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<br />What are the benefits of serving on a policy committee? <br />Serving on a VML policy committee offers local officials an opportunity to lea~ about current and <br />emerging statewide issues that affect local governments, to develo~ through P?~cy st~te~e~ts the ~road <br />philosophical framework that guides the league, and to network With local offIcIals With similar policy <br />interests. <br /> <br />What are steering committees, and how do they relate to policy committees? <br />Policy committees can be relatively large, making it difficult to tackle tasks such as developing an agenda or <br />crafting specific policy language. For this reason, VML established a steering committee for each policy <br />committee based on the National League of Oties model. The steering committee is appointed by the VML <br />President, and is headed by the chair of the policy committee. Typically 10 to 12 members of the policy <br />committee serve on the steering committee. Membership is limited to elected officials and chief appointed <br />officers. The steering committee meets prior to the meeting of the full policy committee to identify potential <br />issues for the policy committee to consider, and when necessary, to recommend changes to existing policy <br />statement language. <br /> <br />How many policy committees are there? <br />There are five policy committees: environmental quality, finance, general laws, human development and <br />education, and transportation. <br /> <br />What issues does each policy committee cover? <br />The issues covered by each committee are as follows: <br />. Environmental Quality: Natural resources and the authority of local governments to manage the <br />environment, including water resources and quality, solid and hazardous waste management, air quality <br />and the Chesapeake Bay. <br />. Finance: Powers, organization and administration of local government financing, including taxing <br />~uthority, debt financing, state aid to local governments and federal policies affecting local finance <br />ISsueS. <br />. General Laws: Powers, duties, responsibilities, organization and administration of local governments, <br />including state-local and interlocal relations, conflicts-of-interest, freedom-of-information, information <br />management and personnel; local planning and zoning issues, including economic development, housing <br />and blight; and law enforcement, jails and courts issu~s. <br />. Human Development and Education: Management and funding of social services, education, health, <br />mental health, juvenile justice, recreation, rehabilitation and programs for the aging. <br />. Transportation: Development, maintenance and funding of a comprehensive land, sea and air <br />transportation system for the Cmnmonwealth, and federal, state and local roles in the provision and <br />regulation of transportation. <br /> <br />What is a policy statement? <br />Each policy committee develops a policy statement that covers issues in its respective area. The policy <br />statement expresses the agreement of VML's membership on matters of interest to local governments. The <br />statement is limited to broad, long-tenn, philosophical positions, as opposed to positions that address <br />immediate, short-term issues. The VML membership approves the policy statements at its annual meeting. <br /> <br />How do policy statements differ from VML's legislative program? <br />Policy statements are general in nature. They reflect local governments' positions on a range of issues. The <br />focus of the Legislative Program is more specific and immediate. It is limited to legislative positions that <br />VML expects to lobby on during the upcoming legislative session. <br />