Special Session on Budget ended with $85 billion two year spending plan, but no plan for transportation 

After a series of last-minute machinations, the General Assembly approved a two-year budget on April 18, 2012. The $85 billion, two-year budget took an additional 39 days to approve and ended speculation about a [...]]]>

Finally – A Budget Special Session on Budget ended with $85 billion two year spending plan, but no plan for transportation  After a series of last-minute machinations, the General Assembly approved a two-year budget on April 18, 2012. The $85 billion, two-year budget took an additional 39 days to approve and ended speculation about a possible state government shutdown. Most observers, myself included, never believed that we would come close to a shutdown and viewed this as a specter raised largely by Republicans to avoid discussing the real issues in the budget: education, adequate funding for the social safety net, and transportation. When Governor McDonnell’s budget was initially proposed in December, it shortchanged K-12 education, the social safety net, and transportation. Albemarle and Charlottesville City schools would have faced serious shortfalls in their funding, and those most vulnerable would have been affected by draconian cuts in the McDonnell budget. The Governor’s only plan for transportation was to take monies from public education, mental health and public safety.  This was unacceptable.  Largely because of Democratic efforts, the initial House budget passed in March was far superior to the one proposed by McDonnell.  Nonetheless, it was still inadequate and was, therefore, rejected by the Senate. You can view my comments on the initial House budget during floor debate here. After a series of negotiations, monies diverted from education, mental health, and public safety to fund transportation were restored to the budget.  Additional monies were also found for what is called “cost-to-compete” in Northern Virginia localities, which would allow them to recruit and retain teachers and other critical public employees. Senate Democrats continued to exert pressure for transportation funding for projects in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.  The Governor agreed to provide an additional $100 million to delay tolls on various tunnel and bridge projects for two years. The Governor, however, was not willing to advance additional monies for the Dulles rail project, where tolls are even higher.  This prompted Democrats in the Senate to initially reject the new budget.  The votes were tied until Senator Chuck Colgan, a Democrat from Prince William County, decided to vote with the Republicans in order to obtain a budget. You can view my comments on the budget conference report proposal here. During the debate in the Senate, the Route 29 bypass was mentioned several times, though there was no serious effort to move money from that project to the Dulles rail project. I had initially proposed taking some money from a project in Suffolk to fund Dulles rail, but the Route 29 bypass was never discussed in any of the House debates. Democratic advocacy in the House made the final budget much better than the one proposed in January. We were able to secure substantially more money for K-12 education, a fact that will greatly help schools in Charlottesville and Albemarle. We secured an additional $45 million to provide the service and care to those who are unable to care for themselves through no fault of their own. Democrats also succeeded in creating an Advanced Manufacturing Fund so that more jobs, especially in economically disadvantaged regions of the state, could be created.  Funding for the Commonwealth Research and Commercialization Fund was restored.   We successfully argued for the capitalization of Virginia Housing Trust Fund, and to close the so-called “Amazon Tax Loophole” (see my statement on the Amazon issue here). The Governor still has an opportunity to modify the budget, which we will consider again in early May.  With the exception of that meeting, our legislative sessions are now completed for the year.  I will now be devoting my time to constituent service for this district, and will continue my role as House Democratic Leader. Your support has been important to me throughout this year where the demands of my time have been even greater in this new leadership role.  I am honored to represent you and appreciate your input and support.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 1), will be Albemarle County phone bank day at the [...]]]>

On Saturday, President Obama and Michelle Obama will be in Richmond for one of their first rallies of the campaign.  You can get a VIP pass to the rally by completing a three-hour phone-bank shift, Monday through Thursday.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 1), will be Albemarle County phone bank day at the Charlottesville campaign office.   Anyone who completes a three hour shift this week will get a VIP pass to the rally on Saturday.

Click the image below to RSVP for the rally.

 I am writing to thank you for the support and encouragement you have given my campaign over the past few months.  Today, I am announcing that I am suspending my campaign for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 5th [...]]]>

Peyton Williams, candidate for the Democratic nomination officially conceded to John Douglass yesterday.  From a Williams email:

 I am writing to thank you for the support and encouragement you have given my campaign over the past few months.  Today, I am announcing that I am suspending my campaign for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District in 2012.  

