GOVERNOR
Vol. 26 Iss. 22 - July 05, 2010

GOVERNOR

EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 12 (2010)

Reissuance of Executive Order 110 (2010) Regarding Allocation of a Portion of the Commonwealth's Share of the Calendar Year 2009 National Limitation for Qualified School Construction Bonds Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Importance of the Initiative

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 355) was enacted on February 17, 2009 ("ARRA"). Section 1521(a), Title I, Division B of ARRA added Section 54F to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("IRC"), to provide for the issuance of qualified school construction bonds ("QSCBs"). QSCBs are tax credit bonds that are designed to bear no interest and may be issued to finance the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of a public school facility or for qualifying public school facility land acquisitions ("Qualified Projects").

IRC Section 54A(d)(2) requires that 100% of the sale proceeds of a QSCB and the investment earnings thereon (the "Available Project Proceeds") must be spent within three (3) years from the date of issuance of the QSCB (the "Expenditure Period") to pay the costs of Qualified Projects or issuance costs. To the extent less than 100% of the Available Project Proceeds are spent on such costs within the Expenditure Period, a pro rata portion of the QSCB is deemed to be a "nonqualified bond" under IRC Section 54A and the issuer is required to redeem the nonqualified bond within 90 days after the end of the Expenditure Period. The requirements described in this paragraph will be referred to collectively below as the "Expend-or-Redeem Requirement."

One of the conditions for the valid issuance of QSCBs is the receipt of an allocation of the national limitation under IRC Section 54F(c) sufficient to cover the QSCBs to be issued (a "Volume Cap Allocation"). IRC Section 54F(c) creates a national limitation of $11 billion for each of calendar years 2009 and 2010. IRC Section 54F(d)(1) requires the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to make allocations to the states in proportion to the respective amounts each state is eligible to receive under Section 1124 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333) for the most recent federal fiscal year ending before the calendar year. Pursuant to Notice 2009-35 of the Internal Revenue Service (IRB 2009-17, dated April 27, 2009) (the "Notice"), the share of the calendar year 2009 national limitation allocated to the Commonwealth of Virginia (the "Commonwealth" or "Virginia") is $191,077,000 (the "2009 Commonwealth Share").

IRC Section 54F(d)(1) also provides that the national limitation amount allocated to a state for any calendar year shall be allocated by a "state agency" to issuers within the state. The Notice provides that eligible issuers of QSCBs include states, political subdivisions as defined for purposes of IRC Section 103, large local educational agencies that are state or local governmental entities, certain "on-behalf-of" issuers and certain conduit financing issuers. Neither Virginia nor federal law provides any process for making allocations of the 2009 Commonwealth Share to eligible issuers.

From the $191,077,000 2009 Commonwealth Share Executive Order 90 (2009) made a Volume Cap Allocation to the Virginia Public School Authority ("VPSA") in an amount sufficient to cover QSCBs to be issued by VPSA to finance certain qualifying projects in certain localities that were on the Literary Fund First Priority Waiting List approved by the Virginia Board of Education. On November 13, 2009, VPSA issued its $61,120,000 School Tax Credit Bonds (Qualified School Construction Bonds), Series 2009-1 (the "2009 VPSA QSCBs"), pursuant to such Volume Cap Allocation. Since that time, additional net qualifying costs for the Lylburn Downing Middle School project in the City of Lexington have been identified and the Virginia Board of Education has added additional projects to the Literary Fund First Priority Waiting List (such additional projects, together with the Lylburn Downing Middle School project, will be referred to below as the "FPWL Projects"). The City of Lexington, together with the localities in which the other FPWL Projects are located, will be referred to below as the "FPWL Localities."

On October 14, 2009, Governor Kaine announced the availability of a portion of the 2009 Commonwealth Share remaining after the issuance of the 2009 VPSA QSCBs to local school divisions of certain localities through a competitive evaluation process to finance energy efficiency improvements and renovations, as well as renewable energy projects, for public school buildings. Working cooperatively, the Department of Education and Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy supervised an application process that concluded on November 12, 2009. Subsequently, each application and project was evaluated against criteria including annual energy savings, project payback period, shovel readiness, and composite index. The projects that were selected and the localities in which such projects are located will be referred to below respectively as the "Energy Projects" and the "Energy Project Localities" and, together with the FPWL Projects and the FPWL Localities, the "Awarded Projects" and the "Awarded Localities."

