VACo held its eighth Regional Meeting of the year on August 20 in Prince William County. Counties across VACo Region 8, as well as elected state and federal officials from around the region, were invited to participate in the discussion.
VACo President Ruth Larson opened the meeting by presenting Catherine “Smitty” Smith, wife of the late Congressman Gerry Connolly, with a memorial resolution adopted by the VACo Board of Directors the previous week. The resolution celebrated Congressman Connolly’s life of service and advocacy for county governments.
VACo was pleased to be joined by many legislators, including Delegate Vivian Watts, Delegate Kathy Tran, Senator Jennifer Boysko and Senator Dave Marsden, as well as representatives from the offices of Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Eugene Vindman, Senator Scott Surovell, Senator Jeremy McPike, Senator Saddam Salim, and Delegate Mark Sickles. Delegate Watts began by discussing tax reform and the potential opportunities to meet the needs of the Commonwealth through a modernized tax structure, Delegate Tran discussed how supporting Medicaid is a top priority for her and her office for the upcoming General Assembly session. Senators Marsden and Boysko discussed how the relationship between the Commonwealth and localities is changing in light of changes at the federal level and how we may need regionalism more than ever.
During County Talk, the section of the meeting where county leaders outline the top legislative issues affecting their county, a robust discussion was held with many counties sharing common issues. County leaders in the region discussed the importance of establishing sustainable and dedicated funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), as this is an economic engine for not only Northern Virginia but for the entire Commonwealth. Affordable housing was another issue discussed at length. Leaders in Region 8 stated they would like to see the General Assembly use a “carrot” approach to encourage and incentivize more affordable housing development while making the point that localities should continue to retain their land use authority. Like affordable housing, counties in the region expressed their continued support for local land use authority as it pertains to data centers as well as utility scale solar development as well. Lastly, several county representatives expressed concern following the impact of the passage of the reconciliation bill and other spending cuts at the federal level and if these actions will impact the northern Virginia workforce or put a burden on counties to administer or fund federal programs.
Eryn Hurley, Managing Director of Government Affairs and NACo’s Federal Fellowship Initiative, provided an update on federal issues, including implementation of the federal reconciliation bill, the status of FY 2026 federal appropriations, and several recent executive orders.
VACo is grateful to the members, legislators and staff, and business partners who participated in the meeting, and extends its appreciation to Prince William County and to staff at the Potomac Science Center for hosting us!
VACo Contact: James Hutzler