Within 30 days after the establishment of a district in accordance with the procedures provided in § 15.2-4603, the commission shall appoint a district advisory board of 12 members, consisting of: three members appointed by the board of supervisors of each participating county, each of whom either resides on or owns land within that portion of the district that is located in the county from which the member is appointed or is a designee of a landowner as described below; three members who own land zoned for commercial or industrial use within that portion of the district from each participating county or who are designees of landowners as described below who are elected by the landowners of the district, voting on a basis weighted by acreage owned or assessed value, as the case may be. Such elections may be conducted by the commission by mail ballot of owners of land within that portion of the district in each participating county. A corporation owning land within the district may designate one of its officers or employees, and a partnership owning land within the district may designate an individual who is one of its general partners, and such designees are eligible to be appointed members of the district advisory board. Each member shall be appointed for a definite term of four years, except the initial appointment of advisory board members shall provide that the terms of half of the members shall be for two years. Thereafter, elections shall be conducted biennially on the anniversary of the creation of the district in the same manner as described in the preceding provisions of this section. Members may be reelected or reappointed, provided that they, or the corporation or partnership they represent, own land zoned for commercial or industrial use within the district at the time of their reelection or reappointment. If a vacancy occurs with respect to an advisory member initially elected by a board of supervisors, or any successor of such a member, that board of supervisors shall appoint a new member who is a resident or landowner within the local district. If a vacancy occurs with respect to an advisory member initially elected by landowners, or any successor of such a member, then the board of supervisors shall appoint a new board member who is a landowner within the district elected in the manner provided in this section.

The members shall serve without pay, but the commission shall provide the advisory board with facilities for holding meetings and shall appropriate funds needed to defray the reasonable expenses and fees of the board, which shall not exceed $20,000 annually, including, without limitation, expenses and fees arising out of the preparation of the annual report. Such appropriations shall be based on an annual budget submitted by the advisory board, approved by the commission, sufficient to carry out its responsibilities under this chapter. The advisory board shall elect a chairman and a secretary and such other officers as it deems necessary. The board shall fix the time for holding regular meetings, but it shall meet at least once every year. Special meetings of the board shall be called by the chairman or by two members of the board upon written request to the secretary of the board. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The 1990 amendments to the provisions of this paragraph shall not be effective for the Route 28 Primary Highway Transportation Improvement District until such time as the special tax revenues from the District exceed the total debt service on the bonds issued pursuant to Chapter 676 of the 1988 Acts of Assembly for three consecutive years.

The advisory board shall present an annual report to the commission on the transportation needs of the district and on the activities of the board, and the advisory board shall present special reports on transportation matters as requested by the commission or the board of supervisors of either county concerning taxes to be levied pursuant to § 15.2-4607.

1997, c. 587.