I am not a lawyer, nor am I familiar with the Virginia Code or the Dillon Rule.
But I would love to hear from someone who is!
I've been trying to find additional revenue opportunities for Fairfax County, to help with the budget shortfall. I thought I found something interesting in the Virginia Code, but I am not certain how things written in the Code work--do counties still need to get permission from the state, or can they act on what is written in the Code?
Here's the section I found interesting (cut and pasted from the Code with quotation marks added by me):
Virginia Code § 42.1-33. Power of local governments to establish and support libraries.
“The governing body of any city, county or town shall have the power to establish a free public library for the use and benefit of its residents. The governing body shall provide sufficient support for the operation of the library by levying a tax therefor, either by special levy or as a fund of the general levy of the city, county or town. The word "support" as used in this chapter shall include but is not limited to, purchase of land for library buildings, purchase or erection of buildings for library purposes, purchase of library books, materials and equipment, compensation of library personnel, and all maintenance expenses for library property and equipment. Funds appropriated or contributed for public library purposes shall constitute a separate fund and shall not be used for any but public library purposes.”
Does this mean Fairfax County can establish a special tax and dedicate the funds to the library system? If so, a 1/4 of 1% sales tax should more than cover the Fairfax County Public Library system, and that money could be shifted to the county's other budget needs.
I'm not sure what to think of the Code wording and whether this is a revenue opportunity or not. I'd appreciate hearing from someone who does know. I've asked this question a few places and heard varying responses--none very solid. I'm waiting to hear from one of our local officials' offices; they are looking into it.
Showing posts with label Virginia Code. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia Code. Show all posts
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Community Dialogue Meeting
I attended one of the Community Dialogue Meetings, Dec. 2, at Hayfield Secondary School. I had already viewed the PowerPoint presentation online, but I hoped to learn more about the county's efforts to combat the $491.6 million budget shortfall.
It was a rainy night which might have dampened the turnout. After entering the school, I walked the long hallway to the cafeteria--and both sides of the hallway were lined with Hayfield Secondary orchestra students, wearing their black concert attire and holding their instruments in a silent protest. Two at the front held up posters about the proposed budget cuts.
Inside the cafeteria, before the meeting began, I struck up a conversation with the two people sitting nearest me. One young man was wearing a black shirt with white writing on it, and I asked what the abbreviation meant. (I don't recall the abbreviation it mentioned.) It's his job title. Before the meeting began, five people arrived wearing the same shirt, and another person mentioned she'd forgotten to wear hers. So this group of school employees with matching shirts did the smart thing--they sat together on the front row to give their slogan the most visibility to the county's speakers, and when we broke into small discussion groups they split up so they'd have a voice in each group.
At first I was disappointed that the PowerPoint presentations didn't seem to have changed since they were posted online. However, the people presenting the slides added commentary that kept my interest.
I had hoped the small group discussions would be productive brainstorming sessions. Instead, they quickly fell into advocacy opportunities. When one lady commented that a school she had visited seemed to have too many "bells and whistles" several other people quickly disagreed with her, drowning her comments with their own insight into what the schools were lacking. It took a full five minutes or more for someone to point out that while some of the county's public schools have gross needs, others seem to have more opportunitites than the average university.
Several people voiced concern that teachers might next year be asked to work at several different locations. When I pointed out that due to last year's budget cuts many librarians already must work in several locations, I was immediately labeled as a librarian. (While I am on the Friends of Kingstowne Library, I am also involved with several other county agencies, including seasonal employment with one, not the libraries.)
In the past month, in my "spare time," I've tried to learn more about Fairfax County's budget. Needing to dive more deeply into one area--or risk frustration at the lack of information about other areas--I tried to read everything available on the public libraries (FCPL). Since that is the budget area with which I have the most familiarity, it's no wonder they mistook me for a librarian. At one point, hoping to open the conversation up to revenue opportunities, I brought up a bit of the Virginia Code that seemed (to my uncertain eyes) to say the county has the right to establish a tax dedicated to funding the public libraries. At least three people quickly explained, "No, no, no, the Dillon Rule won't allow it." I've heard of the Dillon Rule, but I had hoped that if something was in the Virginia Code, that meant it was allowable without examination through the Dillon Rule. A very intelligent person from the county's budget office more politely added that the current county tax structure already covers this part of the Code--meaning the library's funding is tied into the current taxes and not actually listed out as a specific dedicated funding source. (I really do mean she was intelligent. She gave the county's side of the PowerPoint presentations, and I admired her method of explaining variance reporting in response to a question from the audience. I picked this small group knowing she'd be our county representative.)
The small groups' feedback to the full audience was a bit rushed. It left me with the sense that the Community Dialogue Meetings were a good idea but were not to be the fertile field of imaginative solution finding I had once envisioned.
It was a rainy night which might have dampened the turnout. After entering the school, I walked the long hallway to the cafeteria--and both sides of the hallway were lined with Hayfield Secondary orchestra students, wearing their black concert attire and holding their instruments in a silent protest. Two at the front held up posters about the proposed budget cuts.
Inside the cafeteria, before the meeting began, I struck up a conversation with the two people sitting nearest me. One young man was wearing a black shirt with white writing on it, and I asked what the abbreviation meant. (I don't recall the abbreviation it mentioned.) It's his job title. Before the meeting began, five people arrived wearing the same shirt, and another person mentioned she'd forgotten to wear hers. So this group of school employees with matching shirts did the smart thing--they sat together on the front row to give their slogan the most visibility to the county's speakers, and when we broke into small discussion groups they split up so they'd have a voice in each group.
At first I was disappointed that the PowerPoint presentations didn't seem to have changed since they were posted online. However, the people presenting the slides added commentary that kept my interest.
I had hoped the small group discussions would be productive brainstorming sessions. Instead, they quickly fell into advocacy opportunities. When one lady commented that a school she had visited seemed to have too many "bells and whistles" several other people quickly disagreed with her, drowning her comments with their own insight into what the schools were lacking. It took a full five minutes or more for someone to point out that while some of the county's public schools have gross needs, others seem to have more opportunitites than the average university.
Several people voiced concern that teachers might next year be asked to work at several different locations. When I pointed out that due to last year's budget cuts many librarians already must work in several locations, I was immediately labeled as a librarian. (While I am on the Friends of Kingstowne Library, I am also involved with several other county agencies, including seasonal employment with one, not the libraries.)
In the past month, in my "spare time," I've tried to learn more about Fairfax County's budget. Needing to dive more deeply into one area--or risk frustration at the lack of information about other areas--I tried to read everything available on the public libraries (FCPL). Since that is the budget area with which I have the most familiarity, it's no wonder they mistook me for a librarian. At one point, hoping to open the conversation up to revenue opportunities, I brought up a bit of the Virginia Code that seemed (to my uncertain eyes) to say the county has the right to establish a tax dedicated to funding the public libraries. At least three people quickly explained, "No, no, no, the Dillon Rule won't allow it." I've heard of the Dillon Rule, but I had hoped that if something was in the Virginia Code, that meant it was allowable without examination through the Dillon Rule. A very intelligent person from the county's budget office more politely added that the current county tax structure already covers this part of the Code--meaning the library's funding is tied into the current taxes and not actually listed out as a specific dedicated funding source. (I really do mean she was intelligent. She gave the county's side of the PowerPoint presentations, and I admired her method of explaining variance reporting in response to a question from the audience. I picked this small group knowing she'd be our county representative.)
The small groups' feedback to the full audience was a bit rushed. It left me with the sense that the Community Dialogue Meetings were a good idea but were not to be the fertile field of imaginative solution finding I had once envisioned.
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