State Air Pollution Control Board Approves Draft Rule to Cut CO2 Emissions
On Thursday, November 16, 2017, the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board unanimously approved draft rules to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and to link Virginia to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon trading network. The draft regulations came after over a year of hearings and study prompted by Governor McAuliffe’s Executive […]
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Board Sets FY 2019-2020 Contribution Rates for Political Subdivisions
On November 16, the VRS Board of Trustees received reports by its actuaries on the valuation of pension plans for political subdivisions, the Health Insurance Credit for political subdivisions, the Virginia Local Disability Program, and the Line of Duty Act (LODA) Fund. Overall, VRS’s actuaries reported that the funded status of pension plans improved for […]
State General Fund Revenues Up in October
Governor McAuliffe announced on November 14 that state General Fund (GF) revenues continued to deliver a strong performance in October, growing by 7.7 percent. On a fiscal year-to-date basis, total revenue collections are up 4.9 percent, running well ahead of the annual forecast of 2.7 percent growth. Secretary of Finance Ric Brown’s memorandum notes that […]
State revenue projections expected to cover major expenses with little to spare for other high priorities
Last week the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees held their annual retreats in preparation for the 2018 legislative session. Amid cautions about Federal spending and uncertainty on how long the current economic recovery will continue, both bodies received positive news about available revenues for the current fiscal year (FY 2018) and the upcoming biennial […]
Financial Facts
The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) issued technical bulletins related to accounting for intragovernmental transactions and assigning assets to component reporting entities. In Technical Bulletin 2017-1, Intragovernmental Exchange Transactions , FASAB provides guidance to help federal reporting entities determine whether intragovernmental arrangements are exchange transactions. Technical Bulletin 2017-2, Assigning Assets to Component Reporting Entities, […]
NACo Releases Analysis of House and Senate Tax Reform Proposals
Major areas of importance to counties are under discussion as Congress continues deliberations on tax reform, including the deductibility of state and local taxes and the tax-exempt status of private activity bonds and advance refunding bonds. The House has passed HR 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and the Senate Finance Committee completed its […]
Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA)
Dear VACo Members – LUCA registration packets were sent to the highest elected officials in Virginia in late July. A reminder was sent last month, and the deadline to register is December 15, 2017. You can find an interactive map of which cities, towns, counties, and tribal areas have registered in the state at the following link: […]
Congratulations on Wise County being awarded a State & Local Leadership Award and Innovation Center of Excellence
Ten winners were announced on November 15 in a ceremony in Charlotte, NC, during the National League of Cities’ annual City Summit at the Mint Museum. One of the Commonwealth’s very own, Wise County, was recognized as the best in the category of State and Local Leadership! Congratulations, Jack Kennedy, in your efforts in having your […]
VACo Recognizes Winners of Go Green Program
RICHMOND (November 15, 2017)—The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Go Green Awards, a program designed to encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that reduce emissions, and save local governments money. The winning counties are: Albemarle County Arlington County Chesterfield County Henrico County James […]
VACo Recognizes Graduates of the Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program
RICHMOND (November 15, 2017)—The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) and the Virginia Cooperative Extension recognized the 12th graduating class of the Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program on November 14 during VACo’s 83rd Annual Conference in Bath County. The Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program is a partnership between the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech and VACo […]
Sherrin C. Alsop Elected VACo President for 2017-2018
RICHMOND (November 15, 2017)—The membership of the Virginia Association of Counties elected King and Queen County Supervisor Sherrin C. Alsop as 2017-2018 President during VACo’s 83rd Annual Conference in Bath County. Alsop and other newly elected officers started their terms at VACo’s Annual Business Meeting on November 14. Alsop succeeds Montgomery County Supervisor Mary W. […]
83rd Annual Conference to feature discussion on Virginia’s election
What will the upcoming elections mean to the Commonwealth and her Counties? Join the discussion with Dr. Bob Holsworth (pictured), Managing Partner of DecideSmart, at the VACo 83rd Annual Conference. Dr. Holsworth will analyze the election of the new Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. He will also examine the results of the 100 Delegate […]
Visit Bedford County and the LOVEworks Sign
Located at the Bedford Welcome Center, the LOVEworks letters were designed by students from Liberty High School and Bedford Science And Technology Center to highlight some of the area’s many tourism attractions, including Smith Mountain Lake, the Peaks of Otter, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Poplar Forest, orchards, wineries and the National D-Day Memorial. Visitors are […]
Leaders meet at the Governor’s Local Government Policy Council
Representatives from VACo, the Virginia Municipal League, and Virginia First Cities met with Governor McAuliffe, members of his Cabinet, and members of his staff on October 31 to discuss critical issues of importance to local government and receive updates on the Administration’s initiatives. Governor McAuliffe reflected on the Administration’s economic development work, detailing Virginia’s rise […]
Revive RVA Regional Summit Seeks Solutions to Opioid Epidemic
More than nine hundred people attended “Revive RVA,” on October 26, a regional summit organized by Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover Counties and the City of Richmond to share information about the problem of opioid abuse in the region and discuss ways to improve the community’s response. In welcoming remarks to attendees, Henrico County Chair Patricia […]
Annual Conference Update
FROM THE OMNI HOMESTEAD Valued Homestead guest, We look forward to welcoming you back to The Homestead for the annual VACo conference! To ensure a smooth and efficient arrival and departure for you, we would like to confirm a few details of your reservation. Cancellations and changes need to be made prior to November […]