Nationwide recognized for service to retirement plan participants and mobile websites
DALBAR, a financial services market research firm, recently announced that Nationwide Retirement has earned the 2019 Plan Participant Service Award for outstanding telephone support to retirement plan participants. This is the sixth consecutive year in which Nationwide was recognized by DALBAR with this distinction. In addition, DALBAR also ranked Nationwide Retirement Solutions mobile website number […]
VACo Board of Directors meets virtually for the first time ever
Members of the VACo Board of Directors gathered around their computers on May 15 for the first-ever meeting by teleconference. It wasn’t an ideal situation but the meeting went off without a hitch and the business of VACo was conducted. Discussions ran the gamut from VACo operations to legislative issues to future events to how […]
VACo Achievement Awards Deadline Moved to JULY 1
It’s time for the 2020 Achievement Awards Program. Any county department is eligible to compete so ENTER NOW! Achievement Awards submission form All entries are required to be submitted in electronic form. No paper copy submissions are necessary. The electronic copy should be a PDF or WORD file. Email entries to Gage Harter at gharter@vaco.org. Submissions […]
Clarke County BOS Appoint Matthew Bass to Fill Vacant Seat
BERRYVILLE, VA — During a public work session on May 11, the Clarke County Board of Supervisors officially appointed Matthew Bass to fill the Berryville District seat recently vacated by Mary Daniel. Elected in November 2015, Daniel began her four-year term as Supervisor in January 2016. She stepped down this spring after Virginia’s General Assembly […]
Virginia Department of Social Services Issues Phase I Reopening Guidelines for Child Care Providers
On May 13, the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) issued updated guidance concerning child care providers in light of Governor Ralph Northam’s phased approach to lifting certain restrictions on businesses in the Commonwealth. A letter from VDSS to child care providers details the process by which child care centers may continue operations in Phase […]
Virginia encouraging online travel, will be waiting for travelers
The COVID-19 public health emergency is having a devastating and heartbreaking impact on the tourism industry in Virginia. Since people are not traveling right now, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) has had to quickly adapt to the situation by creating new ways to market travel. Although we are distancing from each other because of the current […]
Associate Member – MUNIRevs
MUNIRevs Offers Free Online Tax Collection Software to Virginia Municipalities As local governments across the country struggle with the pandemic-related loss of business tax revenue, MUNIRevs, a provider of automated tax collection software, is offering counties a free, limited version of its trusted solution. The limited version, made available through the MUNIRevs Cares initiative, gives […]
Associate Member – Moseley Architects
Providing Solutions for No Excuse Early Voting One sentence in proposed legislation from the General Assembly’s fall 2019 session could change the way the Commonwealth’s citizens vote for years to come – “Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot in accordance with the provisions of this chapter in any election in which he is […]
Coronavirus Relief Fund Dollars to be Distributed to Cities and Counties; Certification Letters Due May 22
Virginia counties and cities received a memorandum from Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne on May 12 announcing the proposed distribution of dollars to each county and city from the Coronavirus Relief Fund allocation provided to the state in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020. These funds may not be used […]
Virginia Retirement Service (VRS) COVID-19 Updates and News Bulletin
In the latest monthly publication from VRS, the independent state agency provided an overview of its continued and special services related to COVID-19, provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that allow for VRS members experiencing virus-related emergencies to withdraw from certain defined benefits accounts, legislative updates from the 2020 General Assembly session, […]
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 […]