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R-11-37 RESOLUTION NO. R -11 -37 Resolution In Support of Restoration of State Funding for Aid to Localities WHEREAS, state financial assistance for mandated and high priority programs, including public education, health and human services, public safety and constitutional officers, is $800 million less in FY12 than in FY09; and WHEREAS, cities and counties ra dollarb ar dlingaand real estate future state assistance is unreliable, federal stimulus assessments are declining; and WHEREAS, the Appropriation Act contains $60 million in across - the -board cuts to cities and counties for both FY1 1 and FY12, under which localities are required to either elect to take reductions in particular state aid programs, or to send the State a check for the amounts determined by the Department of Planning and Budget ( "Local Aid to the State "); and WHEREAS, the reductions are applied to essential services, including law enforcement, jail administration, foster care and child protection services, election administration and social services; and WHEREAS, the City of Fairfax does not have the authority to unilaterally decide to discontinue providing services such as election administration or to refuse to house and care for State prisoners in local and regional jails; and WHEREAS, the state budget cuts are not accompanied by any reductions in state - imposed mandates, standards and service requirements, nor do they provide any administrative flexibility for local agencies; and WHEREAS, the City of Fairfax will remit $50- 60,000 for FY11 and will be required to remit another $50- 60,000 in FY12; and WHEREAS, cities and counties will have provided the State with $220 million by the close of FY12 for this "Local Aid to the State" program; and WHEREAS, these reductions shift State costs to local taxpayers and artificially increases the amount of state surplus revenue; and WHEREAS, State revenues have begun to recover and the State is expecting to have a revenue surplus for the second year in a row; and WHEREAS, revenue collections for the City of Fairfax continue to reflect the struggling real estate market; and WHEREAS, the State should not shift its share of the costs for mandates and responsibilities to local governments; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Fairfax asks Governor Bob McDonnell to submit a budget amendment to the 2012 session of the General Assembly to reverse the $60 million -a -year reduction for the current year, FY12, and to eliminate the aid to localities reduction in the budget submitted for FY13 and FY14; and FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that the members of the General Assembly support a budget amendment to the 2012 session of the General Assembly to reverse the $60 million -a- year reduction for the current year, FY12, and to eliminate the aid to localities reduction in the budget submitted for FY13 and FY14. ADOPTED this 12 day of July, 2011. 16 Mayor V ATTEST: : . City Clerk The vote on the motion to approve was recorded as follows: VOTE: Councilman Drummond Aye Councilman Greenfield Aye Councilman Meyer Absent Councilmember Schmidt Aye Councilman Silverthorne Aye Councilman Stombres Aye