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Listed below are past years of VACo's Legislative News. Click on the year to view past news reports.
Meeting packets and agenda materials for VACo's eight steering committees
Dear VACo Steering Committee Member: Below are the meeting packs and agenda materials for each respective committee. Please contact your VACo steering committee liaison with any questions. All 2011 Annual Conference steering committee meetings are on Sunday, Nov. 13 at the Homestead.
Steering Committee Meetings--1-2:30 p.m.
Community Development and Planning; Chesapeake Room; Ted McCormack
Seminar on Strategies to Improve Delinquent Collection
A standing room only crowd recently joined colleagues for an open conversation about "Best Practices" in debt collection. Sallie Mae was on hand to present a national perspective on their experiences with municipal and state tax amnesty programs.
Attendees participated in discussions about ongoing and best practices for collecting outstanding government receivables.
Topics included
Current “Best Practices” for collecting owed debt
Existing tools in Virginia for delinquent revenue collections
Administering a successful tax amnesty program
The legal and legislative requirements for establishing a tax amnesty program
Below are the presentations that were featured at the seminar
The new legislative program is to be adopted during the annual conference at the Homestead in Bath County. VACo’s eight steering committees will finalize and adopt their policy sections on Sunday, Nov. 13. The Resolutions Committee will ratify the program on Monday, Nov. 14, and the VACo membership will adopt the program during the annual business meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The meeting schedule is posted below. Click here for the Preliminary 2012 Legislative Program.
Schedule of meetings at the Homestead to finalize the 2012 Legislative Program
Tuesday, Nov. 15
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Business Meeting including adoption of the 2012 Legislative Program and Achievement Awards followed by Raffle and Adjournment * Regency Ballrooms
About the development and adoption of VACo’s 2011 annual legislative program
1. Two Resolutions Committee meetings: The committee oversees the development of the annual Legislative Program. The meetings occur in the early fall and during the annual conference in November. The committee receives regular legislative updates, via conference call, during the regular legislative session in the winter. The Resolutions Committee includes the six members of VACo’s Executive Committee and the chairs and vice chairs of VACo’s eight steering committees. VACo’s First Vice President chairs the committee. The eight steering committees are Administration of Government, Public Safety and Telecommunications; Community Development and Planning; Compensation and Retirement; Education; Environment and Agriculture; Finance; Health and Human Resources; and Transportation.
2. Steering Committees meet at least twice: Late summer and November during the annual conference. The Steering Committees develop their policy sections of the annual Legislative Program.
3. The membership is asked to adopt the new legislative program during the annual business meeting. The meeting occurs on the last day of the annual conference in November.
Additional information
The President appoints steering committee chairs and vice chairs. VACo members volunteer to serve on steering committees. In early October, prior to the annual conference, the membership receives a Preliminary Legislative Program. This draft is revised during the annual conference.
Contact Deputy Executive Director Dean Lynch for more information about VACo’s legislative process: dlynch@vaco.orgor 804-343-2511.
POSTED Oct. 6
VACo presents governor its list of top mandates of concern to counties
County supervisors recently received an announcement from Gov. Robert F. McDonnell about the creation of his Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review. This five-member task force was appointed to review state mandates imposed on localities and to recommend temporary suspension or permanent repeal of such mandates.
The message urged local officials to provide the task force with a list of state mandates that they believe should be modified or eliminated. The governor also indicated that he had received a VACo list of burdensome mandates, especially unfunded ones, which the state dictates to counties.
While this is not an exhaustive inventory of all burdensome mandates imposed on counties, it includes the top mandates identified by VACo’s leadership.
Seminar on Strategies to Improve Delinquent Collections
This seminar is hosted by the Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Association of Counties to discuss and learn creative ways and best practices to improve debt collections, maximize revenue, and successfully leverage public-private partnerships.
Date: Oct. 25
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $40 (includes parking and lunch)
Location: The Omni Hotel, 100 South 12th St., Richmond, VA 23219
Please join your colleagues for an open conversation in which local government finance officials of Virginia will hear from leading industry groups on the "Best Practices" in debt collection. Sallie Mae will be on hand to present a national perspective on their experiences with municipal and state tax amnesty programs.
Attendees will participate in discussions about ongoing and best practices for collecting outstanding government receivables. Topics will include:
Current “Best Practices” for collecting owed debt
Existing tools in Virginia for delinquent revenue collections
Administering a successful tax amnesty program
The legal and legislative requirements for establishing a tax amnesty program
To register, provide the following information. Payment is due at time of registration by check or credit card. Online registration is available at the VACo registration site. Register by Oct. 15 and receive $10 discount.
VACo committees meet to discuss 2012 legislative platform
The eight legislative steering committees charged with establishing VACo’s legislative initiatives met Aug. 12 in Richmond. The committees were well attended and each committee discussed key initiatives that may be included in VACo’s 2012 Legislative Platform. The committees also heard from numerous special guests that briefed local elected officials on the state budget, the Commonwealth’s business climate, pension reform, education funding, Chesapeake Bay initiatives and transportation devolution. Following is a recap of top issues discussed by the committees.
Compensation and Retirement Steering Committee Speakers: Bob Shultze, Virginia Retirement System (VRS);
Robyn de Socio, Compensation Board
The top issues discussed included: Line of Duty Act (LODA), VRS rates and pension reform, constitutional officer funding and HB599 funding.
Finance Steering CommitteeSpeaker: Jim Regimbal, Fiscal Analytics
The top issues discussed included: the Commonwealth’s business climate, local business taxes, other local tax and revenue, state funding levels and aid to locality reductions.
Administration of Government, Public Safety and Telecommunications Steering Committee
The top issues discussed included: Sovereign Immunity, Unfunded Mandates, Internet availability, Freedom of Information and electronic meetings, Eminent Domain.
Community Development and Planning Steering Committee
The top issues discussed included: Retain local land use authority, devolution, urban development areas.
Education Steering Committee Speakers: Laura Fornash, Secretary of Education-overview ofcooperative extension program;
Jim Regimbal, Fiscal Analytics
The top issues discussed included: overview of cooperative extension program, a fiscal outlook of state education funding and a look at potential legislation allowing schools to carryover funds from one fiscal year to the next.
Health and Human Resources Steering Committee
Speakers: Susan Clare, Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) Director;
Alan Saunders, Office of Comprehensive Services
The top issues discussed included: Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) outlook and current initiatives and information was tendered by the committee members on a Secretarial study looking at transferring CSA payment system to the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS).
Environment and Agriculture Steering Committee
Speaker: David Johnson, Director, Department of Conservation and Recreation
The top issues discussed included: new stormwater regulations and Chesapeake Bay TMDL.
Transportation Steering CommitteeSpeaker: Michael Estes, Director, Local Assistance Division, VDOT
The top issues discussed included: "Devolution" (Shift to counties of responsibility for managing secondary roads) and VDOT road paving program.
The committees will be finalizing a draft legislative platform in the coming months with final resolution of the VACo 2012 Legislative Platform in November.
This legislative summary details the actions of the 2011 General Assembly and provides information on legislation of interest to counties. This year’s online edition contains links to the General Assembly’s Legislative Information System so that the reader can check the specific working of the bills. Included in the document is a summary of amendments to the 2010-2012 biennial budget made by the 2011 Assembly and lists of studies, resolutions and failed legislation of importance to counties.
POSTED April 7
Capitol Contact--2011 General Assembly (reconvened session) closes with mixed action on governor’s amendments
POSTED April 4
Capitol Contact--Reconvened session to focus on governor’s amendments
