 81 by the Roanoke Times. The tragedies continue as solutions are sought without adequate funding. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has less then $200 million allocated in the six-year plan for I-81 and the two Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA) proposals each cost about $6 billion. It will take approximately 180 years to improve I-81 at current public funding levels. He stated that this is not the first generation to be faced with the challenges of funding roads and in 1956, the methods of financing were not permitted to deny the construction of the highway system. Chairman Clinton asked why the Commonwealth would do anything less than North Carolina which has unveiled a plan to widen Interstate 95 the entire length of the state, 182 miles, from four to eight lanes, at a cost of approximately $3 billion and will use tolls as part of the funding mechanism. He asked that the legislators continue to work on solutions for I-81 and not be derailed due to lack of monies. All of the localities have passed resolutions supporting the rail initiative but the economic and November 14, 2003 1028 technological benefits have not yet been proven. While that debate continues, he asked that the legislators not lose sight of the larger issue which is safety. Chairman Clinton advised that the General Assembly should fund the Smart Road outside of the VDOT funds allocated to the Salem Transportation District. Approximately 35% of the funds allocated to the Salem District are going to pay for the Smart Road. This highway facility represents an economic benefit for the entire Commonwealth and the nation, and as such, the funds for the Smart Road should not come solely from this region's highway allocation. Mayor Ralph Smith, City of Roanoke, stated that the Commonwealth should plan for the development of rail freight along I-81 to complement the widening of the interstate with the purpose of moving a large volume of the long-distance freight traffic from trucks to freight trains on dual track, high-speed rails parallel to the interstate. Mayor Smith advised that the General Assembly should fund the implementation of passenger rail service in the Roanoke to Bristol corridor. Rail service will provide a good multi-modal addition to the highways and airports currently serving the region. However, he advised that implementing rail service should not slow down the necessary improvements to I-81. He believes that the answer to having passenger and freight service will come from a federal initiative such as the highway system in the 1950’s. He has confidence that all of the legislators and local officials can work together as a team to get the best results for all. He advised that he supported tax restructuring November 14, 2003 1029 and requested that it be revenue neutral. He advised that there are ways for the tax system to be more efficient and he hopes that all parties will come together to achieve tax restructuring. Mayor Smith advised that the AirTran website asks the question of where service should be supplied next and Roanoke is not listed as one of the cities. He requested that everyone go to the AirTran’s website and suggest that Roanoke would be a good site for service. IN RE: CLOSING COMMENTS Mayor Don Davis, Town of Vinton, advised that he also received the email asking for additional service areas for AirTran. He expressed appreciation to everyone for attending the meeting and advised that these issues being mentioned are very important and the localities need help from the legislators. Many of the citizens that the local officials represent are asking many questions such as why are taxes being raised, why is there no additional money for education, why is nothing being done about the most dangerous stretch of interstate highway in the state, and why are there so many trucks on I-81. Although the legislators are responsible for passing laws which affect the citizens in all of the jurisdictions, the local officials are an integral part of the equation because they try to provide citizens with the services they deserve and expect. This is difficult to accomplish when funding for state mandated programs is being reduced and localities cannot use taxing power to generate revenues. The only way to generate revenue is to cut expenses or raise taxes, and it is difficult to cut expenses November 14, 2003 1030 when you are barely funding the mandated programs. He asked that the legislators grant them the authority and funds to do their job of serving the citizens. He agreed that raising taxes is not desirable but if the localities are being asked to raise taxes, the legislators should be willing to do the same. He urged the legislators to work together as a team to do what is necessary to bring funding and improvements to this part of the state. He expressed his appreciation to the legislators for attending this meeting and listening to their concerns. Mr. Strickland advised that the items presented are broad regional items as agreed upon by this group. It is hoped that the legislators will carry these concerns to Richmond, and the legislators will probably be meeting again with local officials on specific issues of interest to their communities. IN RE: LEGISLATORS COMMENTS Senator John S. Edwards: Senator Edwards expressed appreciation for the luncheon and stated that wished he could offer some good news. The Governor announced recently that $525 million needs to be added to public education to stay even because of 32,000 new students in the public schools in Virginia over the next two years. $397 million is needed to avoid continuing erosion of public colleges and education and Medicaid is under funded by $330 million. $6 billion has been cut from the budget in the last two years and there may be more to cut this year. The state is in the worst fiscal crisis since World War II or since they have been keeping records. Senator Edwards agreed with the 34 jurisdictions that have approved the November 14, 2003 1031 rail solution concept for I-81 and advised that a study is being conducted by the Secretary of Transportation. There must be a rail component to solve the enormous transportation problems of the Commonwealth. The rail component can be financed with a surcharge on freight and there would be a tremendous benefit to getting the trucks off the interstate and onto the rails. A huge amount of the traffic on I-81 is truck traffic which starts in one state and ends in another state with Virginia being the bridge state. The studies say that 20% to 30% of the long-haul interstate truck traffic could be potentially diverted from the highway to rails. Senator-Elect Brandon Bell: Senator-Elect Bell expressed appreciation for being included in this meeting and advised that all of the items being presented could be supported but there are problems in the details of each item. He suggested that the group, collectively and individually, contact their legislators as quickly as possible upon any announcement from the Governor between now and December 17 since the budget must be introduced by December 20. He will reserve judgment and listen to whether or not proposed legislation might be beneficial or detrimental to the localities. He indicated an interest in serving on the Transportation Committee, the committee on which Senator Bo Trumbo previously served. He