78925015.2-1309Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org2016Counties, Cities And TownsPowers Of Local GovernmentJoint Actions By LocalitiesRegional Competitiveness ActEligibility criteria for incentive payments1996, cc. 1045, 1055, § 15.1-1227.4; 1997, c. 587; 2000, c. 749.http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/15.2-1309/15.2-1308Incentives for certain joint activities by local governments/15.2-1308//15.2-1309/15.2/II/13/3/15.2-130915.2-1308

The Department of Housing and Community Development, in setting the criteria for eligibility for incentive payments under § 15.2-1308, shall require that:section

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A regional partnership shall exist and effectively function in the applicant region, and membership shall include as broad a representation as is practical of local government, elementary and secondary education, higher education, the business community, and civic groups. The partnership should include as many of the following as is practical: the mayor or chair and the chief administrative officer of each member locality, president of each institution of higher education, corporate leaders of the region, and leaders of local civic associations. The Department shall issue guidelines on the structure and organization of the regional partnership.section

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112

Each regional partnership shall develop a regional strategic economic development plan which identifies critical issues of economic competitiveness for the region. The plan shall contain, at a minimum, a comparison of the following criteria for the region, and the primary competitor regions in the southeast United States: section

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222

Median family income;section

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a

2a2a3

Job creation; andsection

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b

2b2b3

Differences in median family income levels among the localities in the region.section

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c

2c2c3

section

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332

Each regional partnership shall identify the existing and proposed joint activities within the region, and the joint activities shall have a combined point total of at least twenty points, based on the values established in § 15.2-1310, in order for the region to qualify for any incentive payments.section

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442

Subject to the provisions of § 15.2-1308, once a region becomes eligible for the annual incentive payments, it shall receive such payments for at least five years, so long as regional partnerships continue to exist and effectively function. The region may reapply before or at the end of the five-year period for requalification to continue to receive annual incentive payments.section

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552

Joint activities existing prior to the enactment of this section or prior to requalification may be considered by the Department of Housing and Community Development for an award up to the full value established in § 15.2-1310. Existing joint activities which are expanded in scope or number of localities may be considered a new joint activity but shall not receive the full value of points as established in § 15.2-1310. Points for existing activities (those initiated prior to July 1 of the year in which the initial qualification or the requalification is sought) may not constitute more than fifty percent of the total points assigned.section

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662

section

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772