Thursday, July 24, 2008
The General Assembly is not in session.
Tracking Virginia’s General Assembly
since 2007.
HB1565: Multicounty/City Transportation District; created.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 15.2 a chapter numbered 46.1, consisting of sections numbered 15.2-4620 through 15.2-4626 as follows:
§ 15.2-4620. Short title.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Multicounty/city Transportation District.
§ 15.2-4621. Purpose of chapter.
It is the purpose of this chapter to:
1. Improve public roadways and transportation and to foster improvement of the overall health, safety, and welfare of the citizens.
2. Provide a local stream of funding to assist the Commonwealth in funding the transportation plans developed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the localities for the secondary road system.
3. Provide funding for regional projects that will meet the economic needs and to provide funds for projects that will meet the transportation needs of the region.
§ 15.2-4622. Composition of district.
The district shall consist of the following members: (i) the chief elected official of each locality or his designee, (ii) the executive director of the planning district, (iii) a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board who resides in the district or represents the district, (iv) a member of the Senate who resides in the district or represents the district, (v) a member of the House of Delegates who represents the district, and (vi) the VDOT district administrator from the region. Ex officio members can be appointed as needed.
§ 15.2-4623. Revenues and usage of revenues.
A. All revenue generated by the district shall be collected by the Commonwealth of Virginia in the same manner it collects other taxes and shall be held by VDOT for the exclusive use by the counties and cities within the transportation district solely for transportation purposes.
B. Fifty percent of the revenues shall be allocated to the locality where they are generated or attributable to be used exclusively for projects that are included within the localities’ six-year plan or identified in the comprehensive plan, to include matching funds for revenue sharing, industrial access roads, mass transit, and rail projects.
C. Forty percent of the revenues shall be used exclusively in the locality where the funds were generated or attributable for projects identified in the interstate and primary system in the locality as approved by the district and state. If the locality where the funds were generated agrees, the funds can be used for regional priorities.
D. Five percent of the revenues shall be provided to the district exclusively to be used for long-range planning by the planning district and VDOT.
E. Five percent of the revenues shall be provided to the Commonwealth of Virginia to offset administrative costs.
§ 15.2-4624. Membership.
Initially, any group of counties and cities may form a district in the following manner: each locality or potential member shall advertise and hold a public hearing notifying the public of its intent to become a member of the district.
The district may be expanded to include other counties and cities if all members agree.
§ 15.2-4625. Authority to impose taxes.
Each district member is authorized to have a local option fuel tax of $0.02 per gallon after conducting a public hearing on the matter and passing a local ordinance authorizing the local option fuel tax. The local ordinance shall be properly recorded with certified copies provided to the Division of Motor Vehicles and VDOT. The funds as collected will be distributed as authorized previously and allocations will be approved after the six-year plans are approved.
§ 15.2-4626. Duties of the district.
Duties of the district shall include:
1. Developing and making recommendations to VDOT on regional projects.
2. Summarizing and making annual reports to the district members on expenditures and improvements during the fiscal year.
3. Serving as an advocate for the district members.
Additional Data
Explanation
This is the actual text of the bill — the legislation itself. Generally this is amending existing law, proposing the addition or removal of words from laws that are already on the books.
Words that are highlighted in yellow are
proposed additions, and words that are crossed out in
red are proposed removals.
The numbers with the § symbol before them are references to existing laws, and if you click on them they’ll take you to that part of the law on the state's website.