General Government bills of interest
Procurement bills of note HB 890 (Sickles)/SB 341 (Locke) change the $10 million threshold local public bodies have for using construction management to the threshold in Secretary of Administration’s procedures, which is currently $26 million. Project Labor Agreements and Wage Agreements SB 8 (Saslaw)/HB 833 (Foy) require contractors and subcontractors on state public works contracts […]
VACo’s tree preservation bill to be signed by the Governor
HB 520 (Bulova) has successfully cleared its final hurdle and is ready for the Governor’s signature. HB 520 directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purpose of studying the planting or preservation of trees as a land cover type and as a stormwater best management practice (BMP). The […]
Bill requiring written notice to adjoining property owners of zoning decisions is amended
SB 589 (Hanger), which requires zoning administrators to provide notice of all decisions and determinations to property owners adjacent to or across the road from the subject property, was amended so that it only applies to when such decisions could impair the ability of an adjacent property owner to meet the minimum capacity and yield […]
General Assembly approves new reporting requirements for discharges of deleterious substances into state waters
Legislation enhancing the requirements for reporting discharges of deleterious substances into state waters has now been approved by each chamber of the General Assembly. HB 1205 (Tran) requires that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) shall provide to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and local newspapers, television stations, and radio stations, and shall report via […]
Local government urban fertilizer legislation ready to become law
Having already passed the Senate, SB 849 (Mason) has now also passed the House of Delegates and is ready to be signed into law. SB 849 authorizes local governments to enter into agreements with the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to provide oversight and data collection assistance related to […]
Enter the 2020 VACo Achievement Awards
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. […]
The Latest Update on the Coronavirus from the Centers for Disease Control
Click on the image above for an update on the Coronavirus from the CDC that was distributed to Counties at the NACo Legislative Conference. Visit the CDC website for regular updates. Also, be aware that many Counties are planning and creating regional MOU’s that assist in service provisions to citizens, should a need arise. Click […]
Visit Accomack County and Wallops Island
The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center offers a unique opportunity to explore the past, present, and future of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. The Visitor Center features exhibits about aeronautics, orbital and sub-orbital rockets, scientific balloons, current missions, and the history of Wallops Flight Facility. In addition to exhibits, the Visitor Center also features an […]
New Collaborative Space Open in Downtown Christiansburg
Great Road on Main in downtown Christiansburg welcomes the Montgomery Museum, Regional Tourism office, and Downtown Christiansburg Inc. as new tenants. The Christiansburg location of the Montgomery County VA Regional Tourism office has relocated from the Montgomery County Government Center to The Great Road on Main. The office will continue to serve visitors Monday through […]
2020 Virginia County Board Chairs and Vice Chairs
COUNTY CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN Accomack County C. Reneta Major Ron S. Wolff Albemarle County Ned L. Gallaway Donna P. Price Alleghany County George Matthew Garten Stephen A. Bennett Amelia County Franklin D. Harris Shaun B. Weyant Amherst County Claudia D. Tucker Jennifer R. Moore Appomattox County Samuel E. Carter William H. Hogan Arlington County Libby […]
Save the Date – Commonwealth Connect Broadband Forum
Thursday, June 4, 2020 9 am – 5 pm Albemarle County Office Building 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902 The forum will feature speakers from localities, broadband providers, and the Commonwealth Connect team about a range of topics to help achieve universal broadband coverage in Virginia. General sessions, breakout discussions, and ample networking opportunities will […]
Financial Facts
GASB has issued a proposed concepts statement that would establish new criteria for state and local governments to follow in developing disclosures for notes to financial statements. The exposure draft, Communication Methods in General Purpose External Financial Reports That Contain Basic Financial Statements: Notes to Financial Statements, describes information that should be disclosed in notes […]
Collective Bargaining Legislation Update
As we race towards Sine Die, two bills changing provisions of the code related to collective bargaining for public employers and employees appear headed towards conference committee and then final votes on the floor of the House and Senate possibly as late as Saturday. HB 582 (Guzman) and SB 939 (Saslaw) both allow collective bargaining […]
Preclearance bill headed to Senate floor
HB 761 (VanValkenburg) seeks to establish a state-level preclearance process in lieu of the federal preclearance that was previously required under the Voting Rights Act. Under the bill in its current form, any County or City containing two or more racial or ethnic groups that each constitute at least 20 percent of its voting-age population […]
Bill to change local tax authority on large scale wind projects is amended to limit its application
Under current law, wind turbine projects with more than 25 megawatts (MW) in generating capacity may be taxed locally at a rate that exceeds the real estate rate, but does not exceed the Machinery and Tool (M&T) tax rate. As introduced, HB 1327 (Austin) would have modified this authority to allow a locality to exceed […]
Bill limiting split precincts moving forward
Split precincts, in which one polling place serves voters in more than one state House or Senate or Congressional district, can be confusing for voters and complicated to operate, and the General Assembly has struggled for several years to address the issue. VACo has historically supported the ability of the General Assembly to make technical […]