Tree preservation legislation passes Senate with amendments, heads back to House for final vote
HB 520 (Bulova) has successfully passed the full Senate by a vote of 33-3 and will now head back across the hall to the House of Delegates for a final vote. HB 520 directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purpose of studying the planting or preservation of […]
Local government urban fertilizer bill heads to the Governor’s desk
Senator Monty Mason’s bill pertaining to local government urban fertilizer programs successfully passed the full House of Delegates on Monday morning by a 63-36 vote and will now head to the Governor’s desk for evaluation and signing. SB 849 (Mason) authorizes local governments to enter into agreements with the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture […]
Mandate to provide prepaid postage with absentee ballots amended in Senate committee
HB 220 (Krizek) would require absentee ballots to be sent to voters with postage prepaid. Given the expected increase in absentee voting by mail in future elections with the elimination of the requirement that voters provide an excuse to vote absentee, this requirement could potentially impose significant costs on localities, in addition to the costs […]
Bill to cap liens for unpaid water and sewer bills is amended to only apply to residential property
SB 826 (McDougle) proposes a dollar limit on the lien a locality may place on real estate for unpaid water and sewer bills of tenants or lessees. Under current law such lien may be “up to three months of delinquent water and sewer charges.” The bill proposes to cap that amount at $300. After passing […]
Key Elements of House Appropriations and Senate Finance Budgets
The House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee reported their respective budgets on Sunday, February 16. The full text of the budget amendments was made available on Tuesday, February 18, and the full House and Senate debated and voted on the proposed budgets on Thursday, February 20. The next steps in the […]
Unfunded Mandate for Public Defender Salaries Defeated for the Year
A problematic bill that mandated local governments supplement public defenders’ salaries was defeated in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday night. HB 869 (Bourne) requires that the governing body of any County or City that supplements the compensation of the Attorney for the Commonwealth, or any of their deputies or employees, above the salary of any […]
Virginia Board of Education Standards of Quality bills
The fate of several bills codifying changes to the Standards of Quality (SOQ) prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) remains uncertain. HB 1316 (Aird)/ SB 728 (McClellan) would codify several changes to SOQ prescribed in VBOE’s biannual revisions from November 2019. As previously reported, these recommendations are mandated by the Constitution of Virginia, […]
Local government urban fertilizer bill heads to Senate floor
Senator Monty Mason’s bill about local government urban fertilizer programs reported out of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning by a 17-5 vote. SB 849 (Mason) authorizes local governments to enter into agreements with the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to provide oversight and […]
Bill mandating localities develop plans for Transit-Oriented Development is amended to make it optional
HB 585 (Guzman), which requires localities to adopt Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) plans was amended in the Senate Local Government Committee by making it optional. Specifically, the committee replaced the mandate that localities incorporate TOD strategies within comprehensive plans with “shall consider incorporating” within comprehensive plans. The bill was also amended earlier in the legislative session […]
PSAP dispatcher bills advance
HB 727 (Hope) / SB 720 (McClellan) mandate that all 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) provide training and equipment to every dispatcher in Telecommunicator Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Instruction (TCPR) as well as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) by January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2024, respectively. As previously reported, although not opposed to the intent of […]
Legislation changing required credentials for local health directors to be studied
SB 993 (Locke) would expand the possible credentials that the State Health Commissioner and local health directors could possess in order to be eligible to serve in these roles. Currently, the Commissioner and local health directors must be licensed physicians; the bill would allow a local health director to be a licensed physician or hold […]
Tree preservation bill takes root in Senate
Having already passed the full House of Delegates, HB 520 (Bulova) has successfully cleared its first hurdle in the Senate, reporting out of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee by a 13-2 vote on February 18. HB 520 directs the Department of Environmental Quality to convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purpose […]
VACo’s Chairpersons’ Institute brings together Board Chairs and Vice Chairs
There was plenty of energy and engagement in the exchange of real-world experiences, success stories and questions when 22 County Board Chairs, Vice Chairs and Supervisors attended VACo’s Chairpersons’ Institute on February 7-8. Attendees came from all over – spanning 10 of the 13 VACo Regions. The Chairpersons’ Institute was presented by current and past […]
Visit Highland County and Find Your Sweet Spot
Did you know Highland County is famous for maple syrup? They have a maple festival every year. Check out “Find Your Sweet Spot” from Highland County on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/119788136 Highland County – What a Sweet Spot! Many people know about Highland because of our famous maple syrup. On the second and third weekends of March, we celebrate […]
Meet VACo Associate Member – SHI International Corp.
OMNIA Partners New Cooperative Contracts Available
New Cooperative Contracts Available OMNIA Partners is excited to announce these new competitively-solicited contracts providing access to even more powerful opportunities to better manage your spend and resources. Take advantage of these contracts or contact your Regional Manager for more information. READ MORE New Cooperative Contract Available Mythics New Award Announcement – Region 4 Education […]