The Federation's package calls for an Inspector General for the County "to audit and review County performance in contracting, construction of facilities, purchasing, and sale of land or other resources to assure appropriateness of expenditures." In a floor amendment to the package presented by its Legislative Committee, the Federation also called for an end to prosecutions under Virginia's sodomy laws, other than in conjunction with other charges, and for recognition of same-sex marriages.
A plank supporting initiative and referendum--a process by which certain percentages of citizens can directly amend the Commonwealth's statutes and Constitution--was amended to call for a bipartisan study of the idea.
Other provisions of the package support increased funding for transportation in Northern Virginia, authorization for a local cigarette tax, opposition to a local income tax, and stronger state ethical and environmental regulations. The Federation also called for local authority to adopt an ordinance combatting aggressive panhandling and to open public schools before Labor Day.
"This document makes clear where the Federation stands on crucial issues for Arlington," Federation President Bill Nolden said. "I think the committee did an excellent job of distilling the legislative package, so it is easy to use and understand."
"This legislative package pulls together the best research and ideas of a lot of people working together to do what's best for Arlington and the Commonwealth," said Legislation Committee Chairman Nancy Graham, a delegate from the American Association of University Women. "We will share it promptly with our delegations in Richmond and Washington as well as the County Board."
The Federation, often called the "Civic Voice of Arlington," is a nonpartisan alliance of nearly 70 neighborhood associations and other civic groups throughout the County. Delegates to the Federation meet monthly to discuss important public policy issues affecting Arlington.
1. Education
A. State Funding Formula. Opposes any efforts to
change the formula for state funding that would result in less
funding for Arlington County Public Schools.
B. Public School Opening. Supports allowing local
school boards to control their public school calendars.
Currently in Virginia, by state law, the school year cannot begin
before Labor Day. This denies school boards the flexibility that
may be needed when establishing the school calendar. [See
Endnote i.]
2. Transportation and Highway Safety
A. Transportation Funding. Urges the
General Assembly to revise the state transportation funding
formula to increase funding for growth areas such as Northern
Virginia.
B. Bicycle Safety. Supports requiring the Virginia
Department of Transportation to establish sufficient right-of-way
for bicycles during planning and construction of state roadways
and greater accommodation for bicycles on state roadways.
C. Truck Safety. Supports strengthening measures to
improve safety of truck operations on Virginia highways,
encourages stronger enforcement of speed limits, urges tougher
requirements for commercial drivers' licenses.
D. Mass Transit. Supports increased funding for mass
transit.
E. Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Supports efforts of the
Northern Virginia and other metropolitan congressional
delegations to obtain maximum federal funding to rebuild the
Woodrow Wilson Bridge. [See Endnote ii.]
F. National Airport. Opposes any liberalization of
standards at National Airport. [See Endnote iii.]
3. Housing and Human Services
Supports proposal in the draft County legislation package to
restore General Assembly funding for the Virginia Housing
Partnership Fund to the level of $8 million per annum.
4. Fiscal and Tax Policy
A. Consumer Use Tax. Supports repeal of the Consumer
Use Tax.
B. Economic (Fair-Market) Rent. Supports the County
Manager's recommendation to establish, statewide, economic (fair-
market) rent, not contract rent, as the basis for assessments of
commercial property. [See Endnote iv.]
C. Cigarette Tax. Supports the Arlington County
proposal to authorize the County to increase the cigarette tax,
in a manner similar to that of cities.
D. Local Income Tax. Opposes legislation that would
allow a local income tax.
E. Professional Sports Facilities. Supports Sen.
Moynihan's proposed bill (currently S.B. 434 "The Stop Tax-Exempt
Arena Debt Issuance Act") to end Federal tax subsidy for
professional sports facilities.
F. National Airport Property Taxes. Arlington County
should collect appropriate property taxes at National Airport as
Fairfax County does at Dulles.
5. General Government
A. Retention of Local Zoning Authority. Supports
legislation to prohibit Commonwealth agencies from overriding
local jurisdictional use plans and zoning decision and
ordinances.
B. Retirement Plans. Opposes any efforts to change
formulas or actuarial assumptions in public employee retirement
plans which directly or indirectly reduce retirement benefits for
current and former Arlington County employees.
C. State Corporation Commission. Supports increasing
the SCC's membership from three to five and encourages General
Assembly members to ensure that confirmation of candidates
includes full review of their qualifications and records with
regard to consumer issues. [See Endnote v.]
D. Limited Partners-Access to Information. Supports
legislation that would permit citizen access to names and
addresses of limited partners and their financial investments or
other contributions in limited partnerships which conduct
business with state or local governments of at least $10,000
annually. [See Endnote vi.]
E. Public Employee Ethics. (1) Supports legislation
requiring that state ethics brochures be provided to public
officials and employees before they assume their state or local
government positions. These officials and employees should
certify in writing that they have read and understand these
ethics requirements as a condition of their employment. [See
Endnote vii.] (2) Urges a legislative study on replacing
the existing Virginia Senate and House Ethics Advisory Panels
with a comprehensive state/local ethics commission.
F. Baseball Stadium Authority. Supports repeal of the
Virginia Stadium Authority, Virginia Code section
15.1.227-71.
G. Office of Inspector General. Supports the
establishment of an Office of Inspector General for the County to
audit and review County performance in contracting, construction
of facilities, purchasing, and the sale of land or other
resources to assure appropriateness of expenditures.
H. Sodomy Laws. Supports prohibition of prosecution
under the sodomy law except in conjunction with another
charge.
I. Same-sex Marriage. Supports requirement that the
Commonwealth of Virginia recognize same-sex marriages that take
place within Virginia and also recognize same-sex marriages from
other states.
6. Environment
A. Recycling Goal of 40% by 2000. Supports adoption of
a state recycling goal of 40% by the year 2000 and comparative
progress reports by jurisdictions.
B. Notification of Use of Lawn Pesticides. Supports
the adoption of a rule requiring commercial lawn care firms to
post signs for 24 hours before and 48 hours after chemical lawn
treatment, similar to a pre-spray notification already in place
for gypsy moth applications.
C. Requirement of State-Owned Industrial Facilities to Develop
Environmental Management Plans. Supports legislation to
develop and implement pollution-prevention plans and to establish
a state office to coordinate and provide technical
assistance.
D. Illegal Dumping and Littering of Waste. Supports
legislation to allow raising of fines for illegal dumping and
littering and stricter enforcement of environmental laws.
E. Water Quality Measurements. Supports the
development and standardization of methods for the measurement of
storm waters and waters that feed the Chesapeake Bay.
F. Water Quality Improvement. Supports stabilization
of the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund Act to permit
qualifying localities to receive up to 50 percent of the local
costs to design, test, and install biological nutrient removal
technologies at waste water treatment facilities.
G. Nutrient Reduction. Encourages the Commonwealth to
consider methods in addition to point source control to achieve
identified nutrient reduction goals.
H. Appropriation of Resources. Encourages the
Virginia General Assembly to appropriate the necessary resources
to implement environmental regulations effectively so that health
and the environment are protected. [See Endnote ix.]
7. Miscellaneous
A. Insurance Rates. Supports a law to prohibit
insurance companies from raising rates when the insured motorists
in accidents are found to be not "at fault."
B. Third-Party Notification. Supports mandatory
third-party notification so that incapacitated persons would not
lose coverage automatically if they should inadvertently miss a
payment.
C. Selection of Judges. Supports appointment of a
commission to study and recommend a plan for merit selection of
judges to ensure judicial independence and the appointment of the
most qualified individuals.
D. Audio Recording of Court Sessions. Supports a
study of legal and cost implications of all general and circuit
court sessions proceedings. [See Endnote x.]
E. 21-Day Rule. Supports modification of the 21-Day
Rule (Rule 1.1 of the Virginia Supreme Court) to permit courts to
consider potentially exculpatory evidence which is submitted
beyond the 21-day period currently allowed in capital cases.
F. Sexual Orientation. Supports the addition of sexual
orientation to the coverage of antidiscrimination laws and Hate
Crimes laws.
G. Initiative and Referendum. Requests the Governor
of Virginia to appoint a bipartisan study commission to examine
how the adoption of initiative and referendum would mesh with
Virginia's traditions and weigh the assets and liabilities of I &
R.
H. Aggressive Panhandling. Requests that the Arlington
County Board be authorized to adopt an ordinance to make it
unlawful for any person to panhandle in an aggressive manner, to
panhandle within fifteen feet of an automatic teller machine, or
to panhandle from any operator of a motor vehicle while standing
in a roadway median or on a travel lane.
ii. There is at present only one plan on the table. The cost including ramps and approach reconfiguration is approximately $1.8 billion. The current House Appropriation Bill has no money earmarked for this project, and the Senate bill has designated only $900 million. Unless the Congress provides adequate funding for this federally owned bridge, the project will have to be significantly changed or the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia will have to make up the difference.
iii. There are many safety and environmental concerns at National:
iv. Although the Virginia Supreme Court Virginia has ruled that contract rent may be used, the Federation has opposed its use because it usually lowered commercial assessments shifting more of the real estate tax burden to homeowners.
v. The Federation believes a body as powerful as the SCC should have broader, more diverse representation than its present membership permits.
vi. Citizens must present bona-fide public interest reason for this information and the partnership or its agent must provide this information within ten business days at a reasonable cost to the requester.
vii. These officials and employees should certify in writing that they have read and understand these ethics requirements as a condition of employment.
viii. The Inspector General shall operate independently but shall provide periodic reports to the County Board and the Courts as may be required.
ix. This includes providing required and necessary state resources and enforcement.
x. The tape recording would become part of the official record.