I have spoken with John Douglass to congratulate him on a campaign well run, and to concede that he has the delegates to become the nominee at the District Convention.  The important thing now, as always, is to re-elect President Obama, elect Tim Kaine to the U.S. Senate, and support John Douglass’s campaign to defeat Robert Hurt.

John Douglass and I are continuing our productive discussions with the goal of uniting the party.  I am looking forward to participating in the 5th District Convention and to seeing my delegates and all the good Democrats who will be there.  I want to thank my family, my supporters, and my campaign staff once again for working harder than I thought possible and for believing in me.  

- Peyton

Thank you to Peyton for running a great race!

John Douglass will officially become the 5th District Nominee at the 5th District Convention in Lovingston on May 19th.    Connect with the Douglass campaign through his web site, on Facebook, or on Twitter.  And please help them get the general election off to a good start with a contribution!  Douglass will be in Albemarle for a fundraiser on Sunday, May 6th.  Check our calendar for details.

On the 18th day of April, about six weeks after the procedural resolution called for the passage of a budget, Virginia’s General Assembly, together for a Veto Session, finally passed a budget. There is much in the budget to like, some items [...]]]>

Senator Creigh Deeds sends an update from the veto session at the General Assembly.

On the 18^th day of April, about six weeks after the procedural resolution called for the passage of a budget, Virginia’s General Assembly, together for a Veto Session, finally passed a budget. There is much in the budget to like, some items not to like, and signs for the future that are very worrisome.

The Good

By holding out for a better budget, Senate Democrats achieved a great deal in the final budget.  Nearly $45 million was added over the biennium for health and human services. This includes $4.8 million to preserve the healthcare safety net, $6 million to continue long term Medicaid eligibility for 1,500 elderly and disabled individuals in nursing homes, $11.6 million to add 225 Medicaid waivers slots, and $1.6 million to add mentally disabled waiver spots. We also added $69 million for Medicaid payments to nursing homes and hospitals to offset inflation costs, nearly $11 million dollars to increase Medicaid personal care and congregate care rates, and over $3 million to expand children’s mental health services. To pay for some of this, we identified nearly $79 million in savings from a combination of earned federal Medicaid bonuses.

We added about $215 million for public education over the budget as introduced. About $110 million of that amount provides additional assistance for retirement, inflation and prekindergarten costs. Over $47 million was added to update funding for K-3 class size reduction and nearly $7 million, for a correction to career and technical education funding.

Over $122 million was added for higher education institutions for base operations, enrollment incentives and initiatives over the biennium. Included in that amount is almost $43 million for enrollment incentives for new slots at the University of Virginia, College of William and Mary, Virginia Tech and James Madison University. We also included $18.5 million for higher education undergraduate and graduate student financial aid and $6 million for cancer research at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University. The budget also provides a salary bonus for faculty members of higher education institutions in December 2012 and August 2013, contingent upon revenue meeting our current projections.

The budget also includes nearly $88 million for the water quality improvement fund to meet the state’s commitment to upgrade 57 local and regional waste water treatment plants in order to meet water quality goals. The housing trust fund is capitalized to the tune of $7 million to help provide permanent solutions for homeless individuals. The budget provides $4.5 million for Civil War battlefield preservation and $4.1 million in restorations to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

State employees are slated to receive a three percent bonus in December 2012 and a two percent bonus in August 2013, contingent on revenue projections remaining at the currently projected level. The budget funds 61 district clerk court positions and 23 judgeships statewide.

In sum, the majority of what was sought through the budget negotiations was obtained.  Important investments in K-12 and higher education are being made, ensuring our ability to continue to build the intellectual infrastructure to support economic growth in the Commonwealth. We made important restorations in funding to preserve the social safety net.

The Bad

The final compromise is far from perfect. There are plenty of budget actions I do not agree with, including elimination of funding for teenage pregnancy prevention programs and public broadcasting. The biggest failure, however, continues to be on transportation.

Any reader faintly familiar with my tenure in public office knows that I have a keen interest in transportation because it is a critical piece of infrastructure necessary to ensure growth and opportunity in every part of the Commonwealth. I fear that a toll-driven transportation system is one that will further balkanize Virginia.  Transportation projects will go forward in those portions of the state where money can be raised through tolls, and economic growth will not occur evenly throughout the Commonwealth. I think that under that type of system, the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. Frankly economic opportunity in southwest, western and central Virginia is dependent upon our ability as a Commonwealth to fund a 21^stCentury transportation system. I know that many of my friends see this issue as one that is primarily important to Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, and it is true that those are the fastest growing parts of Virginia and have the most urgent needs. However, 40 percent of Virginia’s bridges and tunnels are structurally deficient, and those faulty bridges and tunnels are not just in Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads. We must be willing to invest in transportation projects throughout Virginia.

