1995-08-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2i0 PRESENTATION: REVERSION Mr. William Lucy, Profbssor in the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, explained that a citize~ Petition is currently being circulated fnroughout the City and, if co}npleted, will launch ~ process involving the Virginia Commission on Government and then a th~eedudge panel who will study and make recommendations regarding the reversion of the City of Charlottesville to town status, b/ir. Lucy stated that reversion is being considered by cities with a population of 50,000 or below in ~)-irginia because of declining income levels and an increase in r>overty levels. 'Mr. Lucy said that counties are also facing difficulties because they do not have the decision making ability to deal with the urban fringe. Mr. Lucy said rex;ersion is a way to bring cities and counties together to share their problems. h/Ir. Robert McNergney, 800 Village Road, provided information on Charlottesville schools. There has been an increase in the number of students that qualify to receive free lunch, and there has been shown to be a relationship between poverty and a lack of success in school. Mr. McNergney stated that many students are leaving the City schools and the reasons for doing so should be explored. Mr. McNergney said fhat he believes the City schools do remarkably well given the challenges they face, but are threatened by forces beyond their control. Mr. McNergney stated that the position of City schools needs to be enhanced and recommended the following: innovate with curriculum and instruction; encourage multiple measures of student success; and change the student population. Mr. McNergby said that whiie reversion could address many of these concerns, he encouraged the City and County schools to work together now for the good of the whole community rather than wait for reversion to occur. Ms. Daugherty asked Mr. Lucy to discuss voting changes should reversion occur, and Mr. Lucy state~d that as he understands it, the reversion wocess does not specifically address voting, but the Board of Supervisors could be increased to i i members, with the Board responsible for determining the number and voting districts. Under reversion, a town council would be maintained. Ms. Slaughter asked how consolidation of the schoois would improve the schools and help make children }earn better, and Mr, McNergney stated that children with a lot of needs should not be concentrated in one place and consolidation of the schools would improve that situation. Mr. McNergby stated fnat it might be possible to reduce the cost of the schools and to institute other innovative things such as magnet schools. Resvonding to a question from Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Lucy stated that re~onai affluence is one cat'se of subuft~an sprawl, with jobs and homes moving out, and where there are no longer any community institutions or center to the community. Mr. Lucy stated that reversion maintains a place focus capacity. b/Ir. Toscano asked what services the City would be required to give up under town reversion, and Mr. Lucy stated that jails, social services, memal health services, and constitutional offices would no longer be provided by the town, but would be the ~ responsibility of the county. Mr. Lucy stated that the responsibility tbr schools is am't~iguous in the reversion statute. Mr. Toscano asked if there are further plans to provide public information on reversion, and Mr. McNergney stated that the process is mainly one-on-one at fhe current time, but plans are being made to work with community groups in the fail. Ms. Daugherty stated that she understand that Virginia is one of the few states with independent cities and asked if reversion to town status would be comparable to city/county structures in other statues. Mr. Lucy replied that in some ways reversion would make the structure comparable to other states and in other ways it would not, but noted that most other states do not have education as a county-wide ~function. Mr. Lucy stated that structurally he thinks reversion would put fhe City and County in one of the best positions in the nation.