The Tea Party is campaigning to end the requirement that localities define more efficient, compact development areas known as “urban development areas” or UDAs. Tea Party members are flooding legislators with calls and emails with some claiming that UDAs are part of a United Nations conspiracy.

The reality:  UDAs were actually a bipartisan and fiscally conservative Virginia initiative. Both Governor Tim Kaine and Republican Speaker of the House Bill Howell strongly supported the 2007 law designed to reduce the costs of infrastructure and burden on taxpayers.

• UDAs reduce transportation costs to the state and also save on water and sewer, police and fire, school busing, and other costs.

• The traditional neighborhood development envisioned by UDAs is reflective of the beloved, historic Virginia towns and our older suburbs that engender a sense of community that we have lost as a result of scattered development.

Take Action: PLEASE OPPOSE any bill that would make UDAs optional and that would remove requirements that localities report their UDA plans to the state.

Tell your legislators that you support UDAs because they will save taxpayers money by reducing infrastructure costs for transportation, water and sewer, police and fire, school busing, and more. Tell them that you oppose:

• Senate Bills: SB274 (R-Smith), SB291 (D-Lucas)

• House Bills: HB92 (R – R. Marshall), HB794 (R- Rush), HB869 (R -Rust), HB729 (R-Dudenhefer, exempts Stafford),

Also, please oppose the inclusion of the UDAs in the Governor’s “unfunded mandates on localities” bills, SB129 (R-Stanley), HB1295 (R- Byron). Again, UDAs will save money by reducing “unfunded mandates” on the state’s taxpayers by reducing infrastructure costs.

Why not give your legislator a call?

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: infrastructure costs |