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December 18, 2013
<br />At a Special Meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, December 18, 2013, there
<br />were present:
<br />Mayor Kenneth I. Wright, Vice Mayor Paige D. Cherry, William E. Moody, Jr., Marlene
<br />W. Randall, Elizabeth M. Psimas, Dr. Curtis E. Edmonds, Sr., Danny W. Meeks, City
<br />Manager John L. Rowe, Jr., City Attorney George M. Willson.
<br />Councilman Curtis E. Edmonds, Sr. opened the meeting with prayer, which was
<br />followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
<br />Mayor Wright called the meeting to order and welcomed all in attendance.
<br />13-510 Adoption of a resolution by the Council of the City of Portsmouth,
<br />Virginia in support of Senator L. Louise Lucas' Senate Bill 19
<br />presented to the 2014 General Assembly.
<br />1. Donna Sayegh, 3104 Garland Drive, spoke in opposition to this item.
<br />2. Steve Carroll, 3112 Riveredge Drive, spoke in opposition to this item.
<br />3. William Connelly, 475 Water Street, spoke in support of this item.
<br />4. Mark Geduldig-Yatrofsky, P. O. Box 50141, spoke in opposition to this item.
<br />5. David Kennedy, 7000 Auburn Manor, Norfolk, spoke in support of this item.
<br />Motion by Mr. Meeks, and seconded by Ms. Psimas, to adopt the following
<br />resolution, and was adopted by the following vote:
<br />"RESOLUTION BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA IN
<br />SUPPORT OF SENATOR L. LOUISE LUCAS' SENATE BILL 19 PRESENTED TO
<br />THE 2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
<br />WHEREAS, the Virginia Supreme Court's ruling in Meeks vs. VDOT and
<br />Elizabeth River Crossings OPCO, LLC, allows the imposition of an initial tolls burden of
<br />over $1,000 per year on the average commuter through the Midtown/Downtown
<br />Tunnels and the Martin Luther King Expressway beginning in February 2014 and the
<br />siphoning of a huge amount of funds out of the Portsmouth and Hampton Roads
<br />economies; and
<br />WHEREAS, the tolls' burden on citizens and businesses that use the project
<br />facilities and the funds being removed from the Hampton Roads economy will increase
<br />annually by 3.5% for 58 years; and
<br />WHEREAS, during the 2014 General Assembly Session, Senator L. Louise
<br />Lucas has introduced Senate Bill 19 (SB19) relating to the Virginia Toll Relief Act;
<br />Virginia Casino Gaming Commission to allow casino gaming within the Commonwealth
<br />of Virginia under certain conditions, and
<br />WHEREAS, under the proposed new Virginia Code of Sections 59.1-577 and
<br />59.1-578 in Article 7 of SB 19, 90% of the proceeds from the taxes imposed on gaming
<br />establishments will be paid into a Toll Mitigation Fund to offset the tolls imposed for the
<br />construction and maintenance of the Downtown Tunnel/Midtown Tunnel/Martin Luther
<br />King Freeway Extension Project, with the remaining 10% collected to be placed in the
<br />State Local Casino Gaming Proceeds Fund; and
<br />WHEREAS, under the provisions of the proposed new Virginia Code Section
<br />59.1-580, in Article 7 of SB 19, the proceeds from the taxes imposed on gaming
<br />establishments will be paid into the State Local Casino Gaming Proceeds Fund to pay
<br />each locality in which casino gaming establishments are located and in which admission
<br />taxes are collected.
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