With those words as part of House Resolution 432 in the 1998 session, Speaker of the House of Delegates Thomas Moss, Jr. established the Commission on the Condition and Future of Virginia's Cities. The Commission was asked to conduct a comprehensive examination of the condition and needs of Virginia's forty cities and to develop and recommend alternative solutions to their growing problems. The Commission is comprised of twenty three members and chaired by Speaker Moss.

The plight of Virginia's forty cities is unique among cities in the U.S. According to Virginia law they are independent governmental entities, similar to cities and counties in other states. As such, they must provide all of the services required of local government and raise the funds to support the provision of these services. Boundary adjustments become a win-lose situation. The legislature's solution has been a long-term moratorium on annexation. Lack of available space has also crippled some cities' efforts to attract new business and thus expand economic development.

The result is a multi-faceted problem. The forty cities vary widely in size (from 4,100 to 420,000 residents) and economic characteristics. Some are thriving, but many are among the most fiscally stressed localities in the commonwealth. The diverse landscape has made finding workable solutions extremely difficult. What is good for one situation, would have little or no impact in many others.

In order to more fully understand the problems, the Commission convened the Summit on the Condition and Future of Virginia's Cities in October of 1998. Members of the legislature, mayors and other city officials, county officials, and prominent business and community leaders from across the state came together for a day of deliberation about these problems. The result was a clearer understanding of the issues at hand. The Summit subcommittee is co-chaired by Senator Emmett Hanger, Jr. and Delegate Mitch Van Yahres.

With that understanding in mind, the Commission convened a second Summit, on June 7, 1999 in Charlottesville, VA. Participants looked at possible solutions to the problems discovered during Summit I and generated a list of recommendations.