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delivered at the local level. Local governments cannot be expected to bear the expenses related to the imposition of new funding requirements or the expan- sion of existing ones on services delivered at the local level without a commen- surate increase of state financial assistance or new local taxing authority. • Shifting traditional state funding responsibilities onto local governments for services including public education, law enforcement, and public safety activities and any core services affecting local government, is bad fiscal policy, resulting in stress on local finances without reductions in overall program costs. • Imposing state fees, taxes or surcharges on local government services impedes transparency at both the state and local level. • Any efforts at tax reform must begin with a thorough examination of state tax reform and the financing of state services. The State should reform its own tax structure before taking on the topic of local taxes. State and /or local tax changes should not negatively affect local revenues. • State budget cuts to state mandated and other high priority programs should specify the programs to be affected by the cuts. The Commonwealth should: • Enter a dialogue with local governments to examine state requirements and service expansions that can be suspended or modified to alleviate to the degree possible the financial burden on state and local taxpayers. • Examine models in other states that allow for modernizing state and local taxing authority. • Develop spending and revenue priorities that support economic development, public safety, education and other public goals. State tax credits, tax deductions and tax relief policies must receive the same scrutiny as spending programs as part of the prioritization process. • In times of revenue crises, review ways to increase revenues to meet constitu- tional and statutory obligations to Virginia citizens after all other actions have been taken. • Include local government representatives on any "blue ribbon" commission or other body established by the state that has as its purpose changes to local revenue authority or governance. Stormwater Local Assistance VML supports continued investment in the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund to assist localities with critical stormwater projects to meet federal and state clean -water requirements. 6 2019 VML LegWahve Program