Author: Gage Harter

Preliminary Figures for FY 2019 State General Fund Collections Indicate Revenue Surplus

Governor Northam announced late last week that the state appears to have concluded FY 2019 with a General Fund revenue surplus of approximately $778 million. The additional revenues are largely attributable to growth in nonwithholding income tax collections, which increased by 14.5 percent. In contrast, revenues from payroll withholding – traditionally the mainstay of the […]

Deadline for public notice to apply for state broadband grants August 6: Deadline to apply September 3

The Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) has announced that $19 million in grants in FY 2020 will be made available to local governments (includes towns, cities, counties, economic and industrial development authorities, broadband or wireless authorities, planning district commissions, etc.) to extend broadband service to currently unserved areas. To be eligible the local government must include […]

VACo Workshop Series takes on utility-scale solar

It didn’t take long for a spontaneous conversation to erupt among the nearly 70 attendees of the VACo Utility-Scale Solar Seminar on June 27. After all, the topic was solar and there were plenty of questions and an abundance of knowledge in the room. VACo’s Joe Lerch kicked off the meeting in Dinwiddie County with […]

Mental Health Commission Considers JLARC Reports on CSB Funding, STEP-VA Implementation

At its July 1 meeting, the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century received briefings from Jeff Lunardi, who leads the new health and human resources unit at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), on funding for Community Services Boards (CSBs) and the implementation of STEP-VA. […]

CSA Private Day Placement Rate Study Enters Final Phases

The consultants who are conducting a study of rates paid for private special education day placements funded through the Children’s Services Act held a series of meetings with stakeholders in June to solicit feedback in advance of finalizing the report’s recommendations. VACo staff attended the meeting held on June 20 in Richmond, which was also […]

Visit Appomattox County and the Lafayette Meeks Grave

This is the grave of Lafayette Meeks, a village resident who entered service with the 2nd Virginia Cavalry in the spring of 1861. Several months later, at the age of 19, he died of typhoid, having never seen battle. Like two-thirds of all American Civil War deaths, he died of a disease, not a gunshot […]

New Conflicts of Interests training requirement for local elected officials

As of July 1, 2019, all local elected officials (including constitutional officers) are required to complete training on the Conflict of Interests Act once every two years. This training is provided by the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council and is now available on the Council’s website: http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/. The online training consists of a […]

Discussion on broadband expansion highlights Region 7 Meeting

VACo breached the halfway mark of its 2019 Regional Meeting schedule by traveling to picturesque Orange County on June 13. County officials, VACo partners, VACo staff, and many more gathered at James Madison’s Montpelier, the beautifully restored historic home of the Father of the United States Constitution, co-author of the Federalist Papers, and fourth President […]

Utility-Scale Solar Seminar

It didn’t take long for a spontaneous conversation to erupt among the nearly 70 attendees of the VACo Utility-Scale Solar Seminar on June 27. After all, the topic was solar and there were plenty of questions and an abundance of knowledge in the room. VACo’s Joe Lerch kicked off the meeting in Dinwiddie County with […]

VACo County Pulse Podcast | A Breath of Fresh Air: Life in Rural Virginia

Welcome to the County Pulse. In this episode – we meet the recently appointed Chair of the VACo Rural Caucus: Grayson County Administrator Bill Shepley. Bill talks to host Angela Inglett about his love for Rural Virginia, his vision for the Caucus, and his excitement about the opportunities facing rural communities. Listen to the Podcast

Rural Caucus: The Rural Arts

What comes to mind when you read the words, “Economic Development?”  The term often conjures a specific connotation in our minds, and we may begin to think of a new box store opening up in town or of a distribution center settling nearby.  Of course, those investments are great opportunities for our communities, but what […]

JLARC Examines CSB Funding, STEP-VA Implementation

As part of its enhanced role in evaluating health and human resources programs, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) received two reports on June 17, both dealing with aspects of the state’s publicly-funded behavioral health system. JLARC staff reported on the implementation to date of the System Transformation, Excellence and Performance (STEP-VA) initiative, […]

Two Studies of Tax Appeals Underway

Two studies of appeals of local taxes are under consideration this summer, both directed by study resolutions enacted by the General Assembly. Appeals of businesses’ real and tangible personal property assessments HJ 98 (Byron), which was passed by the General Assembly in 2018, directs the Department of Taxation to review the appeals process for businesses […]

James P. Crozier

Orange County Vice Chairman Q1. You were a firefighter for 30 years before serving on the Board of Supervisors.  What do you think are the most pressing issues in public safety at the local level? Jim Crozier: I believe managing expenses while providing a highly trained fire & rescue workforce is without a doubt number […]