Better Understanding Your Local

Government
[Insert name of presenter]

 InitiatedbytheVirginiaLocal
GovernmentManagementAssociation.

HouseJoint
Resolution93
Passed by the 2012 Virginia
General Assembly

ProclaimedthefirstweekofAprilas
LocalGovernmentEducationweekin
honoroftheformationoftheCouncil
Managerformofgovernmentcreatedin
Staunton,VAin1908.
FirsttimeinU.S.thataprofessionally
qualifiedpersonwashiredtorunthe
affairsoftheCity.Itisnowthe
commonstandardnationally.

ReasonsBehind
theResolution

Toacknowledgethefactthatthe
CouncilManagerformof
governmentoriginatedinVirginia.
Increasestudentawarenessofwhy
localgovernmentisimportant.
Garnerinterestinlocalgovernment.
InformStudentsonpotentialcareers
inlocalgovernment.

WhatDoYou
KnowAbout
YourLocal
Government?

www.mtv.com

WhowontheMTVVMAVideo
oftheYearthispastyear?
Whoisyourrepresentativeonthe
BoardofSupervisors?
Whichofthesetwothingshasa
greaterimpactonyourlife?

Washington
County,Virginia
Abingdon, Damascus, Glade Spring

Ifyoudonotliveinoneof
thesetowns,youonlyvotefor
countyofficials.
Ifyoudoliveinoneofthese
townsyouvoteforbothcounty
andtownofficials.

History
[Insert photo here]

WashingtonCountycreatedbyVirginia
GeneralAssemblyinDecember,1776.
Originallyincludedallorpartsof
presentdayRussell,Lee,Scott,
Tazewell,Smyth,Wise,Buchanan,and
Dickensoncounties.
Lostthebulkofitsterritoryin1786with
theformationofRussellCounty.
NamedinhonorofGeneralGeorge
Washington,thenthecommanderinchief
ofAmericanRevolutionaryforces.

Politics
What does this mean to you?

thelibertystandard.com

Theprocessofgettingelected.

Boardof
Supervisors
Can you describe the duties of
the Board of Supervisors?

Electedbyvotersfromtheirrespective
districts.
Eachdistricthasapproximatelythe
samenumberofpeople.
Responsibleforadoptinglocallaws.
Responsibleforsettinglocalrealestate
andpersonalpropertytaxes.
Responsibleforadoptingannual
budget.

Which district do you

live in?

Why is A-11
so much
smaller than
B-11?

 Theactofcarryingouttheduties
ofgovernment.

Governance
What does this mean to you?

Enforcinglocallawsandrunning
localprogramstobenefitcitizens.
Providingservicesuchasschools,
recreation,water,andpublic
safety.

County
Administrator

Thechiefadministrativeofficerofthe
WashingtonCountygovernment.
HiredbyandworksfortheWashington
CountyBoardofSupervisors.
Responsibleforoverseeingmostcounty
departmentsexcepttheofficesofthe
constitutionalofficerswhoareelectedby
thecitizensofWashingtonCounty.

Theseinclude:Sheriff,CommonwealthsAttorney,Clerkof
theCircuitCourt,Treasurer,andCommissionerofRevenue.

Dutiesinclude:
Helpprepareandmonitorthe
Countysbudget.

Budgetand
FinanceDirector

PaytheCountysbills.
WorkcloselywiththeCounty
Treasurertomakesurethereis
enoughmoneytopaythebills.
CanyouguesstheCountys
annualbudget?

$122,301,343
AdoptedFiscalYear2016Budget

WhereDoesthe
MoneyCome
From?

6%FederalFunds
43%StateFunds
51%LocalFunds
30%PropertyTaxes
12%OtherLocalRevenue

9%LocalTaxes

Schools

WhereDoesthe
MoneyGo?

$83,500,000

Const.Officers
Fire&Rescue
Libraries

1,500,000

1,600,000

SolidWaste
Recreation

7,300,000

2,100,000
412,000

EconomicDevelopment 1,200,000
RoadImprovements 3,500,000

www.dalycity.org

CareersinLocalGovernment

NumberofEmployeesCurrently
EmployedBytheCounty
BoardofSupervisors

150

ConstitutionalOffices

200

PublicSchools

1000

Constitutional
Officer

[Insert photo here]

Teachersand
Coaches

[Insert photo here]

CountyLibraries

[Insert photo here]

Parksand
Recreation

www.nbc.com

PublicWorks

PublicSafety
Workers

[Insert photo here]

ClassActivity

YouareanelectedmemberoftheAbingdonTownCouncil
Break into separate groups and spend 15 minutes discuss the pros and cons
of the developers request.
Each group represents the Abingdon Town Council and each participant is
member of town council.
At the conclusion of the 15 minute session, each group will take a vote on
the rezoning request.
Each group will report out how they voted and why they voted the way they
did.

