8/2/2019 Lawmakers' Letter to Assembly on Devolution, March 2012

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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO BUDGET CONFEREES

FROM THE COUNTIES OF

CHESTERFIELD,FAIRFAX,LOUDOUN AND PRINCE WILLIAM

March 28, 2012

House of Delegates and Senate Budget Conferees:

The House budget contains a provision requiring the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a

study on the feasibility of devolving maintenance of the secondary road system to localities over

200,000 in population. As Chairs of the Boards of Supervisors of the four counties targeted to

take over maintenance of secondary roads, we strongly urge you to oppose any steps toward this

devolution of responsibility.

Our counties have longstanding legislative positions supporting stable, reliable, proven and

permanent statewide revenue sources for transportation. We oppose new unfunded mandates

which shift costs for state programs to local governments. In line with these principles, our

counties strongly oppose the forced transference of responsibility for the maintenance or

operation of new or existing secondary roads from VDOT to the localities.

Because of the poor state of so many secondary roads and the lack of state funding to localities to

upgrade and maintain these roads, our initial financial analysis of devolution shows

unequivocally that devolution will require a significant real property tax increase for residents

and businesses in our counties. To put it bluntly, devolution would require a local tax increase.

After years of neglect, Virginias transportation construction and maintenance funds are nearly

depleted. Our roads are in deplorable shape. By the Virginia Department of Transportations own

admission, 34 percent of secondary roads in Virginia are in substandard condition.

Our four counties would likely need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars just to bring these

neglected roads up to the statewide maintenance standards. Once the roads were brought up to a

reasonable standard, it would cost millions of dollars a year to maintain the roads to those

standards.

Even if these responsibilities came with additional revenue or authority to raise revenue, it is

doubtful that any county could amass the funds necessary for maintenance and operation of itssecondary roads. As political subdivisions of the state are often reminded, there are times

when statewide programs or regulations are more efficient and effective than a patchwork of

local decisions. While local governments may not always agree with that logic, the secondary

road system is an instance where consistency and economies of scale point to a state level

responsibility.

8/2/2019 Lawmakers' Letter to Assembly on Devolution, March 2012

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Other counties in the Commonwealth also recognize that devolution will not stop at our borders.

In the coming years, proposals to devolve road maintenance to more and more localities would

come before the General Assembly. If the Commonwealth were to devolve responsibilities for

roads to local governments, an inevitable disparity in road conditions between regions and

localities within the state would become apparent.

The competitive edge enjoyed by the Commonwealth (indeed, our rank as #1 in the nation forbusiness) would inevitably dull. As the nation pulls from the constraints of recession, the risks

associated with devolution pose an even greater threat to the vitality of Virginia. Business in the

Commonwealth relies on the ability of workers to commute, goods to ship, and meetings to

occur on time across the entire Commonwealth.

Although we are of different political parties, we are firmly united in opposition to devolution

because of the massive property tax increase it will produce for the residents and businesses of

Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Chesterfield counties. Please remove any study of

devolution from the Commonwealths budget.

Sincerely,

Sharon Bulova Corey A. Stewart

Chairman Chairman

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Prince William Board of Supervisors

Daniel A. Gecker Scott K. York

Chairman Chairman

Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Loudoun County Board of Supervisors