Budget, as well as the requirement of his approval for intradepartment
fund transfers, gives him adequate power to control departmental spend-
ing. To the extent that policy depends on spending allowances, he has
thus controlled policy. However, the Governor is a firm believer in the
automony of those boards that are supposed to be autonomous. Where
he has found grounds for serious disagreement with impending decisions,
he has sought to convince, rather than to dictate. Board members, as a
rule, are aware of the Governor's vantage point for the viewing of all
problems from the standpoint of general public interest and in relation
to the needs and problems of other State Departments. His expressed
views, therefore, usually are convincing. Quite frequently, Board mem-
bers seek his advice before acting on important matters of policy.

Question: How frequently does the Governor confer with board
members and the department director? On what types of problems?

Answer: Varies considerably according to circumstances. During
economic recession, for example, he conferred every week or sometimes
twice a week, with the Director of the Department of Employment
Security, or with the Chairman of the Board, and with the Director of
the Department of Public Welfare; during controversies with Common-
wealth of Virginia on common fisheries, conferred several times a week
with the Director of the Department of Tidewater Fisheries, who also is
Chairman of the Tidewater Fisheries Commission. He confers at least
once a year with the entire Planning Commission on the Capital Improve-
ments Program, and frequently during the year with the Chairman.
These are but examples. He meets with other boards and commissions
wherever the need is indicated.

Question: Does the Governor oversee and coordinate board activities
through one or more members of his staff?

Answer: Yes, monthly reports are received by this office and distri-
buted among staff members who call the Governor's attention to items
on which he might wish to confer with the Board or Department head.

Question: Does the Governor sometimes attend board meetings? How
frequently and which?

Answer: Yes. Frequency varies, as indicated in Question 2. Meets
with Roads Commission on important projects.

Question: With respect to legislative proposals affecting a particular
department, does the Governor confer directly or indirectly with the
board before submitting them? Does he sometimes make proposals over
the objection of the board majority?

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