City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 6, 2019
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
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Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of an ordinance to amend Vehicle Decal Display Requirements, Article R (License Taxes on Motor Vehicles, Trailers, and Semitrailers), and Section 3-2-354 (Penalties for Uncontested Citations), Section 3-2-355 (Removal or Immobilization of Motor Vehicles Against Which There Are Outstanding Parking Citations), 10-4-37 (Failure to Procure and Display City License Plate, Windshield Tag or Decal), of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
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ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to amend and reordain City Code Sections in Article R, Chapter 2, Title 3, and Sections 3-2-354, 3-2-355, and 10-4-37 to eliminate the requirement to display tax decals on vehicle windshields; and, to clarify that enforcement of delinquent parking tickets includes staff from the Department of Finance.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council hold a public hearing and pass the proposed ordinance (Attachment 2) on March 16, 2019. Passage on March 16 will result in the elimination of the decal display requirement in the City, effective March 17, 2019.
DISCUSSION: As presented to City Council on February 19, 2019, the City Manager's proposed budget for FY 2020 includes the elimination of the requirement to display tax decals on vehicle windshields. For decades, Virginia localities relied upon the display of tax decals to signify that vehicles had properly registered and paid local personal property taxes. However, with the advent of computer aided technologies, the decal has become an anachronistic tool.
To date, 94% of all counties in the Commonwealth have already abolished their decal display requirement, as have 87% of all cities. In Northern Virginia, only the cities ...
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