City-County reversion

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The City of Charlottesville considered reverting to a town within the Albemarle County in the 1990s. Reversion is one of the limited circumstances under which the City-County Revenue Sharing Agreement can be terminated.

1990s reversion debate

"During the 1990s, the city considered reversion, a state-sanctioned method of uniting the city and county. Reversion to town status was an approach to helping local governments that the state legislature had passed in 1989. If a city reverted to town status, the new town would be legally a part of the county, instead of a separate entity. Thus the town schools would be supported by county revenue making the Index moot; other departments might be combined to save money."[ref 1]

As of November 26, 1995 petitioners had gathered 1,700 of the needed 2,750 to initiate the reversion process.[1]

Resolution of the 1990s debate

"The issue sparked tense standoffs between the city and county in the 1990s, but due to years of legal wrangling and the city’s then-brightening financial picture, the debate had largely faded from view by the end of that decade.
In 1996, the citizen-led Town Reversion Committee filed a pro-reversion petition in Charlottesville Circuit Court. Eight months later, a three-judge panel appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court dismissed the filing on technical grounds. Both the citizen group and the City Council appealed, and the full court reversed the panel’s dismissal in 1999.
The pro-reversion group dropped its push shortly thereafter, citing mounting legal bills and little appetite for further court battles.
The City Council officially killed the previous reversion efforts by a unanimous vote at its last meeting of 1999." [ref 2] [2].

2010s reversion debate

In January 2012, City Councilor Kathy Galvin suggested reversion might be an action to consider if Albemarle County was successful in its effort to get the General Assembly to pass a budget amendment that took revenue sharing into consideration as part of the composite index that determines the state's budget contribution to city schools. The bill submitted by Delegate Rob Bell would have the effect of shifting $2.5 million annually from city schools to county schools.[ref 3]

Reversion or Consolidation Studies

References

Reversion studies

  1. Web. Possible Reversion of Charlottesville to Town Status: Impact on Schools, Educational Consulting Service, Ltd., available through Charlottesville Tomorrow, 29 Aug 1996, retrieved 9 Apr 2010.

Other references

  1. Web. Revenue sharing—how it came to this, Daugherty, Virginia, Gleason, Elizabeth B., and O'Brien, Nancy, Daily Progress, 21 Mar 2010, retrieved 9 Apr 2010.
  2. Web. Galvin floats idea of reversion discussion, Graham Moomaw, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, 25 Jan 2012, retrieved 26 Jan 2012.
  3. Web. Galvin floats idea of reversion discussion, Graham Moomaw, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, 25 Jan 2012, retrieved 26 Jan 2012.
  1. Web. Charlottesville, Other Va. Cities Consider Reverting To Towns, November 26, 1995, retrieved 2019-01-15.
  2. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, 20 Dec. 1999.