On January 13, 2010, Governor Kaine issued Executive Order 110 (2010) to allocate to VPSA pursuant to IRC Section 54F(d)(1) a portion of the 2009 Commonwealth Share sufficient for VPSA to issue a face amount of QSCBs at one time or from time to time to produce for each of the Awarded Projects listed therein an amount of net sale proceeds up to the maximum amount of the qualifying costs specified therein.

Since January 13, 2010, VPSA and this office have received a number of requests and comments from the Awarded Localities, their respective school divisions and other interested parties concerning Executive Order 110 (2010). Many of these requests have been for changes in the Awarded Projects and the allocations between Awarded Projects and many of the comments have pointed out potential problems in satisfying the Expend-or-Redeem Requirement. In response to these requests and comments and by virtue of the powers invested in me by Article V of the Constitution of Virginia and Section 2.2-103 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, as Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I hereby reissue the previously-issued Executive Order 110 (2010) in the form of this order to amend and restate the Volume Cap Allocation to VPSA of a portion of the 2009 Commonwealth Share sufficient for VPSA to issue a face amount of QSCBs at one time or from time to time to produce for each of the Awarded Localities listed below an amount of net sale proceeds (the "Maximum Net Sale Proceeds") up to the maximum amount of specified for all of the Awarded Projects (in aggregate) of each Awarded Locality, which projects are the first priority use of the Maximum Net Sale Proceeds and the investment earnings thereon (the "Local Available Project Proceeds"). This order further (i) directs the Department of Education and the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to establish a procedure to ensure use of the Local Available Project Proceeds of each Awarded Locality on energy efficiency improvements and renovations, as well as renewable energy projects, for public school buildings within the Awarded Locality to the extent such proceeds are in excess of the amounts needed to complete all of the Awarded Projects of such Awarded Locality and (ii) establishes an expiration date for the Volume Cap Allocation made to VPSA pursuant hereto.

The FPWL Localities and FPWL Projects:

Locality

Project

Maximum Net Sale Proceeds

Virginia Beach City

Great Neck Middle School

$7,500,000

Washington County

John Battle High School

Abingdon High School

Patrick Henry High School

Holston High School

Meadowview Elementary School

Wallace Middle School

Glade Spring Middle School

William N. Neff Center

$10,110,035

Hopewell City

Hopewell City High School

$7,500,000

Virginia Beach City

College Park Elementary School

$4,879,954

Lexington City

Lylburn Downing Middle School

$1,500,000

Montgomery County

New Price's Fork Elementary School

$7,500,000

The Energy Projects and the Energy Project Localities:

