local government Flashcards
Virginia municipalities (i.e., cities and towns) enjoy sovereign immunity from tort actions when performing
public, governmental functions.
public, governmental function are acts done for
the common good, without the element of corporate benefit or pecuniary profit.
Examples of governmental functions for which cities, towns, and other local governmental entities enjoy sovereign immunity include
police and fire protection, operation of hospitals and public education facilities, and garbage removal.
installation and maintenance of fire hydrants has the sole purpose of
enhancing a municipality’s ability to provide fire protection.
soveriegn immunity defense is raised in
defendant municipalities “plea in bar”/ special plea
Sovereign immunity does not exist when a municipality is performing a
proprietary function rather than a public, governmental function.
Virginia courts have defined certain activities of municipalities as proprietary and not subject to sovereign immunity, including
routine maintenance of streets, provision of utilities (e.g., electricity, gas, water), and operation of housing authorities.
The provision of utilities, such as gas, electricity, and water, has been classified as
a proprietary function
where a city imposes a per gallon water usage fee, or the like on all residential and commercial customer this is evidence of
a propriety function
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guarantees Virginia citizens access to
public records maintained by a public body.
Under Virginia FOIA, there is a presumption that all public records are
accessible, unless an exemption is properly invoked.
FOIA provisions are to be
liberally construed
FOIA exemptions are to be
narrowly construed
subject to FOIA
all public bodies, including cities
public records are broadly defined to include:
all writings and recordings prepared or owned by, or in the possession of a public body or its officers, employees, or agents in the transaction of public business.
numerous exemptions to FOIA, including
1) information relating to the negotiation and award of a specific contract where competition or bargaining is involved,
2) information relating to proprietary records and trade secrets, or
3) records relating to public safety (e.g., victim identification information).
Negligence claims against any local government are typically barred unless
1) the claimant has delivered to the proper designated officer (e.g., city attorney, mayor)
2) a written statement of the nature of the claim,
3) including the time and place at which the injury is alleged to have occurred,
4) within six months after the cause of action accrued.
a claim will not be barred if the proper local government official has
actual notice of the claim within six months after the cause of action accrued.
The notice of the claim must be in
writing and delivered to the attorney or chief executive of the appropriate county, city, or town.
The six-month requirement for providing notice is
mandatory and is strictly construed
the six-month period is tolled when
the claimant is under a disability at the time the cause of action accrued.
where plaintiff did not comply with the notice requirement and is not under a disability when the cause of action accrued:
the claim is barred
In order for declaratory relief for inverse condemnation to lie, there must have been a
physical invasion or total deprivation of the value of the property.
In Virginia, counties are
absolutely immune from liability in tort