City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 4, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: GLORIA SITTON, CITY CLERK AND CLERK OF COUNCIL/s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Reaffirmation of Council Appointments to the Real Estate Assessment Review Board.
BODY
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ISSUE: Reaffirmation of appointments to the Real Estate Assessment Review Board.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council reaffirm the appointments to the Real Estate Assessment Review Board in the same manner as the Circuit Court has issued orders reaffirming their appointments to the same body.
BACKGROUND: The Real Estate Assessment Review Board is one the city's advisory groups. The Board has the authority to revise, correct and amend any assessments of real estate made by the City Assessor. The Board consists of nine members: four appointed by the city council and five appointed by the Circuit Court. The City Charter states, “there shall be appointed to three-year staggered terms a board of review of real estate assessments composed of nine members, five of whom shall be appointed by the circuit court of said city or the judge thereof in vacation and four of whom shall be appointed by the council of said city.” In addition, “[t]he terms of all members shall commence on their appointment and shall expire on the thirty-first day of December of the year in which their term ends. The Circuit Court or the judge thereof in vacation and the council of said city shall fill any vacancy therein for the unexpired term of their respective appointees.”
The City Clerk's Office has recently taken corrective actions to ensure compliance with the City Charter. Around 2021, terms for board members were set to expire on December 31st of the corresponding year rather than exactly three-years from the date of appointment. In addition, while the City Clerk's Office indicates appointees to vacant seats are typically given another full term, steps will be taken to ensure appointments are only for the unexpired terms going forward. These actions will ensure that appointments to the Board comply with the requirements of the City Charter going forward.
|
Janet Coldsmith |
Jan. 1, 2023 -Dec. 31, 2025 |
|
Stephen Kindrick |
Jan 1, 2023 - Dec. 31, 2025 |
|
Vann Howard Van Diepen |
Jan 1, 2024 - Dec. 31, 2026 |
|
Elizabeth Gorman |
Jan 1. 2025 - Dec. 31, 2027 |
DISCUSSION: The current membership of the Board may legally continue to carry out the functions of the body. The recommendation to reaffirm the appointments by Council to the Board is to be consistent with the action of the Circuit Court.
FISCAL IMPACT: No fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
STAFF:
Gloria Sitton, City Clerk and Clerk of Council
Cheran Cordelll Ivery, City Attorney
David E. Lanier, Assistant City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office