Healthy Virginia Counties Webinar
GO VA Committed to Coordination and Regional Progress
The Virginia Growth and Opportunity (GO VA) Board met to approve new capital requests, evaluate proposed regional budgets, and strategize to grow the Board focus areas of site readiness and the start-up ecosystem. Voting to approve Board leadership for the coming year, the Board selected John O. “Dubby” Wynne as Chair and Ben J. Davenport […]
Discussions at the Region 5 Meeting focus on a plethora of issues
County leaders engaged in a robust conversation about issues ranging from agriculture to broadband to staffing volunteer fire departments to teacher shortages at the Region 5 Meeting in Albemarle County. Senator Mark Peake also attended the meeting on June 24 and spoke about several issues of interest to him – water treatment legislation, state assistance […]
Comments on Draft Annexation Study due September 3
The Virginia Commission on Local Government (CLG) is taking public comments on a draft Report on Annexation Alternatives. During the 2016 General Assembly session, the existing moratorium for city-initiated annexation and county declarations of immunity from annexation was extended until 2024. In extending the moratorium the legislature also directed CLG to study annexations and provide […]
State General Fund Revenues Continue Growth in May
Governor Ralph Northam announced last week that state General Fund (GF) revenues grew by 1.4 percent in May relative to the same period last year, and revenues continue to outpace the annual forecast on a fiscal year-to-date basis. Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne’s revenue report notes that individual income tax withholding, a mainstay of GF […]
County helps teach farming 101
Story written by Mary Ann Barton | NACo Senior Staff Writer and reprinted with permission from NACo Heading west about an hour or so outside of Washington, D.C., you’ll find green rolling hills, horses grazing in pastures and low walls made of weathered stone in Fauquier County. You’ll also find city slickers new to the […]
The Budget Impasse Ends
After lengthy floor discussion, the Senate passed FY 2018 “caboose” and 2018-2020 biennium budgets in the early evening of May 30. The House subsequently voted to accept the Senate’s amendments, which eliminated the need for a conference committee. The budget bills are now before the Governor, who indicated in a statement that he would be […]
The VACo County Pulse Podcast
Guests share the legislative pulse of Virginia Counties with host Dean Lynch. Click on the link below to listen to our first episode. Thank you for listening to the County Pulse Podcast.
2018 Presidential Initiative: June Focus – Nutrition
This month we will be exploring nutrition as a major building block of health. Having enough to eat is clearly a major factor in overall well-being, and we all know the importance of eating a balanced diet with plenty of nourishing elements, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, too many of our neighbors in […]
The Intersection of Teacher Shortage and Equity
The State Board of Education’s Committee on Evidence-Based Policymaking met during the Special Session to discuss trends in teacher quality data, challenges in recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, and how divisions are incorporating best practices in equity in schools. Last year, Governor McAuliffe signed Executive Directive 14 to address Virginia’s growing teacher shortage, reaching […]
Visit Dinwiddie County and the Robert and Betty Ragsdale Community Center
In May 2007, the family of the late Robert and Betty Ragsdale graciously donated the old sewing factory in McKenney, VA, to the Dinwiddie County Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. The family’s wish was to see the building revitalized for the purpose of serving the community. After several years of strategic planning, a ground-breaking ceremony […]
VACo Regional Meetings
VACo is excited to start the 2018 Regional Meetings season. We visited Westmoreland County on May 22 and Dinwiddie County on May 30. We will travel to Albemarle County on June 14 for the Region 5 Meeting. Regional Meetings are held annually to give local elected officials, county administrators, and legislators an opportunity to discuss […]
First Lady Northam and Mayor Stoney Host Call on Summer Food Service Program
First Lady of Virginia Pamela Northam and City of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney kicked off Memorial Day weekend with a discussion of the ways local elected officials can get involved in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This program works to ensure that children receive meals during the summer months, when many children who otherwise […]
10th Anniversary of Go Green Virginia Challenge
By Denise Nelson | The Berkley Group The 2018 Go Green Virginia Challenge applications open with special significance this year: it’s the 10th anniversary of this home grown program to promote environmental stewardship among local governments. Early on, VACo partnered with the Virginia Municipal League (VML), which created the program in 2007 to encourage implementation […]
LEAD VIRGINIA ANNOUNCES 2018 CLASS MEMBERS
Lead Virginia, the statewide leadership program now entering its fourteenth year of educating Virginia’s leaders about the issues most relevant to the Commonwealth, has announced its 2018 class members. VACo’s Director of Government Affairs Katie Boyle (second row, third from the left) is a member of the 2018 class. The 55 class participants are senior-level executives […]
VACo Regions 1 & 4 Meeting brings local leaders from Accomack County to Charlotte County for robust discussions
VACo traveled to Dinwiddie County on May 30 for its second 2018 Regional Meeting. Around 60 local government leaders from 11 counties attended the joint meeting of VACo Regions 1 & 4. Also in attendance were representatives from VACo Sponsors: the Berkley Group, VACORP, VACo/VML Finance, and NORESCO. The meeting was held at the beautiful […]