We held out as long as we could to try to force a transportation “fix” through the budget process. The development of a long term transportation solution was a long shot this year but it is going to be a long shot any year. Ultimately, we were not successful.  So we will live to fight another year.

Further, many of our budget decisions have placed increased responsibility on local governments.  It is easy for the Commonwealth when we face a mandate from the federal level to complain and blame it on someone else. The truth is Virginia often passes responsibilities on to local government. This year, dramatic changes were made to the Virginia Retirement System. A new hybrid plan was created which will ultimately require an employee contribution greater than the five percent in the current defined benefit plan. Recent and new hires will also see reduced retirement benefits.  Much of the cost of these changes was passed onto local governments.

The Ugly

On the 17^th of April, the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, 20 strong, voted against the budget because we were trying to force a transportation solution. The next day one of our members voted for the budget. There has been much thought and some hurtful things that have been said over the days since the budget passed.  Senator Colgan, the lone Democrat who voted for the budget, has given his life to the service of our country and our Commonwealth. He simply did what he thought was right. The other nineteen of us had no idea that he was going to make that decision but in retrospect, we probably should have known. We achieved much of what we wanted in this year’s budget process however big challenges are ahead, as we continue to kick the transportation can down the road.

Virginia had prided itself for decades on fiscal discipline and completing the people’s work on time. To a large degree, we have been the opposite of our federal counterparts in Washington DC, working across party lines to move Virginia forward. Unfortunately, that is changing.  The budget fight this year harkens back to earlier budget fights back in 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2008 that saw extended deadlocks. We could truly be experiencing a new sort of normal in budget negotiations. In my view, this is not a positive development. We need to focus on the big picture, on moving Virginia forward, and on creating opportunity in every corner of the Commonwealth.  The tenor of this session was set on the very first day by the refusal of 20 Republican senators to engage in a power-sharing agreement that reflected the 50-50 representation voted in by the citizens of the Commonwealth. I, for one, do not think Virginia will be better off for the partisan wars to follow.

It is my pleasure to serve you in the Senate of Virginia. If I may be of assistance, or if you have questions or want to share your views, my legislative office can be reached at (434) 296-5491 or district25@senate.virginia.gov. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Creigh

You can signup for Senator Deeds email updates at his web site.

Read other updates from Albemarle’s Democratic elected officials.

4/9/2012

MEDIA ADVISORY

ALBEMARLE DEMOCRATS TO HOLD CAUCUS

The Albemarle County Democratic Party will hold its 2012 Caucus on Monday, April 23, to select delegates to the Fifth District and State Democratic Conventions. The Delegates will choose [...]]]>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4/9/2012

MEDIA ADVISORY

ALBEMARLE DEMOCRATS TO HOLD CAUCUS

The Albemarle County Democratic Party will hold its 2012 Caucus on Monday, April 23, to select delegates to the Fifth District and State Democratic Conventions. The Delegates will choose the Congressional Candidate for the Fifth District, as well as Delegates to the National Democratic Convention.

Sign-in begins at 6:30, and doors will close at 7:30. Persons wishing to serve as delegates to the Convention must prefile by 5pm, April 18th. Anyone wishing to be a delegate must be a Democrat, registered to vote in Albemarle County, and agree to support the eventual candidate in the upcoming election. Delegate forms and the Call to Caucus can be found on our website, albemarledems.org.

Date: Monday, April 23, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Lane Auditorium, Albemarle County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road

The Albemarle County Democratic Committee is the official Democratic Party organization in Albemarle County. It exists to further the ideals of the Democratic Party by electing Democrats to local, state, and federal office.

Valerie L’Herrou, Chair: vlherrou@gmail.com  434.260.1592

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April started with a bang the other day – even though the weather outside was beautiful, the eight-and-a-half hour marathon of a Board meeting ensured that I wouldn’t [...]]]>

Scottsville Supervisor Christopher Dumler sends his latest update on what’s happening with the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.

