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2004 SESSION

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HJ 142 Norfolk and Portsmouth Cities; joint subcommittee to study consolidation.

Introduced by: Johnny S. Joannou | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Study; consolidation of the Cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study the feasibility of the consolidation of the Cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall (i) review other models whereby localities were consolidated into a single city that operates under the strong mayor/council form of government; (ii) determine whether such a system, with a directly elected mayor, would be feasible in the two cities, to be phased in over a period of 10 to 20 years; (iii) examine the feasibility of permitting the consolidation of a particular city only upon a favorable vote by referendum in each such city; (iv) examine the feasibility of allowing the constitutional officers of each of the consolidating cities to retain their individual positions during an interim period of time or until the retirement of such an officer; and (v) explore an efficient method of eventually transferring the duties of such constitutional officers to a single office for the consolidated city.

Other issues to be examined by the joint subcommittee shall include (i) whether an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia will be required in order to implement a proposed consolidation; (ii) the means by which utility systems within the consolidating cities may be efficiently combined or coordinated so as to provide cost-effective and uninterrupted service to the region; (iii) the feasibility of phasing in a consolidated school system under the leadership of a single school board with each city being a separate school district; (iv) the feasibility of providing for oversight by an outside entity of new local debt of the consolidating cities during the transition period between the time of voter approval of the consolidation and the actual consolidation; and (v) the method by which the individual debts and obligations of the consolidating cities shall become the debts and obligations of the consolidated city.


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