ENTER THE 2016 VACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Dear VACo Members It’s time for the 2016 Achievement Awards Program. Any county department is eligible to compete so ENTER NOW! Submissions must be received by June 1. Last year we processed a record 92 entries and selected 34 winners from 20 counties. VACo presented awards at 19 Board of Supervisors Meetings and recognized winners […]

Get Certified as a County Supervisor

Have you heard about our Virginia Certified County Supervisors’ Program? The program, a collaboration between VACo, Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension, provides county supervisors an opportunity to enhance their capacity to effectively and efficiently lead their respective counties. Since its inception in 2005, nearly 60 County Board Supervisors have graduated from over 40 counties.

Message from VACo President Judy Lyttle

On behalf of the Virginia Association of Counties, I would like to extend my condolences and prayers to those who suffered loss because of tornadoes on February 24. Four Virginians were killed and many more were injured when tornadoes struck the Town of Waverly (Sussex County) and Appomattox County. I encourage you to call the […]

Financial Facts

GASB has proposed a single approach for lease reporting.  State and local governments would report leases based on the principle that leases are financings of the right to use an underlying asset. The proposal would provide guidance for lease contracts for nonfinancial assets such as vehicles, heavy equipment and buildings. It would not apply to […]

Blair Mitchell announces retirement after 31 years as local government attorney

Warren County Attorney Blair Mitchell recently announced his retirement, effective at the end of April. Mitchell has served as attorney for various Virginia localities for almost 31 years. He’s been a member of the Virginia State Bar for nearly 40 years. “It was time,” Mitchell was quoted in The Northern Virginia Daily. “I’ve got some […]

Visit Wythe County and the Stephen F. Austin Memorial Park

Millions of Americans are familiar with famed Texan Stephen F. Austin, the man who secured his place in history as the “Father of Texas.” Most, however, are unaware that the “Father of Texas” not only hails from the Old Dominion, but from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia’s historic Wythe County.

Virginia County Chairs and Vice Chairs

THE VICE CHAIRS A Accomack County | Robert D. Crockett Albemarle County | Diantha H. McKeel Alleghany County | George M. Garten Amelia County | Judy M. Jones Amherst County | David W. Pugh, Jr. Appomattox County | Sara E. Carter Arlington County | G. N. Fisette Augusta County | Tracy C. Pyles, Jr.

Virginia County Chairs and Vice Chairs

THE CHAIRS A Accomack County | Ron S. Wolff Albemarle County | Lizbeth A. Palmer Alleghany County | Stephen A. Bennett Amelia County | Franklin D. Harris Amherst County | John A. Marks, Jr. Appomattox County | Samuel E. Carter Arlington County | Libby T. Garvey Augusta County | Carolyn S. Bragg

Dean Lynch named VACo Executive Director

Dean A. Lynch was recently selected to be Executive Director of VACo effective July 1, 2016. Lynch is succeeding James D. Campbell, who is retiring after 26 years in the position. A native of Scott County, Va., Lynch earned a B.S. from Appalachian State University and a Masters of City and Public Management from East […]

News from our associate members: Draper Aden Associates

Story courtesy of Virginia Business Magazine Building Information Modeling image courtesy of Draper Aden Associates Draper Aden Associates (DAA) has been recognized with an award for the top engineering project in Virginia in 2015. The American Council of Engineering Cos. of Virginia awarded its highest honor to DAA for the End Theater redevelopment in Richmond’s […]

County leaders flock to Richmond for VACo Education

Thank you to all who came out for last week’s three educational events. We hope you took away new information and connections that will help you in your position. The Rural Caucus Reception & Dinner on February 10 saw record breaking attendance. Over 200 local and state government officials joined together for an evening of […]

Tech Talk: Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS (Software as a Service) is a method of delivering applications to end users without the need for additional hardware or licensing. SaaS is a method of delivering software to end users that is hosted in a remote environment thereby allowing organizations to provide these application to their users regardless of location or device.

VACo’s Recent Capitol Contact communications

It’s been a fast and furious General Assembly Session here at VACo. Our Legislative Team has worked hard advocating on a slew of issues affecting counties. We’ve chronicled these issues in Capitol Contacts since the start of the session. Capitol Contact is VACo’s legislative bulletin that is published at least twice a week on Tuesday […]