Enter the 2025 VACo Achievement Awards
Dear VACo Members – It’s time for the 2025 Achievement Awards Program. Any county department is eligible to compete so ENTER NOW! 2025 Achievement Awards Submission Form All entries are required to be submitted in electronic form. No paper copy submissions are necessary. The electronic submissions should be a PDF or WORD file. Electronic submissions through […]
House Emergency Committee on Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions Holds First Meeting
The Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions held its initial meeting on Saturday, February 22, prior to the General Assembly concluding its 2025 regular session work. House Speaker Don Scott appointed the bipartisan committee earlier in February, charging committee members with collecting data on the potential scope of reductions to […]
Visit Roanoke County and the Roanoke County Historic Courthouse
PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Pulice | DHR 2021 Location: 301 East Main Street / Thompson Memorial DriveBuilt: 1909 – 1910Style: Classical RevivalArchitect: Harry H HugginsContractor: King Lumber Company Description: The building faces south and is a three story yellow colored brick and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center […]
Transportation Services Mandate Bills Pass the General Assembly
SB 919 (Salim) / HB 2619 (Helmer), as substituted, would require that the governing body or transportation district commission of any county that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services must: Require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the […]
Towing Rates Bill Passes General Assembly
SB 1332 (Marsden) and HB 2214 (McQuinn), as introduced, would repeal the authority for localities to establish trespass towing fees, with exceptions, and require the State Corporation Commission to establish such fees statewide and adjust such fees annually. VACo opposed SB 1332 and HB 2214 as introduced because these bills stripped localities of what little authority they […]
Speed Camera Bill Heads to Governor Youngkin
As previously reported, SB 1233 (Williams Graves) has had a long journey through the General Assembly. As a conference substitute, SB 1233 (Williams Graves) authorizes state and local law-enforcement agencies to place and operate pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems in school crossing zones, highway work zones, and high-risk intersection segments for purposes […]
BPOL Legislation Passes as a Study Directive
HB 1743 (Watts), which deals with the ability of businesses to deduct gross receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country from taxation under the BPOL tax, emerged from conference late last week and was approved by the General Assembly in a revised form that directs the Department of Taxation to convene […]
General Assembly Approves Amendments to Biennium Budget
The General Assembly approved a package of revisions to the state’s 2024-2026 biennium budget on Saturday, February 22, prior to adjourning the 2025 session. The amendments contained in the conference report represent an agreement negotiated between the House and Senate on revisions to the Governor’s proposed budget, which was submitted in December. Both the House […]
Visit Richmond County and the Richmond County Historic Courthouse
Location: SE – Richmond Road / Main StreetBuilt: 1748Style: ColonialArchitect: Landon CarterContractor: Landon Carter Description: The building faces north and is a one story red colored brick and wood structure. The north front has a projecting central section with entrance. The windows are arched. The roof is hipped. The building was remodeled in 1877. The […]
FOIA Fees Legislation Falters
On February 19, the House of Delegates rereferred SB 1029 (Roem) back to the House General Laws Committee on a voice vote, effectively ending the bill’s journey for the year. As previously reported, this legislation is a revised version of past bills introduced by the patron and opposed by VACo to provide free or reduced […]
BPOL Legislation Headed to Conference
HB 1743 (Watts), which deals with the ability of businesses to deduct gross receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country from taxation under the BPOL tax, is headed to a conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions. Last Tuesday, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee converted the […]
Photo Speed Monitoring Devices (Speed Camera) Discussion
SB 1209 (Obenshain), as substituted, stated that all civil penalties collected for the purposes of recording vehicle speed violations shall be paid to the Commonwealth Transportation Board to be used for the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program (VHSIP). What this means, in practice, is that for counties who choose to administer a photo speed enforcement […]
Early Childhood Care and Education Bill Referred to Commission
VACo supports legislation that would bolster early childhood care and education in Virginia. HB 2538 (Bulova) cleared the House of Delegates on a vote of 71-28, but was passed by indefinitely by the Senate Finance and Appropriations with a letter of referral to the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission. As introduced, the bill would […]
Public Meeting Agenda Legislation Referred to FOIA Council
Legislation that would have imposed additional constraints on public meeting agendas has been tabled and referred to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Council. SB 876 (Ebbin) was unanimously laid on the table by the House General Laws Committee’s Procurement/Open Government Subcommittee on a vote of 7-0 with a referral from the chair to the […]
Collective Bargaining and Binding Arbitration Bill Statuses
VACo urges opposition to HB 2764 (Tran) / SB 917 (Surovell), which would undermine the existing local option local governments have to engage in collective bargaining agreements with their employees and require local governments to engage in collective bargaining should their employees so choose. The bills create the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine […]
Update on Finance Bills of Interest to Local Governments
With only a few days remaining in the 2025 regular session, legislative action on many tax- and finance-related bills is complete, although several bills are headed to conference committees. Following is an update on the status of several bills of interest to local governments. Affordable housing assessment: As reported earlier in the session, HB 2245 […]