Charter School Constitutional Amendments Introduced
HJ 629 (Bell, R.B.) and SJ 240 (Obenshain) would allow the state Board of Education to establish charter schools, subject to criteria and conditions that the General Assembly would prescribe. Currently this power rests with local school boards. VACo has historically opposed such measures because they would allow a state body to make decisions that […]
Constitutional Amendments of Interest to Localities Introduced
In addition to two measures regarding charter schools (discussed in a separate article), a number of constitutional amendments of interest to localities have been introduced. Prior to being placed before the voters in a statewide referendum, constitutional amendments must pass twice in identical form, once before a House of Delegates election and once afterwards. The […]
Proposed New Mandate on Landfills
HB 1600 (Fariss) requires any active sanitary landfill that receives more than 100,000 tons of solid waste per year and is located within one-half mile of any residence or residentially zoned property to install a landfill gas collection and control system by July 1, 2019. The bill has been referred to the House Agriculture, Chesapeake […]
Freedom of Information Act Omnibus Bills and other FOIA Legislation
The Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council completed its three-year study of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). During the study, every record and open meeting exemption of the act was examined and vetted, resulting in two Omnibus bills submitted by FOIA Council Chair Delegate James LeMunyon. The changes are numerous but the ones […]
Capitol Contact ALERT – Contact your Legislators NOW to oppose BPOL bill
Costly SB 836 in Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday SB 836 (Chase) would require localities to base the Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax on the Virginia taxable income of a business instead of the current law that gives a locality the option to impose the tax upon gross receipts or Virginia taxable income. […]
VACo Weekly Legislative Wrap
For the week ending January 13
VACo opposes bill to curb local authority for the provision of broadband services
A legislative proposal by the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association (VCTA) would impose an additional set of significant requirements (beyond those currently required by law) and burdensome limitations for a locality or municipal authority to bring broadband to unserved areas, particularly in rural parts of the state. Many VACo members have invested time, resources, and expense […]
Bills establish trade secret status for ‘fracking’ chemicals
By a 4-3 vote, the House General Laws Subcommittee #2 recommended the reporting of HB 1678 (Robinson), a measure that provides “trade secret” status for chemicals that might be used in the process of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. VACo testified against the bill because of it would prevent full disclosure of all chemicals and chemical […]
2017 GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENES; Look for Capitol Contact on Tuesdays and Thursdays
The 2017 General Assembly session will span from January 11 to February 25, and legislators will deliberate on many issues critical to local government, including tax, state budget, education funding, pension funding and other public policy matters. VACo will continually provide updates during the session through Capitol Contact. To ensure that you are receiving Capitol […]
Finance Forum sheds light on fiscal outlook for General Assembly Session
By Emily Branch | VACo Intern On January 4, VACo and VML cosponsored the 2017 Finance Forum, which provided insight from speakers with diverse expertise on the fiscal issues pressing localities in light of Governor Terry McAuliffe’s budget proposal and the coming General Assembly Session. Click on name to view video of speaker presentation Betsey […]
February is full of VACo Education and Legislative events
Make sure to check out all VACo Education on our website or on the Education & Meetings webpage. Every year, VACo and Virginia Rural Center host the Rural Caucus Reception and Dinner where rural counties gather to discuss issues and to make connections across the region. Join us at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1 […]
We’re gearing up! Look for your invitation to join us on FlagPoll!
The General Assembly will start next week, and VACo has been busy preparing for the upcoming session. We invite you to join the legislative process by signing up for FlagPoll. Your invitation will be emailed on Friday, January 6. Signing up is quick and easy. You can even use your Facebook or Google account once […]
Financial Facts
The IRS announced that the standard mileage rate for business use will drop to 53.5 cents per mile for 2017. Driving for medical or moving purposes will be 17 cents per mile and for a charitable organization 14 cents per mile. The portion of the business standard mileage rate that is treated as depreciation will […]
John Vithoulkas
Henrico County Manager Starting with this issue, we are introducing a new Q&A Feature that will profile a VACo member each month. Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas is the first. Get to know John and watch this space for more profiles. Q1. You have been serving on the state Commission on Employee Retirement Security and […]
Visit Madison County and Hawksbill Summit
Hawksbill Trailhead is located in the Central District at mile 45.6 on Skyline Drive. Here you will find the beginning of the A.T.-Hawksbill Loop trail and the Lower Hawksbill trail. Suggested Hikes Hike #1: A.T.-Hawksbill Loop Distance: 2.9-mile circuit | Difficulty: moderate | Duration: 2 hours | Elevation Gain: 860-feet At the north end of […]
Virginia Local Government Investment Webinars
The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) invites you and your colleagues to attend an informative, two-part investment series hosted by Multi-Bank Securities, Inc. (MBS). These free, 30-minute webinars have been created specifically as a resource for Virginia public funds officers of all experience levels and are built around applicable Virginia statutes. VACo and MBS urge you to join us […]