Governor’s School guidance legislation graduates from subcommittee
On January 25, legislation that requires the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) to issue guidance on the governance of academic Governor’s Schools was recommended to report with a substitute by the House Education Committee’s SOL and SOQ Subcommittee on a vote of 5 to 3. HB 2305 (Tyler) directs VBOE guidance to focus on the […]
Food banks, farmers, and food access bill survives Appropriations, heads to House floor
Legislation improving food access/distribution infrastructure while assisting Virginia farmers and local and regional food banks survived the scrutiny of the House Appropriations Committee and will now be heard on the full House floor. As previously reported in Capitol Contact, HB 2203 (Madame Speaker) establishes the Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance Program and Fund (VFAP). The VFAP […]
Bill exempting small locality IDA/EDA from SOEI filings moves forward
SB 1171 (Norment) creates an exemption for smaller localities’ EDA and IDA Executive Directors and members from filing Statement of Economic Interest disclosure forms. Legislation passed in the 2020 regular session required the Executive Director and members of each industrial development authority and economic development authority, as created by the Industrial Development and Revenue Bond […]
House Finance Roundup
Several bills of interest to local governments have been referred to the House Finance Committee. Below is an update on the status of several bills considered by the Committee or its subcommittees. HB 1774 (Walker) adds motor vehicles with a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or more used by a motor carrier engaged in interstate […]
Commonwealth’s Attorneys staffing and funding bill sent to Senate Finance
A bill seeking to study and rework staffing and funding levels for Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices has been sent to the Senate Finance Committee for further review. SB 1226 (Boysko) requires that the Compensation Board shall consider workload totals comprehensively, including the use of diversion programs and specialty dockets, when determining staffing and funding levels. Currently, […]
U.S. Route 1 renaming bill keeps moving
On January 26, legislation that proposes renaming sections of U.S. Route 1 in Virginia from the currently designated “Jefferson Davis Highway” to the “Emancipation Highway” advanced out of the House Transportation Committee on a vote of 13 to 5. HB 2075 (Cole, J.G.), which has a delayed enactment date of January 1, 2022, only applies […]
Opioid authority bills introduced
HB 2322 (Herring) and SB 1469 (Barker) establish the Opioid Abatement Authority. The Authority, with the assistance of the Office of the Attorney General, would administer the Opioid Abatement Fund, which would receive funds from settlements, judgments, verdicts, and other court orders, or related agreements, concerning claims regarding the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, or sale of […]
INTRODUCING A NEW PREMIER PARTNER – SICPA Product Security LLC
Protect Tax Revenue with SICPA Excise Tax Stamps For nearly 100 years, SICPA has been a global leader in the security, traceability, and management of regulated products. Today, SICPA-Meyercord Revenue provides secure tax stamps to 44 states and more than 160 local jurisdictions, including the current tax stamps used by: Virginia Department of Taxation The […]
VACo’s Chris McDonald participates in the 2021 VSAE Political Outlook and Legislative Roundtable
On January 8, the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) held their Virginia Political Outlook and Legislative Roundtable. This annual event, held virtually this year, brought together political experts, lobbyists, and over a hundred other association executives for a morning of election analysis, political punditry, and discussions about the 2021 General Assembly session. Dr. Robert […]
VACo’s Jeremy Bennett participates in 2021 VASS-VASBO Winter Conference Panel Discussion on Collective Bargaining
On January 11, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) and the Virginia Association of School Business Officials (VASBO) held their annual winter conference. In conjunction with the start of the Virginia General Assembly’s 2021 Legislative Session in Richmond, the virtual event offered a multi-session conference exploring budgetary and policy issues that directly affect the […]
Visit Highland County and the Sounding Knob Fire Tower
PHOTO CREDIT: Highland County VA Facebook It’s easy to elevate your travel experience in Highland, but now you can get even higher. Over 100 steps up the Sounding Knob Fire Tower will give you a lasting memory – and maybe even some wobbly legs! How many mountain ranges can you see? The tower was constructed […]
Commonwealth Transportation Board Release Draft SMART SCALE Scores
At its January Meeting, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) released scores for the fourth round of transportation projects to be evaluated under the SMART SCALE prioritization process. More than 400 applications were submitted by localities, metropolitan planning organizations, and other regional entities across the state, and 397 have been scored based on several key factors: […]
Using CARES Act Funding, TSI Assists Small Businesses in Prince William County
The month of December 2020 was a very busy time for TSI. A Small Business Technical Assistance Program (SBTA) contract was awarded to TSI by Prince William County, VA. Through this contract, TSI partnered with George Mason University Small Business Development Center to provide critical, business-enhancing support to area small businesses. TSI’s role in this […]
FY 2020 Marcia Mashaw Outstanding Assistant Award Nominations – deadline January 24!
Nominations are open for the FY 2020 Marcia Mashaw Outstanding Assistant Award. The award process was postponed last spring; but an award to cover FY 2020 will be presented during Virginia Local Government Management Association’s (VLGMA) winter conference to be held February 10-12, 2021. VLGMA will proceed with the regularly-scheduled FY 2021 award process in […]
NACo Cybersecurity Collaborative
Budget Amendments Introduced to Support County Priorities
VACo worked with legislators to introduce a package of budget amendments that address key issues of importance to local governments. House members were required to submit their amendments earlier than usual this year due to the compressed short session; the deadline for House amendments was January 8, and the House Appropriations Committee heard budget amendment […]