VACo continues to raise concerns on HB 1263 (Tran) / SB 378 (Surovell), legislation which would curtail local authority and create substantial local fiscal impact by imposing mandatory collective bargaining for local governments if a group employees petition and vote to form a bargaining unit. This would be administered by the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) with powers of enforcement, including binding arbitration. These bills are likely headed to a committee of conference and then to Governor Spanberger’s desk.
VACo President and Prince William County Supervisor, Victor Angry, recently authored an opinion piece published in Cardinal News titled “Let Local Governments Lead on Collective Bargaining.” In the column, Supervisor Angry highlights how Prince William County has already implemented collective bargaining through a locally designed framework, demonstrating that counties are capable of working collaboratively with employees while maintaining accountability to local taxpayers. The op-ed underscores a key point raised by counties across the Commonwealth: Virginia’s current law already allows local governments to adopt collective bargaining if they choose. Several localities have done so in ways that reflect their workforce needs, fiscal capacity, and community priorities.
As previously reported, a statewide one-size-fits-all mandate, however, risks overriding locally tailored approaches and imposing structures that may not work for every community, particularly rural and smaller counties with fewer fiscal options.
Building on those concerns, VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch sent a letter to Governor Abigail Spanberger on March 9 outlining the potential impacts of the legislation on counties across the Commonwealth.
The letter notes that the bills would replace Virginia’s locally driven system with a state-administered framework overseen by PERB, raising several concerns for counties, including:
- Expanded PERB authority over local labor relations without dedicated local government representation
- Authority for PERB to seek judicial enforcement of its rulings, exposing counties to litigation risk
- Binding arbitration provisions that could impose compensation, staffing, or benefit obligations regardless of local fiscal constraints
- Unpredictable fiscal impacts for counties required to maintain balanced budgets while funding core services
- Potential disruption of locally negotiated agreements and workforce policies already in place
The letter also notes that Virginia counties vary widely in population, workforce structure, and economic capacity, reinforcing the importance of preserving local decision-making authority over workforce policy.
VACo encourages county officials to share their perspectives directly with the Governor’s policy team, particularly regarding potential fiscal and operational impacts on your locality.
Governor’s Policy Team Contacts
- Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman
Chief of Staff to Governor Abigail Spanberger
Krenz-Schnurman@governor.virginia.gov - Gerica Goodman
Legislative Director
goodman@governor.virginia.gov - Rebecca Eichmann
Policy Director
eichmann@governor.virginia.gov
When you do reach out to the Governor’s policy team, please include VACo in any correspondence. VACo will continue to keep counties informed as the legislation progresses and the administration reviews the legislation and considers next steps.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett