Bill Mandating Exclusion of Rooftop Solar from Real Property Amended to Limit Impact on Local Revenues
A bill mandating that rooftop solar installations be exempt from local taxation was amended to limit its scope and application so as to lessen its impact on local revenue collection. SB 686 (Mason), as introduced, would have mandated that any rooftop or ground-mounted solar installations, serving just the energy needs of the property to which […]
Increased Retirement Contribution for Deputy Sheriffs Tabled
SB 507 (Lewis) would have required local governments prospectively electing enhanced retirement benefits to use the 1.85 percent multiplier for determining the annual retirement allowance for deputy sheriffs. As previously reported, local governments currently may elect to provide a 1.7 percent multiplier in lieu of the 1.85 percent multiplier. Eliminating this option would require local […]
Marijuana bill passes Senate; prospects uncertain in House
Legislation setting up a regulatory framework for marijuana sales passed the Senate last week on a 21-18 vote. The bill was heard in a subcommittee of House General Laws yesterday evening, which opted to defer action on the bill to a future meeting. The House did not take up any House legislation on the subject […]
VACo’s Report on the House and Senate Budgets
The House and Senate debated and passed their respective versions of the budgets for the upcoming biennium as well as amendments to the current biennium budget (the “caboose” budget). The House approved its budget by a vote of 74-25, and the Senate passed its version by a vote of 31-9. The budgets now move to […]
Premier Partner Spotlight – Blue Line Solutions Part 1
Blue Line Solutions | Introductions VACo’s newest Premier Partner, Blue Line Solutions, offers a TrueBlue Highway Safety Program that can be implemented in School Zones and Construction Zones, where data has shown that drivers are unaware that their driving behavior is not in alignment with public safety. A key element of this program – drivers […]
Crosswalk Design Workgroup Releases Report
HB 1841, introduced by Delegate Mark Keam, was enacted into law pursuant to the 2021 Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly (see Chapter 130 of the Acts of Assembly, 2021 Special Session 1). The legislation directs the Commissioner of Highways or his designee to convene a Working Group (WG) comprised of relevant stakeholders to […]
Visit Accomack County and the Accomack County Courthouse
Location: 23316 Courthouse Avenue / Front Street Built: 1899 – 1901 Style: Romanesque Revival and Victorian Architect: B F Smith Fireproof Construction Company Contractor: B F Smith Fireproof Construction Company Description: The building faces south and is a two-story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center […]
Testimonial: Peace of Mind & Financial Security With cashVest®
Testimonial: Peace of Mind & Financial Security With cashVest® Livingston County, NY Administrator Ian Coyle discusses the benefits of partnering with three+one® and maximizing resources with cashvest®. As a FinTech tool for public entities, the peace of mind and financial security provided by our liquidity management and data are critical. Yet as a people-first firm […]
Nationwide Webinar on Tax-Efficient Retirement Income
Baker Tilly SurveyNavigator®
Grocery Tax Legislation Advances
House and Senate versions of legislation to eliminate or reduce the tax on food for human consumption and personal hygiene products are moving towards conference committees. The Senate bill, SB 451 (Boysko), was heard in the House Finance Committee this week, and conformed to the House bill (HB 90 (McNamara)), with one important amendment. As […]
Capitol Contact ALERT! School Financing Bills to be Heard Friday Morning – Call House Finance Committee Members to Support the Bills
SB 472 (McClellan) would permit any county or city to impose an additional local sales and use tax of up to 1 percent, if initiated by a resolution of the local governing body and approved by voters at a local referendum. The revenues of such local tax would be used solely for capital projects for […]
Bill to Address Impacts to Farm and Forest Land Due to Large Scale Solar Projects Passes House
HB 206 (Webert), if adopted, would require the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to include an analysis of impacts to prime agricultural soils and forestlands when reviewing applications for utility-scale solar installations under its Permit-by-Rule (PBR) process. The bill passed the House of Delegates 67-32 and will likely be heard in Senate Agriculture, Conservation and […]
Bills to Improve Collection of Taxes for Short-Term Rentals Moving Forward
HB 518 (Head) and SB 651 (Vogel) revisit and refine legislation from 2021 that required that taxes due on a sale of transient accommodation be calculated based on the total charges paid by the customer, including any accommodations fee charged by an accommodations intermediary. HB 518 and SB 651 make clear that the room charge […]
Legislation Impacting Collective Bargaining Defeated
On February 21, three bills engrossed by the House of Delegates that would impact the ability of local governments to enter in collective bargaining agreements with union or employee representatives were passed by indefinitely in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on votes of 12-3. As previously reported, enacted legislation from the 2020 session permits […]
Money Committees Report Budgets
The House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees met on Sunday, February 20, and reported their respective amendments to the introduced budget. Preliminary information on the proposed amendments was made available to the public on Sunday, with the actual text of budget amendments to be unveiled on Tuesday, February 22. The full House and […]