VACo Appoints Katie Boyle as Deputy Director
RICHMOND (June 21, 2024)—The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) is pleased to announce the appointment of Katie Boyle as Deputy Director. Boyle joined VACo on July 1, 2016, and has been an integral part of the advocacy team as Director of Government Affairs covering finance, elections, and health and human resources. “Katie is an outstanding […]
Visit Montgomery County and the Old Montgomery County Courthouse
Location: 1 East Main Street / South Franklin StreetBuilt: 1974 – 1976Style: Modern / BrutalistArchitect: Scherertz-FranklinContractor: Graves Construction Company Description: The building faces south and is a four story buff colored brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Christiansburg. The south […]
Public Comment Period Now Open on Proposed Children’s Services Act Policy Regarding Submission of Reimbursement Requests; VACo Seeks County Feedback on Proposal
At its June 13 meeting, the State Executive Council (SEC) approved submission of a revised draft of SEC Policy 4.5.2 for a second period of public comment, which will close on August 16, 2024. The proposed revisions to the policy, which may be found at this link, stem from discussions at the SEC at its […]
Office of Children’s Services Proposes Streamlined Method for Providing Reimbursements to Localities; County Feedback Sought
The Office of Children’s Services (OCS) recently announced a proposal to streamline the process of providing reimbursements to localities from state pool funding. Under current budget language, the state allocates an initial distribution of funds to each locality based on the greater of (i) that locality’s percentage of 1997 CSA pool fund program expenditures (relative […]
Office of Children’s Services Seeks Public Comment by August 1 on Proposed Repeal of Policy 4.3 – “Carve Out” of Allocation for Development of New/Expanded Services
On June 13, the State Executive Council approved circulating for an initial public comment period a proposal to repeal SEC Policy 4.3. After this initial 45-day public comment period, which will close on August 1, the SEC will determine whether to move forward with a specific policy proposal; if so, there will be an additional […]
Chesterfield County Hosts Behavioral Health Commission
The Behavioral Health Commission met on June 22 at Chesterfield County’s Eanes Pittman Public Safety Training Center to receive a briefing from Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard and his staff about their efforts to provide mental health treatment and to support recovery within the jail. Commission members also adopted a work plan for the remainder […]
State General Fund Revenues Continue to Exceed Expectations in May
Earlier this week, Governor Youngkin released the most recent monthly report from Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings on state General Fund revenues, which continued to perform well in May, led by a strong showing in individual income tax collections. Total General Fund revenues were up by 14.2 percent in May; on a fiscal year-to-date basis, […]
Visit Middlesex County and the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse
PHOTO CREDIT: Calder Loth, 2023 Virginia Department of Historic Resources Location: NE – School Street / Gloucester Road Built: 1852 – 1853 Style: Colonial Revival Architect: John P Hill Contractor: John P Hill Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The south front has three large arches along […]
Premier Partner Spotlight – Blue Line Solutions Testimonials
Blue Line Solutions is making a positive impact on communities all over Virginia. In Smyth County – Blue Line Solutions recorded during a five-day period that there were 3,530 vehicles traveling through school speed zones at 10mph or higher above the speed limit. That’s over 12,000 speeding vehicles a month during school days. Blue Line […]
April is a “Solid Month” for State Revenues
State General Fund revenues continued to perform well in April, which Secretary of Finance Stephen E. Cummings characterized as a “solid month” for revenue collections in his remarks to the House Appropriations Committee on May 28. Although total General Fund revenues declined by 1 percent in April, revenues outperformed expectations for the month by $162.6 […]
Behavioral Health Commission Sets Preliminary Course for 2024
After an initial organizational meeting of the full Behavioral Health Commission in May, which included a preliminary discussion of its 2024 workplan, the Commission’s Executive Committee met on June 3 to refine the proposed set of studies for the year and adopt a preliminary study plan to recommend to the full Commission. The full Commission […]
JLARC Adopts Workplan for 2024
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) met on May 21 and formally approved its plan of work for the remainder of the year. Planned studies include several items of interest to local governments: Data centers: The Commission’s study resolution directs staff to review the overall impacts of the data center industry in Virginia, […]
Virginia Commission on Youth Approves Study Plans for 2024
The Commission on Youth held its first meeting of the year on May 21. In addition to receiving an update from the Office of Children’s Services and a briefing from a nonprofit providing essential items to economically disadvantaged young children in the Central Virginia region, the Commission discussed its work plan for the remainder of […]
Joint Commission on Health Care Prepares for 2024 Work
The Joint Commission on Health Care met on May 22 to organize its work for the remainder of the year. Delegate Rodney Willett was elected as the new Chair, and Senator Ghazala Hashmi was chosen as the new Vice-Chair. Commission members previously planned for two major studies to be conducted this year: Performance of health […]
VACo to Present at Virginia Disability Commission on Housing; Seeks Examples of Innovative County Programs
At the request of the Virginia Disability Commission, VACo has been asked to address how counties work to address housing needs for those with disabilities. Over the years we have recognized several outstanding and innovative programs counties have implemented, often in partnership with local stakeholders, to find solutions for those needing assistance in this area. […]
Region 2 Meeting Features Robust Local Authority Discussion
VACo held its second of eight regional meetings for 2024 on May 22 at the Law Enforcement Center in James City County. VACo staff had the honor of traveling to James City County, which graciously hosted the event, to meet with local elected officials and staff. Region 2 encompasses the counties of Essex, Gloucester, James […]