                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

APPLICATION REVIEW (§ 59.1-545)

A. After announcement of a periodic zone designation application process, the
Department shall review each application upon receipt and secure any additional
information that it deems necessary for the purpose of evaluating the need and
potential impact of a zone designation.

B. The Department shall complete review of the applications within 60 days of
the last date designated for receipt of an application. After review of the
applications the Director of the Department shall recommend to the Governor
those applications with the greatest potential for accomplishing the purpose of
this chapter. If an application is denied, the governing body shall be informed
of that fact, along with the reasons for the denial.

C. Consideration for enterprise zone designations shall be based upon the
locality-wide need and impact of such a designation. Need shall be assessed in
part by the following distress factors: (i) the average unemployment rate for
the locality over the most recent three-year period, (ii) the average median
adjusted gross income for the locality over the most recent three-year period,
and (iii) the average percentage of public school students within the locality
receiving free or reduced price lunches over the most recent three-year period.
These distress factors shall account for at least 50 percent of the
consideration given to local governments&#8217; applications for enterprise zone
designation.

HISTORY: 2005, cc. 863, 884.