Work Underway to Address State Hospital Overcrowding
High census levels at the state hospitals serving individuals with mental illness have been a growing concern for General Assembly members and the Administration in recent years. Since 2014, when legislation was enacted requiring state hospitals to serve as the “bed of last resort” for individuals subject to a temporary detention order (TDO), state hospitals […]
Nominations sought for VACo Jefferson Cup
VACo seeks nominations for this year’s Jefferson Cup Award to be presented at the November 10-12 Annual Conference. Please submit nominations to Dean Lynch at dlynch@vaco.org. Click here for a list of Jefferson Cup recipients. Below is a brief history of the Jefferson Cup as well as criteria for award recipients. On October 25, 1964 […]
Financial Facts
GASB has issued a proposed implementation guide to help state and local governments understand the board’s new standard on lease accounting. GASB Statement No. 87, Leases, was issued in June 2017 and takes effect for reporting periods beginning after Dec. 15, 2019. The proposed implementation guide (tinyurl.com/y46lf4vw) contains questions and answers intended to clarify, explain […]
Chesapeake Bay WIP III Webinars
The Northam Administration and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be hosting two webinars on May 13, 2019, to share information about the draft Chesapeake Bay Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP). The webinar will provide an overview of the plan and provide information about the comment submittal process. During the webinar, the public is […]
Managing Fill Dirt and Debris Disposal in Rural Areas Workshop
As construction picks up in the region, many of our localities are struggling with fill dirt and inert debris dump sites popping up in rural areas. These problematic sites come in many forms, but some have caused significant problems because they are well in excess of the stated agricultural purpose and are impacting adjacent landowners […]
VACo’s Regional Meeting season has officially begun with our first meeting now on the books!
On April 23, VACo traveled to York County, which graciously served as the host for the Region 2 Meeting. County officials gathered at the beautiful Freight Shed building in the heart of historic Yorktown, and were greeted with warm breezes, a glorious view of the waterfront, and the company of their colleagues from around the […]
Rural Caucus: Youth and the Gift of Work
It’s no secret that human beings crave purpose and meaning, and that we thrive when given responsibility. It’s also true that, for the majority of us, we fulfill these needs through the gift of work. The lawyer, the stay-at-home parent, the construction worker, and everyone in between illustrate the dignity and purpose found in our […]
VACo Releases 2019 Legislative Summary
The Legislative Summary details the actions of the 2019 General Assembly and provides information on legislation of interest to counties. This edition contains links to bills through the General Assembly’s Legislative Information System. Also included in the document is an in-depth budget analysis. 2019 Legislative Summary VACo Contact: VACo Legislative Team
VACo County Pulse Podcast | Loudoun County Preps for the 2020 Census
Welcome to the County Pulse. In this episode, Host Joe Lerch speaks with Gwen Kennedy, Loudoun County’s Legislative Liaison, about what the Northern Virginia locality is doing to prepare for the 2020 Census approaches. This episode is sponsored by Enterprise Fleet Management – the No. 1 leasing solution for County fleets. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST […]
Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
On March 21, the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) held a public hearing on proposed regulations governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. This occurred as several, high-profile uses of the practice were reported in the media. The Board heard from parents, students, and education associations on the use […]
Visit Prince William County and Leesylvania State Park
General Information Leesylvania is nestled along the tidal shores of the historic Potomac River. Native Americans lived on this land for thousands of years. Capt. John Smith visited the area in 1608 on his voyage of discovery. It’s also the ancestral home of Virginia’s legendary Lee and Fairfax families. Listed on the National Register of […]
VACo Premier Partner Spotlight Podcast – Avaya
LINK TO THE AVAYA PODCAST Host Dean Lynch speaks with Avaya Executive Account Managers Rick McDonald and Rob Kurtz. The trio talk about how Avaya’s innovations and technologies can help Virginia Counties with their NextGen 911 needs as well as setting up a 311 Center. Avaya can assist Counties without removing existing infrastructures.
State General Fund Revenues Drop in March; Last Quarter Key to Meeting Forecast
Late last week Governor Northam announced that state General Fund (GF) revenues fell 1.4 percent in March, a result that was not unexpected, given the delay in processing income tax refunds in February. Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne had explained when transmitting February revenue numbers, which reflected a large increase that month, that the Department […]
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Proposed Overtime Rule
On March 7, 2019 DOL released a notice of proposed rulemaking to raise the salary level at which employees must be paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week. This has the potential to impact Counties as employers of 3.6 million people and service providers to 314 million residents nationwide. The public […]
USDA to provide $600 million to expand access to the internet – deadline to apply for first round of grants is May 31
Last year the U.S. Congress approved $600 million in appropriations to expand broadband infrastructure in rural areas. The ReConnect Loan and Grant Program has announced that it will begin accepting the first round of online applications starting April 23, 2019. USDA is making available up to $200 million in grants, $200 million in loan and […]
VACo’s Virginia County Supervisors Manual wins 2019 LGA Special Project Award
The LGA Special Projects Award recognizes attorneys who have contributed to an LGA project or other project of particular importance to LGA or local government generally. Its purpose is to encourage greater service to LGA or local government and to honor members whose projects have proven to be especially effective and successful. For Spring 2019, […]