A Fundamental Breakdown

Print
PDF
Share
Jim_Oliver
A citizen observing the big conversations in the General Assembly about the shifting roles and powers of the federal and state governments could easily think that legislators have forgotten Virginia’s regions, cities, counties and towns. Indeed, metropolitan areas are given no role and localities, creatures of the state, are increasingly looked upon as nuisances or treated as “special interests.”

Residents of South Hampton Roads will soon see the result of this disrespect for the region and its citizens when tolls are placed on not only the new Midtown Tunnel, but also on the Downtown Tunnel and the new Jordan Bridge.

Any time a Virginia locality wants to create or adjust revenue sources it must go to the General Assembly for permission. Virginia Beach, for example, is considered one of the best-run cities in the nation. Yet, it must go hat in hand to the General Assembly to get permission to prevent persons from pointing laser pens at Oceana airplanes or to try and “equalize” local tax imbalances created by state legislation.

The over-regulation by the General Assembly is inefficient, costly to taxpayers and keeps local control away from regional and local citizens.
But an even greater irony is developing: over-regulation of regions and localities is being coupled to financial abandonment.

One would have a hard time finding a state legislator comfortable saying it out loud, but the de facto message is clear: Virginia’s regions and localities are on their own financially. Some are calling this the “new normal”; increasing obligations with no money.

As one example, the proposed state budget is suggesting a not so subtle shift of teacher pension costs to localities. This will add millions of dollars of new burdens to local governments at a time when the school systems’ primary revenue source, real estate tax receipts, have declined significantly during the current 3-year old housing crisis.

The proposal to shift teacher pension costs to locals is especially ironic in view of last year’s decision by the General Assembly to defer hundreds of millions of dollars in state pension obligations, while accelerating sales tax collections—essentially counting money today that will not come until the future—to balance the Commonwealth’s budget.

Equally troublesome for metropolitan regions and its citizens has been the historic growth in traffic congestion caused by the state. Long-term transportation plans and funding have yielded to construction deferrals, short-term financial gimmicks and selective toll financing.

The back logging of these state transportation responsibilities only increases future costs.

Isn’t it time, again, to look at Virginia’s governance issues: not just its ideological debates with the federal government, but it fundamental relationships with cities and counties?

Citizens and civic leaders have been asking for government reform for decades. Some readers will recall the Hahn Commission of 1968, a state-convened commission that recommended significant reform of Virginia’s governance system. The Commission’s recommendations, including regional planning, were widely applauded across the state. In retrospect, they were bold, visionary and responded to the changing needs of citizens, regions, localities and the state. The problem is the General Assembly gutted the proposals.

Forty-four years later, the problems have grown more seismic but little has changed about the state’s governance policies. Virginia’s metro areas and its cities, counties and towns remain powerless to make many decisions that Virginia’s citizens believe ought to be hashed out, at least initially, at the regional and local levels.

In these regards, our citizens are ahead of the curve and ahead of legislative leadership. Already, citizens, businesses and the public, in general, live and function in their own metropolitan area, unbounded by borders. They live here, but shop, work, drive their companies delivery trucks, go to movies and much else in a different jurisdiction. It is time that governance caught up with the realities and need for regional decision-making, at least for those government functions that exceed, in today’s world, the capacity of any one or a few jurisdictions to manage.

Many believe that it is impossible to reform state governance. It’s too big and complicated for the birth state of Thomas Jefferson to tackle. Yet, reform, if not transformation, is possible. Mr. Jefferson, himself, greatly feared the development of dependence because of government structure. He wanted people to be able to pursue liberty and freedom at the most basic levels.

How do we do something about the governance gridlock? Here’s one way:

The Governor and General Assembly have the power to call on state college and university presidents to convene as a Commission to organize a careful analysis of Virginia’s governance. Virginia’s state colleges and universities are politically neutral, geographically and demographically representative and uniquely qualified to provide substantive thinking, research and ideation skills. College presidents understand the history, cultures and traditions of the state as well as the disciplines and skills necessary to plan for the future. Virginia’s colleges and universities are additionally equipped with technology that allows them to bring the state’s citizens into the discussion.

Such a study can be practical, future-focused, and have a specifically defined lifespan; say, no more than two years.

A study like this would be very much in the spirit of Mr. Jefferson’s concept of public education and citizen discourse in search for the common good. Its conclusions and an action plan would also, by virtue of substantial citizen involvement, carry the weight of public support, making them far harder for the General Assembly to ignore. In doing so, it would not only serve the immediate need, but also serve as a template for future statewide deliberations.

Jim Oliver, who served as city manager in Norfolk and Portsmouth and county administrator in James City County, is chairman of the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement (www.hrcce.org).




HRCCE Blog

Transportation News