VACo opposed SB 1262 (Sturtevant), a proposal that would require every locality with a population greater than 25,000, and every school division with greater than 5,000 students, to post on its website a register of all transactions. The measure failed to pass in the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee’s Subcommittee #2 on February 12 by a 6-2 vote.
Given the potential costs for localities to comply with this mandate, VACo testified in committee that it should be a local option. In addition to the cost of software, the bill would require significant staff time to implement, since staff would need to review transactions and redact certain payments (such as payments to undercover law enforcement). Similar legislation, HB 1907 (VanValkenburg), failed to pass in subcommittee on February 5.
VACo Contact: Joe Lerch, AICP