Regional unity is almost a tradition now

Regional unity exists in Richmond.

For the second consecutive year, the capital region's nine localities agreed on a list of priorities for needed legislative actions in Congress and the General Assembly.

Let's say that again: All nine agreed on one joint ask.

On Jan. 4, the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission invited local and state officials to review the 2011 legislative agenda that was hammered out after five months of discussion and debate among 33 commissioners, said James B. Donati Jr., the commission's chairman and a member of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. The consensus, Donati added, means the Richmond region wants representatives in Congress and the General Assembly to "make it happen."

Last year marked the first time the commission wiped away years of dysfunction and orchestrated what's called a wish list for the General Assembly. Two times makes for an annual expectation.

Next year, with three, it'll be a tradition, by RRPDC standards.

In celebration of the regional accomplishment, we'll present the full agenda here, starting with what Richmond-area governments want from Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb and the three representatives from the capital region: Bobby Scott, Eric Cantor and Randy Forbes.

The lone request for federal legislative action involves putting the renovation of school buildings on the same footing as new construction: "Allow rehabilitation expenditures for public school buildings to qualify for the federal rehabilitation tax credit (20 percent). Current federal law allows for tax credits when a historic school is rehabilitated and used by another entity, but not where the buildings are reused as public schools."

Money saved here could be used to pay teachers, said James M. Holland of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors.

The region lists two legislative priorities for Washington.

•On the federal mandate for collective bargaining: "We oppose federal legislation that would require localities to provide collective bargaining rights for public safety employees."

•On passenger rail financing: "We support the commonwealth's efforts to obtain federal funding for capital improvement projects that will enhance passenger rail service in the Richmond region." It's vitally important that Richmond be a transportation hub, said Stran L. Trout, the commission's vice chairman and a member of the New Kent County Board of Supervisors.

The General Assembly list is longer for the 22-member Capital Region Caucus, composed of seven state senators (Thomas K. Norment Jr., Ryan T. McDougle, A. Donald McEachin, John C. Watkins, Stephen H. Martin, Walter A. Stosch and Henry L. Marsh III) and 15 delegates (Roxann L. Robinson, John A. Cox, William R. Janis, Riley E. Ingram, Rosalyn R. Dance, R. Lee Ware Jr., M. Kirkland Cox, G. Manoli Loupassi, Betsy B. Carr, Delores L. McQuinn, Jennifer McClellan, James P. Massie III, John M. O'Bannon III, Joseph D. Morrissey and Christopher K. Peace).

Two of the three requests for legislative action involve transportation:

•Better representation: "Add a third urban at-large seat to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (see Va. Code Ann. 33.1-2) to be filled by a resident of the Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. Historically, the two urban at-large seats are filled with citizens residing in the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas."

•Money for trains: "Establish state mechanisms to fund passenger rail capital improvements and operations."

•Clarify the process for regional emergency cooperation: "Empower localities with comprehensive and general authority to provide assistance to other localities as needed without the requirement for emergency declarations or inter-jurisdictional agreements for each of the various types of services or procurement processes." Current stipulations to guide decisions are unclear, said Robert R. Setliff of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. Clarifying the law would be "good for regional cooperation," he added.

Richmond-area localities also delivered five priorities for the region's lawmakers:

•On government reform: "We support local government autonomy to make policy decisions on local issues, particularly concerning land-use regulation and local revenue measures. We support reform measures and financial incentives that encourage regional cooperation. We support full funding of all state and federal mandates on local governments." Malvern "Rudy" Butler of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors said too many state agencies are involved in local administration. If the state is going to add more laws, then "send us the money" to do the job, Butler added.

•On transportation: "We support the development of funding mechanisms to meet the state's current and future transportation funding needs. We support enhancements to intercity passenger rail service connecting through Richmond, especially those that increase reliability, on-time performance and speeds of travel."

•On land use: "We support local growth management tools that:

— Can be tailored to the needs of the local jurisdiction;

—Are flexible to the specific needs of development locations;

— Are simple to implement and easy to understand;

— Transparently allow all parties of interest to freely and fairly negotiate agreements; and

— Only require development to contribute its fair share for infrastructure improvement."

•On resource protection: "We support the protection and enhancement of Virginia's natural resources through environmental regulations and programs that:

— Are based on well-researched scientific foundations;

— Have demonstrated an ability to achieve meaningful improvements to the environment;

— Offer short- and long-term solutions;

— Fully consider unintended consequences;

— Consider the size, location or type of development being regulated instead of imposing a generalized standard;

— Can be implemented in a reasonable time period and in a cost-effective manner;

— Embrace the planning authority of local government and allow flexibility for local government to determine the best approach to meet program goals; and

— Are connected with adequate funding to implement mandated programs."

•And, finally, on educational financing: "We support a state budget that meets the commonwealth's obligations to localities for K-12 education funding." Translation: Localities can't afford to take more financial hits dished out by the state, Richmond City Council President Kathy C. Graziano said. This is a huge issue, which has been front-page news. The state's financing method is a "formula for failure," Graziano added.

Debating regionalism is an intramural sport in Richmond.

A popular refrain is that there's no regional cooperation because each locality is an island. That position is incorrect. Yes, there's no one regional government. But regional results do occur, although they're not widely reported amid the controversies and routine.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch was the only news-gathering organization to show up at the commission's meeting to report its legislative agenda.