VACo staff continued their statewide travels in July, holding Regional Meetings in Henry, Fairfax, and Greensville Counties. Regional Meetings allow local elected officials, county administrators and legislators an opportunity to discuss challenges and offer solutions. These meetings help steer VACo in the development of its legislative program. Below is a recap of the meetings held in July.
VACo Region 10 – Henry County
VACo held its Region 10 Meeting on July 9 in Henry County at the Manufacturing and Engineering Technology (MET) Complex in Martinsville, followed by a guided tour of the MET Complex and the Racing College of Virginia.
We were delighted to be joined by Congressman Morgan Griffith who attended the meeting. The Congressman appreciated hearing from localities he represented and highlighted the role of congressionally directed spending in supporting localities in the region. Delegate Eric Phillips was in attendance and voiced support for the US Route 220 corridor, known as the Blue Ridge Innovation Corridor, and highlighted the economic impacts of transportation improvements along the corridor. He acknowledged rising electricity rates as a burden on the region and reaffirmed his commitment to local authority. Delegate Madison Whittle, who also attended and spoke at the event, drew on his past service on Danville City Council to speak to local concerns.
During “County Talk,” the portion of the meeting where counties discuss their items of interest, opposition to unfunded mandates ran throughout the discussion. Counties in the room further noted that a delayed state budget creates uncertainty for local budgeting.
Transportation and secondary roads were a second major theme. Localities cited unpaved secondary roads and a Smart Scale process that disfavors rural localities as hurdles to their transportation goals. The idea of a south-central transportation authority was raised to help the region address transportation challenges. Rising energy costs were a shared concern, along with farmland preservation, support for agriculture and forestry, continued investment in the Purchase of Development Rights program, and greater state assistance for economic development.
VACo Region 8 – Fairfax County
VACo held its Region 8 Meeting on July 15 in Fairfax County at the Franconia District Governmental Center. Clark Mercer with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments gave attendees a presentation on the issues facing northern Virginia. Senator Favola, Senator Srinivasan, Delegate Tran, Delegate Garrett McGuire, Delegate Margaret Franklin and Delegate Watts attended and spoke to local leaders at the meeting. The meeting also drew a large contingent of state and federal legislative staff, including representatives from the offices of Senator Surovell, Senator Salim, Delegate Sewell, Delegate Reid, Delegate Henson, Congressman Walkinshaw as well as Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine’s offices.
Affordability was a top priority for several legislators. Senator Favola, formerly part of VACo leadership, named housing, healthcare, and utility affordability among her 2026 priorities and floated the concept of a state housing bond to support local housing trust funds. She is also watching SNAP and Medicaid cuts closely on how they may affect state and local budgets. Delegate Tran named the same mix of housing, healthcare, utility, and childcare affordability. Senator Warner’s office noted the ROAD to Housing Act is now law but flagged a federal OMB rule affecting grants.
Delegate Sewell’s office stated that as the Chair of the Housing Commission, Delegate Sewell wants continued local input on housing. Delegate Vivian Watts criticized a tax structure she says shortchanges Northern Virginia relative to what it pays in and wants to pursue reform.
Senator Srinivasan stressed that state and local government function as a partnership. Delegate Margaret Franklin, a past member of the VACo Board of Directors, cited maternal health, gun safety legislation and the need for VACo and the General Assembly to have a close working relation to make progress on the issues Virginia faces. Senator Kaine’s office pointed to the importance of congressionally directed spending for the region.
During “County Talk,” several themes emerged as shared priorities and concerns across the region. Recent federal changes to SNAP and Medicaid drew significant attention, with participants pointing to the strain these changes are placing on local budgets and the residents who rely on these programs. While K-12 education remained a top priority, housing was the top issue of the day. The conversation touched on opposition to unfunded housing and land-use mandates, as well as examples of local action already underway, including new housing ordinances and dedicated trust funds to support affordable housing efforts.
Data centers were another major topic. There was strong interest in greater local authority over the industry; including the ability to require data centers to supply their own power rather than drawing on the existing grid. Counties in the region are also building out new infrastructure and staff capacity to manage growth in the sector, including partnerships with water authorities and the creation of new environmental sustainability departments.
Transit funding needs and collective bargaining were also discussed at the meeting. Transportation needs were raised as a shared concern, with funding and coordination flowing through a mix of regional bodies, including transportation authorities, rail and commuter services, and local transportation departments.
VACo Region 4 – Greensville County
VACo held its Region 4 Meeting on July 28 at Golden Leaf Commons in Greensville County. David Devan of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Erika Tanner of the Opioid Abatement Authority served as our educational speakers.
Delegate Otto Wachsmann attended the meeting and voiced support for local authority and flagged healthcare legislation aimed at keeping the Hiram Davis Medical Center open. Energy was a key priority for the Delegate, as he outlined how Dominion Energy faces demand it cannot currently meet. The Delegate argued that the region needs its own power generation hubs to support local economic development, rather than routing capacity to other parts of the state.
Localities consistently stated their opposition to unfunded mandates and their concerns about the effects of a late state budget.
Public safety funding, particularly for fire and EMS, was raised by almost every county, with volunteer departments in need of additional funding and some localities lacking EMS coverage entirely. State police staffing was also raised as a related concern, with one locality noting its trooper count has remained flat since 1979, prompting it to stand up its own traffic division.
Other issues discussed were the need for broadband, state support with economic development, K-12 funding and healthcare access.
VACo thanks Henry, Fairfax, and Greensville Counties for hosting. Watch County Connections for future recaps.
VACo Contact: James Hutzler