Amelia County

Amelia County Public Schools

$1,205,379

Arlington County

Arlington Career Center

$3,331,022

Greene County

Greene County Technical Education Center

Nathanael Greene Elementary School

Ruckersville Elementary School

William Monroe High School

William Monroe Middle School

$2,425,879

Greensville County

Belfield Elementary School

Greensville County High School

Wyatt Middle School

Greensville Elementary School

$746,104

Hampton City

Division Wide Lighting Upgrade Initiative

$2,500,000

King William County

Acquinton Elementary School

Hamilton Holmes Middle School

King William High School

Cool Spring Primary School

$260,950

Lancaster County

Lancaster Middle School

Lancaster High School

$391,129

Lunenburg County

Central High School

$1,172,948

Martinsville City

Martinsville Middle School

Albert Harris Elementary School

Patrick Henry Elementary School

$1,050,749

Montgomery County

MCPS Energy Performance Contract

$9,389,331

Prince William County

Hylton High School

Benton Middle School

Sudley Elementary School

Marumsco Hills Elementary School

West Gate Elementary School

Vaughan Elementary School

Swans Creek Elementary School

Sinclair Elementary School

Signal Hill Elementary School

Potomac View Elementary School

Parkside Middle School

Occoquan Elementary School

Neabsco Elementary School

Minnieville Elementary School

Kerrydale Elementary School

Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Elementary School

Glenkirk Elementary School

Gar-Field Senior High School

Fannie W. Fitzgerald Elementary School

Cedar Point Elementary School

Brentsville District High School

Bennett Elementary School

Belmont Elementary School

Bel Air Elementary School

Ashland Elementary School

Alvey Elementary school

Parkside Middle School

Tyler Elementary School

Yorkshire Elementary School

Gainesville Middle School

Woodbridge Senior High School

Woodbridge Middle School

Mary Williams Elementary School

Victory Elementary School

Sudley Elementary School

Stonewall Jackson High School

Rosa Parks Elementary School

Rockledge Elementary School

Osbourn Park High School

Marumsco Hills Elementary School

Marsteller Middle School

Leesylvania Elementary School

Godwin Middle School

Forest Park High School

Ellis Elementary School

Coles Elementary School

Bull Run Middle School

Buckland Mills Elementary School

Bristow Run Elementary School

Beville Middle School

Benton Middle School

Battlefield Middle School

Potomac Middle School

Freedom High School

Hylton High School

Stonewall Jackson High School

Osbourn Park High School

Gar-Field High School

$9,515,904

Roanoke City

Preston Park Elementary School

Morningside Elementary School

Westside Elementary School

Monterey Elementary School

$1,110,539

Shenandoah County

North Fork Middle School

Peter Muhlenberg Middle School

Central High School

Signal Knob Middle School

Sandy Hook Elementary School

Ashby Lee Elementary School

W. W. Robinson Elementary School

Triplett Business and Technical Institute

Strasburg High School

Stonewall Jackson High School

$7,302,996

Spotsylvania County

Courtland Elementary School

Chancellor Elementary School

Lee Hill Elementary School

Salem Elementary School

Battlefield Middle School

Career and Technical Center

Courtland High School

Spotsylvania High School

Massaponax High School

Battlefield Elementary School

Brock Road Elementary School

Courthouse Road Elementary School

Robert E. Lee Elementary School

Smith Station Elementary School

Courtland Elementary School

Battlefield Middle School

Chancellor Middle and High School

Thornburg Middle School

$2,581,293

Stafford County

Stafford County Public Schools

Rockhill Elementary School

$1,280,000

Virginia Beach City

College Park Elementary School

$4,879,954

Washington County

Abingdon, Holston, Patrick Henry

John S. Battle High Schools

$400,000

Westmoreland County

Washington & Lee High School

$1,975,369

York County

Grafton-Bethel Elementary School HVAC Project

$1,100,000

The Maximum Net Sale Proceeds are listed in the aggregate and the Local Available Project Proceeds attributable thereto must be used to finance one or more of the Awarded Projects listed for such Awarded Locality and at least completing the project work described in the approved project application for each Awarded Project undertaken; provided, however, that an Awarded Locality is not obligated to undertake each of the Awarded Projects listed for such Awarded Locality. Each Awarded Locality may distribute its Local Available Project Proceeds among its Awarded Projects as the Awarded Locality deems to be in the best interest of the Awarded Locality.

The Department of Education and the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy are to establish a procedure to ensure that the Local Available Project Proceeds are used to finance energy efficiency improvements and renovations, as well as renewable energy projects, for public school buildings within the Awarded Localities ("Additional Projects") to the extent such proceeds are in excess of the amounts needed to complete all of the Awarded Projects. Such Additional Projects (i) must be Qualified Projects, (ii) must be able to utilize the unspent Local Available Project Proceeds within the relevant Expenditure Period and (iii) should be evaluated against the following criteria: annual energy savings, project payback period, shovel readiness, and composite index.

By September 1, 2010, VPSA shall provide to the Chief of Staff the completed Internal Revenue Service reporting form or forms (then in effect for the QSCBs) for those QSCBs issued pursuant to the Volume Cap Allocation made to VPSA pursuant to this order. Any portion of such Volume Cap Allocation not used by September 1, 2010, will be deemed waived by the VPSA and the pertinent Awarded Localities, and upon such waiver, the Commonwealth shall be authorized to re-allocate the waived Volume Cap Allocation in any reasonable manner as it shall determine in good faith and in its discretion.

I hereby authorize the Chief of Staff to provide certificates of compliance with IRC Section 54F(c) as may be requested by the VPSA.

Effective Date of the Executive Order

This Executive Order shall be effective as of June 10, 2010, without any further act or filing and shall remain in force and effect so long as IRC Section 54F shall remain in effect, unless sooner rescinded or amended by further executive order.

Given under my hand and under the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia this 10th day of June, 2010.

/s/ Robert F. McDonnell

Governor