Virginia Law

Article 6. Powers and Duties of Localities; Liability of Commonwealth and Localities.

A. Any county or city embraced by a transportation district is authorized to enter into contracts or agreements with the commission for such transportation district, or with an agency, pursuant to which such transportation district, subject to the limitations contained in this section, or such agency undertakes to provide the transportation facilities specified in a duly adopted transportation plan or to render transportation service. Any obligations arising from such contracts are deemed to be for a public purpose and may be paid for, in the discretion of each county or city, in whole or in part, by appropriations from general revenues or from the proceeds of a bond issue or issues; however, any such contract must specify the annual maximum obligation of any county or city for payments to meet the expenses and obligations of the transportation district or such agency or provide a formula to determine the payment of any such county or city for such expenses and obligations. Each county or city desiring to contract with a transportation district or an agency is authorized to do so, provided it complies with the appropriate provisions of law, and thereafter is authorized to do everything necessary or proper to carry out and perform every such contract and to provide for the payment or discharge of any obligation thereunder by the same means and in the same manner as any other of its obligations.

B. Except as otherwise provided by law:

1. No bonded debt shall be contracted by any county to finance the payment of any obligations arising from its contracts hereunder unless the voters of such county shall approve by a majority vote of the voters voting in an election the contracting of any such debt, the borrowing of money, and issuance of bonds. Such debt shall be contracted and bonds issued and such election shall be held in the manner provided in and subject to the provisions of the Public Finance Act (§ 15.2-2600 et seq.) relating to counties; and

2. The contracting of debt, borrowing of money, and issuance of bonds by any city to finance the payment of any obligations arising from its contracts hereunder shall be effected in the manner provided in and subject to the provisions of the Public Finance Act (§ 15.2-2600 et seq.) relating to cities.

1964, c. 631, § 15.1-1359; 1968, c. 363; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4521; 2014, c. 805.

Every such contract shall be enforceable by the transportation district with which the contract is made, as provided under the laws of the Commonwealth, and, if any such contract is entered into with an agency or is relied upon in a contract between a commission and any such agency, the agency also shall have the right to enforce the contract. The venue for actions on any contract between a transportation district and a component government shall be as specified in subdivision 10 of § 8.01-261. Venue in all other matters arising hereunder shall be as provided by law.

1964, c. 631, § 15.1-1360; 1977, c. 624; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4522; 2014, c. 805.

When the district commission, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and the governing bodies of the component governments determine that the time schedule for construction of any interstate highway, as defined in § 33.2-100, within the district makes it necessary to acquire median strips for transit facilities in such highway prior to the adoption of a transportation plan, each county and city within the district is authorized to pay to the Commonwealth Transportation Board such sums as may be agreed upon among the district commission and such counties and cities to provide the Commonwealth Transportation Board with the necessary matching funds to acquire the median strips. Any such acquisition shall be made by and in the name of the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

1964, c. 631, § 15.1-1361; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4523; 2014, c. 805.

The governing bodies of counties and cities participating in a transportation district are authorized to appropriate funds for the administrative and other expenses and obligations (i) of the commission of the transportation district, as provided in subsection D of § 33.2-1915, (ii) of an agency, and (iii) for such other purposes as may be specified in a law creating a transportation district.

1964, c. 631, § 15.1-1362; 1970, c. 449; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4524; 2014, c. 805.

The powers conferred by this chapter on counties and cities are in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law, and may be exercised by resolution or ordinance of the governing bodies thereof, as required by law, without regard to the terms, conditions, requirements, restrictions, or other provisions contained in any other law, general or special, or in any charter.

1964, c. 631, § 15.1-1363; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4525; 2014, c. 805.

A. Except for claims cognizable under the Virginia Tort Claims Act, Article 18.1 (§ 8.01-195.1 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 8.01, no pecuniary liability of any kind shall be imposed on the Commonwealth or upon any county or city constituting any part of any transportation district because of any act, agreement, contract, tort, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance by or on the part of the commission of such transportation district, or any commission member, or its agents, servants, and employees, except as otherwise provided in this chapter with reference to contracts and agreements between the commission or interstate agency and any county or city.

B. Except for claims cognizable under the Virginia Tort Claims Act, Article 18.1 (§ 8.01-195.1 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 8.01, the obligations and any indebtedness of a commission shall not be in any way a debt or liability of the Commonwealth, or of any county or city in whole or in part embraced by the transportation district, and shall not create or constitute any indebtedness, liability, or obligation of the Commonwealth or of any such county or city, legal, moral, or otherwise, and nothing in this chapter contained shall be construed to authorize a commission or district to incur any indebtedness on behalf of or in any way to obligate the Commonwealth or any county or city in whole or in part embraced by the transportation district; however, any contracts or agreements between the commission and any county or city provided for in subdivisions A 4 and B 4 of § 33.2-1915 shall inure to the benefit of any creditor of the transportation district or, when applicable, to an agency as therein provided.

C. For purposes of this section, "liability policy," as it is used in the Virginia Tort Claims Act, specifically includes any program of self-insurance maintained by a district and administered by the Department of the Treasury's Division of Risk Management.

1964, c. 631, § 15.1-1364; 1986, c. 584; 1987, c. 383; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4526; 2014, c. 805.