Lynchburg region influences governor's mandate-removal goals

Gov. Bob McDonnell, using ideas from a Lynchburg-influenced task force, said Monday he seeks to eliminate 20 ways the state puts a burden on local governments.

State Sen. Steve Newman and Del. Kathy Byron will guide the governor’s legislation through the General Assembly.

Lynchburg City Manager Kimball Payne served on the task force, which issued 61 recommendations Monday to eliminate both paperwork and costs forced on localities by state government.

Byron, R-Campbell County, called the governor’s plan “frankly historic and long overdue.” Lynchburg-area officials have complained long and hard about the state’s mandates.

Mandates often are supported by special-interest groups and rarely opposed by a governor. Pat Herrity of Fairfax County, chairman of the task force, said more than 600 mandates are on Virginia’s books. 

A Byron-sponsored bill to eliminate a single report to the state on trash recycling by local governments was defeated two years ago after environmental advocates opposed it in a committee hearing.

“It’s unfortunately rare to see government at any level recognize and take corrective action when it overreaches,” Byron said, adding McDonnell’s recommendations “will streamline and simplify local government for the citizens.”

Newman, R-Lynchburg, said, “As I listen to constituents in my district, a common concern has been burdensome state and federal mandates imposing cost and unnecessary red tape on the operations of localities.”

Newman sponsored legislation last year leading to creation of the task force.

McDonnell said many of the recommendations will help schools.

“In education, we have a number of areas we think will reduce paperwork and the administrative burden on teachers and school districts,” he said.

The school changes include McDonnell’s already-announced plan to let local schools start before Labor Day — a highly popular idea among districts that sent proposals to the task force.

The governor’s proposals aren’t final yet.

He said they will be bundled into “an omnibus bill with all 20 of these recommendations” this week.

McDonnell said he plans to issue executive orders to implement other recommendations from the task force. 

Payne, in an interview, said the task force had to assemble some recommendations quickly so they could be acted on during this General Assembly session, ending March 10.

The task force will continue working for two years, “and it was important to get this momentum going,” Payne said. McDonnell appointed the five-member task force in September, and it met for the first time in November.

Of the 20 items McDonnell wants to eliminate, Payne said, “If we get 10 (approved by lawmakers) we will be in great shape.”

The first round of recommendations may not cut costs much for local governments, Payne said, “but that’s going to be the test in the end.”

“But even more importantly, we need a discussion about how government services are delivered, and what level of government services should be delivered, and what level of government should pay for them,” he said.

“We are getting momentum now. We’ve got the governor behind us.”