Agriculture was the talk of the Regions 6 & 9 Meeting
VACo’s Regional Meetings moved to Augusta County on June 9 as members from Regions 6 & 9 gathered at the spectacular Valley Pike Farm Market Depot. The location was an old and abandoned train depot that once served Fort Defiance, a few miles down the road. The owners of Valley Pike Farm worked with Shenandoah […]
Proposed Reapportionment and Bylaw Amendment
Pictured – New VACo Regional Map The VACo Bylaws provide for reapportionment every ten years beginning in 1991. The VACo President named a reapportionment committee in 2021 and the committee began the process when the census data was available. The committee presented its recommendations to the VACo Board of Directors at its meeting on June […]
Final Report on Orphan Drainage Outfalls Released
The Secretaries of Transportation and Natural Resources released the final report of the multi-year study on “orphan outfalls.” The main conclusion of the report is that the law prescribes that the entity responsible for maintenance is the owner of the land, or holder of a drainage easement, at the site of the outfall. The report […]
Behavioral Health Commission Discusses Funding, Mental Illness and Criminal Justice, and the Role of Private Hospitals
The Behavioral Health Commission’s June 14 meeting featured a series of briefings for members, including an overview of behavioral health-related items in the budget conference report recently passed by the General Assembly, an analysis of data regarding individuals with mental illness who are charged with assaults against law enforcement officers, and an update from the […]
State Revenues Continue Strength in May, Remain on Track for Significant FY 2022 Surplus as Federal Reserve Acts to Tame Inflation
Governor Youngkin announced this week that state General Fund (GF) revenues continued to perform well in May, placing the state in a strong position to end FY 2022 with a significant surplus. However, despite a strong labor market, the state faces some economic uncertainty given high levels of inflation, a situation which prompted the Federal […]
Virginia to expand quarantine of invasive spotted lantern fly to additional areas of the state
Per recently issued notice, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will expand the spotted lanternfly quarantine in early July to the following cities and counties: Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Staunton, Waynesboro, Albemarle, Augusta, Carroll, Page, Prince William, Rockingham, Rockbridge, Shenandoah, and Wythe. The current quarantine rules only apply to […]
VACo Welcomes James Hutzler
RICHMOND (June 15, 2022)—The Virginia Association of Counties is pleased to announce that James Hutzler will join the team on July 1 as Government Relations Associate. Hutzler is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Rappahannock Community College teaching US Government & Politics and State & Local Politics. Hutzler is also pursuing his Master of […]
General Assembly Approves Budget Compromise; Bills Await Governor’s Action
The state budget process advanced toward completion on June 1 as the General Assembly approved compromise conference reports on both the FY 2022 “caboose” budget and the 2022-2024 biennium budget. General Assembly leadership indicated that the bills will be signed and submitted to the Governor within the next several days; the Governor will then have […]
VACo Kicks Off 2022 Regional Meetings with Visit to Henrico County for Regions 2 and 3
VACo Kicks Off 2022 Regional Meetings with Visit to Henrico County for Regions 2 and 3 VACo returned to in-person regional meetings for the first time since 2019 with a well-attended meeting of Regions 2 and 3 on May 23. Henrico County Supervisor Patricia S. O’Bannon welcomed attendees on behalf of Henrico County and shared […]
Visit Bath County and the Bath County Courthouse
Location: 65 Courthouse Hill Road / Old Mill Road Built: 1913 – 1914 Style: Classical Revival Architect: TJ Collins & Son Contractor: Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building sits on the landscaped grounds of Courthouse Hill in the […]
Premier Partner Spotlight – NACo High Performance Leadership Academy
NACo High Performance Leadership Academy | Introductions Dr. Tim Rahschulte joins Dean Lynch to talk about the NACo High Performance Leadership Academy, a 12-week program designed to make existing leaders better and emerging leaders ready to address the challenges of leading change in the business of counties. Please contact Luke Afeman, MBA | Senior Director […]
VACo releases 2022 Legislative Summary
The Legislative Summary details the actions of the 2022 General Assembly. It also includes information on legislation of interest to counties. This edition contains links to bills through the General Assembly’s Legislative Information System and includes studies and statistics of importance to counties. Read VACo’s 2022 Legislative Summary VACo Contact: Legislative Team
Prince Edward County mourns the loss of longtime Supervisor and public servant Bobby Jones
Robert M. Jones District 201 (Lockett) Supervisor Bobby Jones was born at Southside Community Hospital on May 5, 1959. His family has resided in Prince Edward County since the 1700’s. Jones graduated from Prince Edward Academy in 1977. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Science at Virginia Tech in 1981. That year, he […]
Visit Arlington County and the Arlington County Courthouse
Location: 1425 Courthouse Road / 14th Street North Built: 1991– 1994 Style: Modern Architect: Hanson Lind Meyer Design Contractor: Ellinwood + Machado Description: The two buildings face west and are thirteen story concrete and glass structures. The buildings are located in the center of Arlington. The buildings are a post-tensioned concrete flat slab design. The […]
Children’s Services Act Workgroup on Special Education Discussing Recommendations for Potential Transfer of Private Placements to Department of Education
A stakeholder workgroup tasked with examining the use of Children’s Services Act (CSA) funding to support special education needs met again on May 19. The group was created by legislation that passed in 2021; the bill directed the workgroup to develop a detailed plan for the transfer of CSA private day school and residential placement […]
Commission on Youth Begins Study of Juvenile Detention Centers
As part of its 2022 work, the Commission on Youth is undertaking a study of the effectiveness and efficiency of Virginia’s juvenile detention centers, an effort that was sparked by the declining numbers of children housed in juvenile detention centers as a result of recent reforms focused on diverting youth who are involved in the […]