State General Fund Revenues Drop in April; State on Track for Predicted $1 Billion Reduction in FY 2020 Revenues
On May 14, Governor Northam released an update on state General Fund revenues through April 2020, and Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne briefed the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees on May 18 and 19, respectively. As expected, state revenues declined significantly in April; however, a large portion of the reduction is attributable […]
VSAE Community Strong
By VACo General Counsel Phyllis Errico, recently elected VSAE President Never in our lifetime has it been so important to work together, to do our part, to reach a common goal. In this daunting and unprecedented time in our world and in our profession, we are all trying to navigate circumstances for which we have […]
Cooper Center Partnering with Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to Offer ‘Solar Ready’ Program for Virginia Localities
Elizabeth Marshall and Carrie Hearne The Virginia Solar Initiative of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service is partnering with the state’s Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) to host a SolSmart Advisor Program in Virginia. SolSmart is a national program that has helped more than […]
Premier Partner – Waypoint360
There’s nothing quite like launching a novel business designed to strengthen local governments than during a global novel coronavirus pandemic. As with all things though, it’s an opportunity for us to do better and serve communities more efficiently. To that end, we’ve transformed our operational assessment tool from an interview-based platform to a written survey […]
Premier Partner – Omnia Partners
As the country begins to reopen, OMNIA Partners is available to help source your most crucial needs. Per the Office Depot contract, there are KN95 masks and 3 ply masks available. These masks are currently located in two distribution centers in Los Angeles, CA and Chicago, IL. Products are ready to be shipped. If you […]
General Assembly Acts on Governor’s Amendments
Legislators met on April 22 for the annual reconvened session under far different circumstances from those in place when the legislature adjourned March 12, the day the Governor declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. In the intervening weeks, COVID-19 has inflicted economic hardship throughout the Commonwealth and required the adoption of social distancing […]
Regions 1 and 2 Discuss Coronavirus Response, Legislative Priorities in First-Ever Virtual Regional Meeting
Representatives from VACo Regions 1 and 2 broke new ground on April 30 by participating in VACo’s first regional meeting to be conducted by virtual means. County representatives were joined by Delegate Amanda Batten, Delegate Emily Brewer, and Delegate Carrie Coyner, who reflected on the recently-concluded reconvened session and discussed ways that localities can work […]
Additional Taxing Authority for Counties Passes Legislature with Governor’s Amendments
Legislation providing long-sought additional taxing authority for counties received final approval by the legislature at the April 22 reconvened session. HB 785 (Watts and Kilgore) and SB 588 (Hanger and Favola) were amended by the Governor to delay the provisions related to transient occupancy taxes and to clarify that the provisions dealing with cigarette taxes […]
Congress Enacts Fourth Coronavirus Relief Package
Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, the fourth relief measure aimed at combatting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 23 and the President signed it into law on April 24. Although discussions earlier in the week had indicated that additional aid to states and localities, or additional flexibility […]
Visit Botetourt County virtually and take a walking tour of historic Fincastle
Historic Fincastle boasts with southern charm and is deeply routed in historical significance. Fincastle is a designated Lewis and Clark community, having ties to both Meriwether Lewis and William Clark prior to and after their western expedition. Fincastle was named the county seat in 1772, when the original borders of Botetourt County stretched to the […]
Virginia Resources Authority works with Rockingham County to produce positive financial outcome
Rendering of Rockingham County’s future emergency response station at 2654 Port Republic Road Virginia Resources Authority (VRA) wants to first thank all local government public servants, including first responders, for their tireless work in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Commonwealth’s municipal bond bank, VRA shares the same public service motivation, which is more […]
Clarke County Supervisor Mary Daniel resigns to become Judge; Board will appoint replacement to serve until November elections
A recent Clarke County Board of Supervisors meeting concluded with gifts and expressions of gratitude for Berryville District representative Mary L.C. Daniel, who officially left the Board on May 1 in order to begin her new career as General District Court Judge for the 26th Judicial District. The Virginia General Assembly appointed her in March, […]
Allocation of Federal Transit Assistance funding under CARES Act approved by Commonwealth Transportation Board
On April 21, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) held an emergency meeting to allocate federal funding for transit programs from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Under the CARES Act, the Federal Transit Administration is allocating $25 billion in support of public transit to recipients of urbanized area and rural area formula […]
State Emergency Management Coordinator Holds Town Hall with VACo Members
VACo members participated in a telephone town hall on April 23 on Virginia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with State Coordinator of Emergency Management Dr. Jeffrey Stern and several state experts, who provided updates on efforts to supplement the health care workforce, develop models for the spread of the virus, ensure the needs of vulnerable […]
An Update on Federal Funding for Rural Health Care Providers
On May 4, VACo staff participated in a conference call with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan regarding HHS’s recent distribution of payments to rural healthcare providers as allocated by from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The purpose of this funding is to address both […]
K-12 Allocations to Local Schools Divisions under the CARES Act
Passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has provided Virginia with approximately $238.6 million in federal funding to address the impact of COVID-19 on Virginia’s K-12 system. This funding comes from the $13.2 billion Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Of Virginia’s funding through the Fund, 90 percent will be […]