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<br /> <br />R-11-27 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RESTORATION OF STATE FUNDING FOR <br />AID TO LOCALITIES. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia's financial assistance for mandated <br />and high priority programs, including public education, health and human services, public <br />safety and constitutional officers, is $800 million less in FY 2012 than in FY 2009; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, cities and counties must balance their budgets during a time in <br />which future state assistance is unreliable, federal stimulus dollars are dwindling, and real <br />estate assessments are declining; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the current Appropriations Act contains $60 million in across-the- <br />board cuts to cities and counties for both FYll and FYI2, under which localities are <br />required to either elect to take reductions in particular state aid programs, or pay the <br />Commonwealth an amount of money as determined by the Virginia Department of <br />Planning and Budget; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the reductions are applied to essential services, including law <br />enforcement, jail administration, foster care and child protection services, election <br />administration and social services; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City of Portsmouth does not have the authority to unilaterally <br />decide to discontinue providing certain services, such as election administration, or to <br />refuse to house and care for State prisoners in local and regional jails; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the state budget cuts are not accompanied by any reductions in <br />state-imposed mandates, standards and service requirements, nor do they provide any <br />administrative flexibility for local agencies; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City of Portsmouth remitted $1,161,163 in FY 2011 and will be <br />required to remit another $1,155,369 in FY 2012; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, cities and counties will have provided the State with $220 million <br />by the close of FY 2012 in order to pay for essential and/or mandated functions and <br />programs that the General Assembly now requires that localities fund; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, these reductions shift State costs for essential services to local <br />taxpayers and therefore indirectly impose additional taxes on citizens; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Commonwealth's cost shifting has artificially inflated the <br />Virginia's budget surplus; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, State revenues have also begun to recover, and the Governor has <br />announced a significant revenue surplus for the second year in a row; and <br />