Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the creation of a five-member task force Thursday that will review state mandates on local governments.
The Governor's Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review will review state mandates placed on localities with an eye to whether they are too burdensome or unnecessary. The task force will be able to recommend the governor temporarily suspend or permanently rescind burdensome or unnecessary mandates.
“I understand the challenge local governments face when trying to balance their budgets during complex financial times. This difficulty is exacerbated when the state places burdensome mandates on localities," McDonnell said in a press release. "As part of my continuing effort to support only justifiable and reasonable mandates on localities, I am pleased to create the Governor’s Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review. This group will identify mandates that are overly burdensome or unnecessary and recommend appropriate changes, providing relief to local governments.”
The task force was created by legislation sponsored in the General Assembly 2011 session by Sen. Steve Newman, R-Bedford County,
“I am pleased that Governor McDonnell has decided to use the new legislation to gather feedback from local government professionals to reduce mandates on localities. When the state asks local governments to right size their organizations we need to provide them the tools to accomplish that goal," Newman said. "The governor’s actions today could lead to a better relationship between state and local government and more cost cutting decisions being made at the level that is closest to the citizens, local government.”
The five members appointed to the task force by McDonnell are Bob Dyer, Virginia Beach City Council Member; Pat Herrity, Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Shaun Kenney, Vice-Chair of the Fluvana County Board of Supervisors; Kimball Payne, Lynchburg city manager; and Joan Wodiska, member of the Falls Church City School Board and president-elect of the Virginia School Boards Association.
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