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calities. Cities that incorporated into counties would then tax their citizens only for those services provided in addition to those of the county.
“Volunteerism is the keystone in the arch of our proposals,” explained Grayson. However, the commission makes no secret that some smaller cities are being encouraged to nestle under their neighboring counties.
Jerry Gwaltney, city manager of Waynsboro, calls the expeeted recommendations “volunteerism with a gun to your head.”
Waynesboro is among more than 20 cities and several towns that are adamantly opposed to the commission’s key points and have formed the Coalition for Effective Local Government.
“The commission’s ideas are not well thought out and haven’t been put to the test,” said Gwaltney. Proposals of the Grayson Commission are merely thinly camouflaged efforts to do away with the independent cities, he said.
Grayson rejected such statements, saying that although the elimination of independent cities was an option considered, the commission chose to maintain the self-sustained city, but also add what he calls a Class A city. The Class A city would be able to annex, but must sacrifice its independence.
“The thinking is that if you are truly independent, then you should not do land grabs on your neighbor,” said Del. Leslie L. Byrne, D-38th District, a member of the commission.
Members of the coalition contend that the changes could have unforseen long term impact on local government structures.
“You can’t take all localities of the satne size and paint them with the same brush;” said Michael Shelton, mayor of Bedford.
The Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League have expressed concern and dissatisfaction with several aspects of the commission’s probable proposals. Both lobbyist groups representing local government said that they could not support the entire package as it exists now.
Charles A. Robinson Jr., mayor of Vienna and head of the VML task force on Local Government Structures and Relationships said that the commissions plan makes the creation of new cities virtually impossible. As they stand now, a two-thirds vote of the Assembly and a population of
96.6%