VACo supports pilot program to facilitate development of regional business parks
HB 1840 (Marshall) directs the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to conduct a pilot program in the APCo and Dominion service territories to allow each electric utility to construct transmission lines and associated substations to serve regional business parks. Qualifying projects must meet the following requirements: The business park must be at least 100 acres […]
Children’s Services Act legislation fails in House Appropriations; JLARC to take up issue later this year
The two bills related to private special education day placements remaining under consideration after “crossover” failed to survive hearings in subcommittees of House Appropriations last week. SB 1104 (Peake), as passed by the Senate, would have allowed the current, capped allocation for special education “wraparound” services to be used for services within the public school […]
Changes to optional process for approving child day care in residential neighborhoods passes
Under current law a locality may by ordinance allow a zoning administrator to use an administrative process to issue zoning permits for a “family day home” accommodating 5 to 12 children under the age of 13. SB 1094 (Favola) and HB 2569 (LaRock) modify this provision in state code (see 15.2-2292) in two ways. First, […]
Limited additional taxing authority to Halifax County for school construction bill continues to advance
HB 1634 (Edmunds) originally authorized all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate as determined by the governing body, if initiated by a resolution of the local governing body and approved by the voters at a referendum. Revenue from the tax would be used solely for capital […]
Alcohol reform bills head to Governor’s desk
Pending a final signature from the Governor, Virginia is poised to hop back off the wagon. Two bills authorizing the sale of mixed beverages by licensed restaurants and the sale of alcoholic beverages in any county, town, or supervisor’s election district have passed the House and Senate and now await action from the Governor. SB […]
Rural stormwater bill dries up in subcommittee
Senator Emmett Hanger’s rural stormwater bill met an untimely demise on February 18 as it failed to advance from the formidable House Appropriations Committee. SB 1328 (Hanger) authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to designate a portion (up to 20 percent) of Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) grants to smaller, rural localities that are […]
VACo County Pulse Podcast | 2019 General Assembly Edition | Part 4
Welcome to the County Pulse. Host Chris McDonald talks with VACo General Counsel Phyllis Errico and VACo Lobbyist Jeremy Bennett about a variety of issues, including agritourism, school modernization, school safety, FOIA, COIA and much more. Listen to the Podcast. VACo Contact: Chris McDonald, Esq.
Capitol Contact ALERT – Contact Budget Conferees on Machinery and Tools Tax Language
Proposed language in the Senate budget is problematic and could put machinery and tools tax revenue in jeopardy. Item 255 #1s directs the Secretary of Finance to convene a workgroup of stakeholders to develop a proposal to eliminate machinery and tools taxes on new equipment for its first five years, and reimburse localities for up […]
Bill to Rewrite Local Ordinance Regulating Airbnb Fails
SB 1701 (Ebbin) would have mandated that Fairfax County triple the number of nights per year (from 60 to 180) that residential dwellings be allowed “by right” to provide short-term rentals typically facilitated through online platforms such as Airbnb, FlipKey, and HomeAway. After passing the Senate, SB 1701 was defeated in House Counties, Cities and […]
Home instruction JROTC bill defeated
VACo opposed SB 1275 (Black), which requires any local school board that offers a Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program to make it available to any student residing in the local school division receiving home instruction. The bill is problematic in that it prohibits the local school board from requiring any such student to […]
Understanding the impact of Virginia Tax Reform (HB 2529, SB 1372) in response to the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
On Monday, February 11, the Virginia General Assembly enacted state tax reform in response to impacts from the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). The new state tax law returns (or intends to return) individual income tax revenue resulting from enactment of the TCJA back to taxpayers. With a couple of relatively […]
Constitutional amendments on redistricting, car tax exemption likely headed to conference
HJ 676 (Filler-Corn), as passed by the House, provides for a local option to exempt from personal property taxes one motor vehicle belonging to a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability. As introduced, the resolution would have required this exemption. VACo objected to expanding mandatory property tax relief to another type […]
Troublesome FOIA bill amended in subcommittee
SB 1554 (Surovell) was heard in a House General Laws subcommittee this week and was substantially amended for the better. This bill as introduced provides that if a court finds that any officer, employee, or member of a public body failed to provide public records to a requester in accordance with the provisions of FOIA […]
Online check registry bill bounces
VACo opposed SB 1262 (Sturtevant), a proposal that would require every locality with a population greater than 25,000, and every school division with greater than 5,000 students, to post on its website a register of all transactions. The measure failed to pass in the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee’s Subcommittee #2 on February 12 […]
Bills mandating Freedom of Information Act training for local elected officials receives helpful amendments in subcommittee
SB 1431 (Obenshain) as introduced mandates FOIA training for local elected officials by December 31, 2019, and thereafter biennially. The training would be given by the FOIA Council Staff and records of the training must be maintained by the clerk for five years. Currently, local government records officers are the only local government folks required […]
Rural stormwater bill heads to House Appropriations
Senator Emmett Hanger’s rural stormwater bill reported out of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee on February 13 and was rereferred to the House Appropriations Committee. SB 1328 (Hanger) authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to provide Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) grants to smaller, rural localities that are not regulated under […]