Landes withdraws budget amendment on voluntary settlements between local governments

Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, announced today that he has asked to have withdrawn budget amendment Item 4-5.04 #2h, Voluntary Settlements Among Local Governments.

“This amendment was intended to address the revenue sharing agreement between Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. Unfortunately, the language as drawn proved to be too broad, so I have decided to withdraw the amendment,” said Landes. “I will be looking for other opportunities to address this matter in the future.”

Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville entered into a revenue share agreement in 1982, in which the City agreed to forego annexing land from Albemarle County in exchange for Albemarle’s contribution of annual revenue into a joint account. The agreement provided that the party with the lower annual revenue would be awarded the other party’s contribution to the joint account.

Due to the size and nature of Albemarle’s land mass and industry, Albemarle ultimately became the party giving its revenue to the City. This has been the case every year since the revenue share agreement was signed. The agreement is indefinite, in that it has no expiration date or other clause that would trigger dissolution of the agreement. As a result, Albemarle County has been paying millions of dollars to the City of Charlottesville and the amendment had aimed to address that inequity, and to say the agreement was now null and void since annexation is no longer an option for localities.

The language only amendment on voluntary settlements among local governments states “notwithstanding the provisions of § 15.2-3400 any modification or waiver of any specific annexation, transition, or immunity right shall be an invalid term of any such agreement if such right is subject to any permanent or temporary restriction or limitation in this Code otherwise barring the party’s exercise of such right. If such restriction or limitation on any specific annexation, transition, or immunity right is temporary, the modification or waiver of such right shall be invalid for the duration of the restriction or limitation. If such restriction or limitation is permanent, the modification or waiver of such right shall be invalid in its entirety.”

Landes represents the 25th House District, which includes parts of Albemarle, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties. Landes is currently serving his eleventh term in the Virginia House of Delegates. Visit SteveLandes.com for additional information.