Local State legislators met with County officials last week, preparing for the upcoming legislative session (the last one before the November election). Sen. Creigh Deeds, Sen. Emmett Hanger, Del. Robert Bell, Del. David Toscano, and Del. Steven Landes heard the comments of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and School Board members at afternoon sessions on August 25—for the most part: Toscano took a minute to answer his cell phone and Deeds and Bell whispered repeatedly during the roundtable discussion.
The following issues were identified by the County groups as their top priorities.—Will Goldsmith
Board of Supervisors
“The only issue is transportation,” said Chairman Dennis Rooker before the meeting began, in what seemed like a joke. But it most certainly was not a joke. Soon ensued a heated, and occasionally combative, discussion about how local road projects—namely the Meadowcreek Parkway, Hillsdale Drive Extension and an updated Hydraulic/29 intersection—can possibly be funded.
Because of large inflation in right-of-way and construction costs, delaying a project “is like chasing a ghost,” said Rooker. He said that if the State wasn’t going to uphold its end of transportation costs, then the County needed more funding tools of its own—like the ability to impose local gas or sales tax hikes.
Though the legislators all responded, no panacea was offered, nor did a single idea have unanimous support among them. A laundry list of possible fixes included: toll roads, transportation bonds, increased gas or sales taxes, development proffers for new roads, and new formulas to tax people based on how many miles they travel.
Hanger lamented the public mentality that “you can have all you want but you don’t have to pay for it,” while Deeds threw out the worst case scenario: “We have the moment right now we have to seize, or we’re ultimately going to be so far behind the eight ball that dirt roads are going to look pretty good to us.”
School Board
The County School Board wants to increase teacher salaries, retain disabilities funding, and get more info on student lawbreakers.
The board asked that legislators act to get higher teacher and administrator pay as well as anything else to address teacher shortages. While nearly everyone agreed that the high cost of living in Albemarle County was a problem for teachers, Del. Rob Bell burst the bubble when he asked, “Do we have a price tag for this?” He also raised concerns that higher salaries in Albemarle County would make it harder on surrounding counties to attract teachers.
After voicing opposition to legislation that would allow parents of disabled students tax credits for putting their child in private schools—and take money away from public schools—the board moved on to two related requests to help them learn of out-of-school crimes.
Current laws already stipulate that police and courts notify schools when their students commit any felony, or misdemeanors, that affect school activities. But the School Board doesn’t think they’re getting the information within the allowed 15-day window and suggested the law change to demand info within 24 hours. Lawmakers in turn suggested that, rather than change the law and burden the legal system, the School Board should develop better rapport with the juvenile courts and explain their issue in a letter to the State Supreme Court.
Finally, the board wanted the Code of Virginia amended so that they get notice of misdemeanors, like underage drinking or marijuana possession, that happen off school grounds. “We do not have the ability to intervene and assist students who…may need some intervention,” said board member Barbara Mouly.
Deeds and Toscano expressed concerns that juvenile privacy would be entirely compromised. “We start down a real slippery slope when we start reporting on everything youngsters do that is a violation of the law,” said Toscano. Hanger, however, thought that discreetly notifying the superintendent could help ensure that taxpayers’ money isn’t wasted on “a mind that is all screwed up,” particularly in the climate of No Child Left Behind-style testing requirements.