stated that if major legislation is proposed with significant changes, he will listen to all input. November 14, 2003 1032 Delegate Morgan Griffith: Delegate Griffith advised that the calendar adopted by the joint rules committee is important because it contains pre-file dates on legislation. These pre-file dates did not exist five years ago and were adopted to streamline the process and make it more efficient. Delegate Griffith advised that while some items suggested will be accomplished, others will not be successful. He stated that it is a myth that the state is going through one of the worst financial crisis in the history of the Commonwealth. The financial situation is challenging but part of it is due to inflation. Each year that he has served in the General assembly, more money has been spent than the year before and the budget has grown in 19 years from under $32 billion to in excess of $50 billion and probably $52 billion for this year. Delegate Griffin advised that the SOQ’s will have to be fixed and to do this fairly, rebenchmarking is necessary and something the legislature should work towards. He agreed that a rail component is needed but consideration of it should not mean abandoning the widening of I-81 because both are needed. The first proposal is to widen I-81 which he supports at the federal and state level with four lanes in each direction. The rail component is needed because as the population grows, the I-81 corridor is going to have more traffic and if some of this traffic can be moved by rail, it should be done but funding will not be easy. It should also be remembered that while Virginia is a bridge state, it is also an important distribution state and the economics of this region are based on it being a very good geographic location for distribution. November 14, 2003 1033 Delegate Griffith advised that he does not agree with the need for passenger rail because it requires a population mass within the corridor being served by the rail to make it feasible. It is understood that the passenger rail system will not be a profit-driven, but the system would lose considerable money and not even be feasible. He would not consider this until someone shows him a program for people to ride the train from one city to another for business reasons and not just for tourism. Delegate Griffith advised that while he does not have any problem equalizing taxing authority for cities and counties, they do not operate the same way. It is true that Roanoke County and some other urban counties may operate similarly to cities, but there are many other rural counties that do not. Cities have responsibility for their roads while VDOT handles snow removal in counties. The City of Salem does its own snow removal. When discussing equalization, both sides must be reviewed because in the future, the cities will claim that while counties are raising revenues from these taxes, the cities still have to clean the streets and the counties do not have this expense. To treat the situation fairly, you have to look at the comprehensive package and make sure that it is truly equalized. Delegate Griffith advised that he looked forward to hearing from local officials and asked them to view the internet regularly to check on the bills being considered. Due to the large number of bills being considered each day, some of them may contain provisions that affect a locality that are not apparent to the legislators. He asked that the local officials inform them of their concerns by calling the number to his November 14, 2003 1034 office and not the toll-free number because messages can be misdirected and not received on a timely basis. Delegate Ward Armstrong: Delegate Armstrong advised that the budget is already $1 billion short in January on top of the $5 billion already cut; that the SOQ’s are grossly underfunded; and that I-81 will be a tough fight. He has been in the General Assembly for twelve years and each session presents its own challenges. He advised that the delegation that represents Southwest Virginia must work together on a regional basis. He advised that almost 25% of the House, and it is comparable in the Senate, represents all or part of Fairfax County with 75% of the representation coming from the Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater areas. Although he is from Martinsville, he is concerned about what happens in Roanoke, Salem, and Botetourt County and he hopes that many of those present are concerned about what is happening in the Martinsville area. Delegate Armstrong advised that later this month, the Governor will unveil his tax reform plan but he is not certain whether the General Assembly has the determination to undertake meaningful tax reform. It is clear that any plan that is passed is going to be without a tax increase and revenue neutral which will be difficult because in any tax reform situation, some people gain and some lose. If you assume that it is going to be revenue neutral, $1 billion will be cut from the budget and compared with the $5 billion already cut, it totals $6 billion in three years. He is convinced that most localities in Virginia do not have enough money to fund school November 14, 2003 1035 renovations and construction but unfortunately there will be no relief in the next session. However, the economy does appear to be improving and the state revenues may change by January 2005. The state needs to be prepared over the long term for both the peaks and valleys. That preparation was started with the rainy day fund and in retrospect, perhaps more funds should be set aside for the tough times. Virginia is a low tax state and the temptation to raise or lower taxes should be resisted. Delegate Armstrong advised that he is convinced that I-81 has to be addressed and corrected since it is the most dangerous road in the Commonwealth and probably in the nation. He believes that both freight and passenger rail are important. Since rail operations are expensive endeavors, he does not foresee sufficient funds for this in the next couple of years. He expressed appreciation for being invited to attend the meeting and invited those present to visit him when they come to Richmond. Delegate-Elect William Fralin: Delegate-Elect Fralin advised that he was excited about the opportunity to work with those present. He agreed with Delegate Armstrong that this group needs to work cooperatively and he pledged his willingness to cooperate. He advised that one of the things not mentioned was funding for cultural organizations which is very important. He has asked to serve on the Transportation Committee but there has been no response to his request at this time. He stated that anyone who needs to talk to him can call 776-7499 which is his direct number. Mr. Strickland advised that one of the things clearly stated today was the advice to work together and advised that this group does work together on a regular November 14, 2003 1036 basis to move the region forward. He expressed appreciation to the delegates and senators for attending and advised that the notice for a December meeting of the Mayors and Chairs will be distributed very soon. IN RE: ADJOURNMENT Chairman Church adjourned the meeting at 1:45 p.m. Submitted by: Approved by: _________________________ __________________________ Brenda J. Holton Joseph McNamara Deputy Clerk to the Board Chairman