April started with a bang the other day – even though the weather outside was beautiful, the eight-and-a-half hour marathon of a Board meeting ensured that I wouldn’t be outside enjoying it.  Nonetheless, it was a very productive meeting, and – along with the events of the last few weeks – I have a lot to report on.  If any of these items are of interest to your neighbors, please feel free to forward this e-mail along to them or encourage them to sign up for this newsletter.

County Wide Issues:

* Yesterday, the Board voted 5-1 to adopt a resolution setting the property tax levy at $0.762/$100 of value for this fiscal year, the same as the advertised rate that I discussed in my last e-mail.  This represents a two-tenths cent decrease from the “equalized rate” that staff had built their budget on, effectively sending nearly $300,000 back to the taxpayer (relative to the collected property tax levels of last year).  As I mentioned in my previous e-mail, this tax rate supports a budget that contains funding for several long-delayed capital improvements—including a new fire station in Ivy and a police and fire/rescue training facility and firing range in Keene—as well as unfreezing three police officer positions that had been frozen since the beginning of the recession. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who came out to the public hearing on the budget on Wednesday, March 28th, as well as everyone who e-mailed or called me and expressed their thoughts on this important issue.

* Next Wednesday, April 11th, the Board will have an opportunity to review and provide direction on the work that has been done to date on the Comprehensive Plan.  This includes updates to ordinances that impact “agribusiness” and “agritourism” in the rural areas.  If you have any thoughts, ideas, or comments about where you believe it’s appropriate to strike the balance between protecting and preserving the rural area and spurring innovation and enterprise such that we can have a vital and vibrant rural economy, please e-mail or call me with your thoughts so that I may make them known during this worksession.

* Also on April 11th, the Board will receive the results of the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development’s Target Industry/Workforce Study.  This study will serve as a template for the County’s Economic Development Team, who – at the Board’s direction – will subsequently develop marketing and incentives, tools, and strategies for expanding and attracting these targeted industries and aligning our workforce training with these industries’ needs to provide good paying jobs.

* The Albemarle/Charlottesville Cooperative Extention will be kicking off their Well Water Testing Program this April 9th at 6:00pm in Room A of the 5th Street County Office Building.  The program offers low cost water testing and interpretation of the results by Extention staff.  If you have concerns about your well, please feel free to stop by and reserve your kit!

Scottsville District Issues:

* The Comprehensive Plan update continues to chug along nicely.  On April 2nd, staff presented a series of goals and continued to solicit input from (among others) residents of Neighborhoods 4 & 5, the southern urban area of the County and northern portion of the Scottsville District.  Comments on topics ranging from proposed growth area expansions at Somerset Farm to transportation infrastructure improvements like the Southern Connector and Sunset/Fontaine Ave. extension were heard by the planning staff and your thoughts, ideas, and comments will be incorporated in to the framework being developed for these neighborhoods.  This framework continues to be an ongoing process, so if you have any thoughts about land use, transportation, rural ordinances, etc., please don’t hesitate to contact me.

* The Board also had occasion to review the Six-Year Secondary Transportation Plan yesterday, and the Scottsville District is slated for several improvements during the horizon of this plan.  Included on Albemarle’s Strategic Priorities List are theFontaine/Sunset Connector, spot improvements on Old Lynchburg Road at various locations, sight distance improvements along James River Road between Routes 795 and 1302, and improving the intersection at Blenheim Road and Route 790.  Though the County receives a paltry amount from the state for transportation projects, the Board will discuss in June how much money to allocate to transportation as part of the final adoption of our Capital Plan.

* Finally, I also voted to appropriate money in the Emergency Communications Center’s budget to a radio system augmentation project that will help provide better coverage for system users in the Scottsville, Howardsville, and Schuyler areas.  The funding had been held in reserve until the ECC could procure the additional 800 MHz frequencies needed for them to move forward, but the project will now move forward in a way that will increase the ability of emergency responders in the southern end of the County to handle emergencies and keep us safe.

Board meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month at 9AM and the second Wednesday of each month at 6PM, and I would love to see you there to make your voice heard. As always, I would be very interested in hearing your opinion about the above issues and any other issues that may be of concern to you and your family. Please don’t ever hesitate to get in touch with me at any time by calling 434-260-1123 or emailing me at cdumler@albemarle.org.

Thank you,

Signup for Supervisor Dumler’s email updates at his web site.

Read other updates from Albemarle’s Democratic elected officials.