BackgroundInformation
The town of Abingdon is known for its cultural history and natural beauty.
It is home to attractive cultural venues that include the Barter Theatre (the
state theater of Virginia); the historic Martha Washington Inn; the
Heartwood Artisans Center, which houses the S.W. Virginia Cultural
Heritage Foundation and highlights the many music, hand-made craft, and
outdoor recreation venues through the region including the very popular and
widely used Virginia Creeper biking and hiking trail that runs from
Abingdon to Whitetop.

BackgroundInformation
Abingdon also serves as a center for professional services for SW Virginia
that include numerous regional offices and facilities in the governmental,
legal, and medical field.
The Town is also a gateway for much of the vehicular traffic into and out of
the Appalachian coalfields and thus is plagued by land-use issues stemming
from demand for expanding facilities in areas related to professional,
residential, and commercial development that generate even more traffic.
One of the effects of these conflicting land-use issues is heavy traffic and
several challenging intersections on Cummings Street, one of the main
thoroughfares linking downtown to Interstate 81.

BackgroundInformation
Town leaders are constantly challenged to balance the competing interests of
maintaining those assets that make Abingdon so attractive and give it high
ratings for quality of life, with the growth demands and accompanying landuse conflicts that threaten their high quality of life.
One of the most revered cultural assets the Town has is the Virginia Creeper
Trail. It is used extensively by town and county residents as well as out-oftown tourists. The reasons for its popularity are its easy access, the tranquil
beauty of the trail, and the gentle grade makes it usable to both avid hikers
and bikers as well casual users of all ages and abilities.

BackgroundInformation
Abingdon has limited land available within its corporate limits to
accommodate future economic development demands as well as meet the
demands of its local citizenry for desired town services.
One such town service that town leaders have been grappling with for at
least 15 years is locating adequate space to accommodate the high demand
for youth sports activities, especially youth baseball and softball fields and
soccer fields.

Adeveloperhaspurchaseda77acretractoflandthatliesbetweenCummings
Street,Interstate81,andtheVirginiaCreeperTrail
The developer has proposed a development to take place on this property that will
entail the following:
A new state of the art grocery store that will house the flagship store of
regions largest grocery chain (which has in excess of 120 stores in three
states) and whose corporate headquarters is located within the Town and
whose distribution center is located in the county about five miles from
town.
Several other commercial businesses including lodging and restaurants.
A youth baseball/softball complex of four fields plus three youth soccer
fields. These fields are proposed to be located on the portion of property
that abuts the Creeper Trail.

Adeveloperhaspurchaseda77acretractoflandthatliesbetweenCummings
Street,Interstate81,andtheVirginiaCreeperTrail
Two of the most problematic traffic intersections on Cummings Street that
are not controlled by traffic lights will be closed thus alleviating two
dangerous traffic issues.
The closed intersections on Cummings Street will be replaced by upgrading
an existing intersection that is already controlled by a traffic signal.
The proposed development will result in positively addressing two
longstanding issues improving the traffic problems along Cummings
Street and solving the need for more youth athletic fields.
The development will also generate additional tax revenue and employment
for the town and region.

Inorderfortheproposeddevelopmenttoproceed,towncouncilmustrezonethe
tractoflandtopermitthistypeoflanduseatthislocationandhasdonesoonfirst
reading(ittakestwovotesforafinalrezoningchangetooccur)
Council has approved the rezoning on first reading, but final approval occurs
on a second vote.
Many town residents are upset at the Town Council for fear that the
development will adversely affect the Virginia Creeper Trail based on the
following concerns:
- Noise from the youth fields will affect the tranquility of the trail at this location.
-The visual site lines will be compromised by diminishing the trials beauty and thus its
attractiveness to users.

Inorderfortheproposeddevelopmenttoproceed,towncouncilmustrezonethe
tractoflandtopermitthistypeoflanduseatthislocationandhasdonesoonfirst
reading(ittakestwovotesforafinalrezoningchangetooccur)
Concerns over pressures that approval of this request will set the
precedent for future development along the trail that will further detract
from its attractiveness to users.
Concerns over the disposition of a house on the site whose foundation
dates back to the early 1800s and was at one time the home to an
individual who became a Governor of Virginia and another who became
Governor of Louisiana.
Collectively these concerns will diminish the appeal of the Creeper Trail
resulting in decreased use and decreased tourism in Abingdon.

ReportYourVote
WHATWASYOURREASONING?

AvailableOnTheWebpage:

Resource
Webpage
www.localgov.weebly.com

Studyguideonlocalgovernment
structures
Studyguideonlocalgovernment
careers
ThisPowerPoint
ClassActivityalongwithpicture
MoreinfoonVLGMA

FinalQuestions
and/orComments