2010 Legislative Program

2010 Legislative Program In order to remain a competitive state and an attractive place for economic development, Virginia must invest the resources necessary to educate its citizens at all levels, ensure the rule of law, protect its natural resources, provide for the basic needs of the less fortunate and build a sound infrastructure.

Priorities

Funding Core Services

Unfortunately, it has increasingly become the practice of the Commonwealth to significantly underfund core services, leaving localities to fill funding gaps with local revenues in order to maintain essential services. The critical state-local funding partnership must be restored so that the Commonwealth can weather the current fiscal crisis and emerge even stronger, as an investment in Virginia will pay dividends for years to come. While all core services are important, Fairfax County’s two funding priorities for the 2010 General Assembly are K-12 education and transportation.

Governance

Each level of government has unique strengths. As the form of government closest to the people, local government must be provided the flexibility to serve the needs of residents, which can vary greatly from one part of the Commonwealth to another. Taxation and land use are key areas in which local government needs sufficient authority and flexibility to govern effectively, and, as such, are the County’s two Governance priorities.