City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 6, 2022
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: SARAH TAYLOR, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER/LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing and Consideration of the Proposed Alexandria Legislative Package for the 2023 General Assembly.
BODY
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ISSUE: Introduction of the proposed Alexandria Legislative Package for the 2023 General Assembly Session.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
(1) Receive the proposals for the City’s 2023 Legislative Package (Attachment); and
(2) Schedule the Draft Legislative Package for public hearing and final adoption on Saturday, December 17, 2022.
BACKGROUND: Each year, the City of Alexandria produces its General Assembly Legislative Package. The goal of the package is to prioritize the City’s state legislative and budget priorities and communicate them to the community, stakeholders, and legislators. Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, localities only have the authority expressly granted to them by the legislature by state statute or in their charter. Localities in Virginia, including Alexandria, therefore often request legislation to grant them enabling authority for specific powers they do not already have, which are often the core of the City’s Legislative Package.
The proposals in the draft Package generally originate from City Council members, City staff, and boards and commissions. For the past several months, staff has been working with Council members, City departments, and boards and commissions to develop the legislative and funding proposals included in the City’s draft 2023 Legislative Package for Council consideration.
City Council held a work session with the City’s General Assembly delegation immediately preceding its November 12 public hearing. This work session focused on the delegation’s priorities for the 2023 session and receiving their feedback on many of the preliminary legislative proposals. In addition, the City Council Legislative Subcommittee met on November 18 to review the preliminary legislative proposals submitted for inclusion in the City’s Legislative Package, receive feedback from City staff, and provide recommendations to staff on those items of particular interest to and impact on the City.
DISCUSSION: The draft 2023 Legislative Package that is presented has proposals organized into two areas - Legislative Principles and Legislative Priorities. Both the Principles and Priorities are structured around the six City Council priorities, which are being used to provide a cohesive framework for City budget and policy decisions during this fiscal year, and creates a clear nexus between Council’s priorities and the legislative and funding measures necessary to accomplish them. In addition, the Legislative Principles include those items which fall within the lenses of equity, environmental justice, civility and respect, transparency, and service.
The Legislative Principles are generally broadly crafted and focus on comprehensive legislative strategies rather than specific legislative tactics. The Legislative Priorities are intended to be specific revenue and legislative proposals that have been identified by City Council as the issues of greatest impact to the City. The City plans to expend significant political capital on these issues and will ask our General Assembly delegation to engage in on behalf of the City.
In addition to the December 13 Council input, the Package will receive input from the community and other stakeholders at the Public Hearing scheduled for December 17.
As the City looks toward the 2023 General Assembly session, pre-filing of bills began in mid-November. On December 15, 2022, Governor Youngkin will present his amendments to the current State budget to the Joint Money Committees of the General Assembly. Staff will report to Council on the Governor’s recommendations shortly after they are released as they may require a response in the City’s Legislative Package.
The City Council Legislative Subcommittee will begin reviewing pre-filed bills in early January; these meetings will become weekly meetings once session begins and will continue until the Friday after the final day for bill introduction. These meetings allow the Legislative Subcommittee to review legislation that may have an impact on the City with the input of City staff subject matter experts and recommend positions on this legislation. These positions are subsequently reviewed by the full Council and communicated to the Alexandria delegation in the General Assembly for their consideration.
The 2023 General Assembly Session will be a short 45-day Session, beginning January 11, 2023. Sarah Taylor, Assistant City Manager and Legislative Director, continues to represent the City at the General Assembly. She will report to Council regularly on the status of the City’s legislative priorities as well as other legislative and budget issues of interest to the City.
ATTACHMENT: DRAFT City Legislative Package for the 2023 Virginia General Assembly
Session
STAFF:
Sarah Graham Taylor, Assistant City Manager, Legislative Director