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Martinsville <br /> <br />November 4, 2004 <br /> <br />MayorJoseph R. Cobbe <br />Members of Martinsville City Council <br />P.O. Box 1112 <br />Martinsville, VA 24114 <br /> <br />Mayor Cobbe and Members of the City Council: <br /> <br /> The following recommendations were made by former City Manager Earl B. <br />Reynolds Jr. as your legislative priorities in 2004. Working with City Manager Dan <br />Collins and the members of the administrative staff, I have updated those items to reflect <br />2004 General Assembly action, and have added new priorities for 2005. <br /> It is staff's recommendation that the City Council give favorable consideration to the <br />following legislative policy statements, which will serve as a guide for the staff's lobbying <br />efforts during the 2004 session of the General Assembly. <br /> · Education: Support the Superinrendent's legislative priorities for 2004. <br /> o 2005: As education funding received the bulk of attention in 2004, <br /> transportation will be the focus for 2005. We must work diligently to <br /> ensure that education funding we fought so hard to gain last year does not <br /> suffer a setback in the push to improve transportation funding. <br /> · Economic Development: Support the restoration of incentive funding to the <br /> VEDP and other similar programs which have historically provided technical and <br /> financial assistance to Virginia's local governments. Also, support revisions to the <br /> current Enterprise Zone legislation that would allow communities approved for <br /> more than one enterprise zone to also be allowed ro maintain more than one sub- <br /> zone. <br /> o 2004: Sen. Lambert's bill to create incentive funding was continued until <br /> 2005 in House Appropriations. Del. Armstrong's separate attempts for <br /> multiple Enterprise Zone subzone designation failed: HB 1070 stricken in <br /> committee, HB 1067 continued until 2005 in Senate Finance. <br /> · Transportation: Support continued state funding to complete U.S. 58 and to fast- <br /> track the design, engineering, and construction of 1-73 commencing in Henry <br /> County then south to the North Carolina hne. <br /> o Del. Armstrong's HB 1071, to sell an additional $300 million in bonds to <br /> complete construction of U.S. 58 from Smart through Interstate 77, was <br /> tabled in House Appropriations. <br /> · Health and Welfare: Support an increase in funding for local departments of <br /> social services to provide adequate funding for office space and other <br /> <br /> <br />