Cybersecurity: A Better Way to Test Readiness than Experiencing Reality

Cybersecurity: A Better Way to Test Readiness than Experiencing Reality Let’s face it, when it comes to some realities it is best to not experience them at all. No one wants to experience a fire in their home or a devastating earthquake, tornado, tsunami, or pandemic. Similarly, no one wants their privacy stolen or the […]

DCJS Announces New Funding Opportunities for Local Governments

DCJS has announced several new funding opportunities that local governments in Virginia can take advantage of. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Grant Program Through the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) grant program, approximately $4,000,000 is available to assist with preventing, preparing for, and responding to the novel coronavirus. Each applicant can request up to […]

American Rescue Plan: Opportunities to Fund Water Infrastructure Policies

VACo is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar on the American Rescue Plan and ways ARP funds can be used for water infrastructure priorities. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, an $65.1 billion allocation for local government to use to respond to acute pandemic response needs, […]

Governor Presents Good News to Money Committees in Report on State Finances

Governor Northam brought encouraging news to the “money committees” in his August 18 report on state revenues, with strong growth in all major General Fund revenue sources resulting in a record surplus of $2.6 billion in FY 2021.  Although the Governor noted that uncertainty remains regarding the future course of the COVID-19 pandemic, he described […]

$700 Million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds to go to Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) and other Broadband Updates

As part of the August 9 Appropriations Act allocating federal relief funding approved by the General Assembly and Governor Northam, Virginia will see a massive influx of funding to the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI). This represents an historic investment in broadband infrastructure and will hopefully help achieve universal broadband coverage by 2024. The Commonwealth Connect […]

Visit Tazewell County and Fort Witten

The original Fort Witten was constructed in 1774 by Thomas Witten as a defensive structure during hostilities with Native Americans. A small militia was stationed at the fort during Lord Dunmore’s War. The blockhouse style building contained two rooms, one upper and one lower, with the upper room being slightly larger than the base. During […]

Turn Your Data Points Into Revenue

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FOIA Training information

The FOIA council staff will be hosting the following live webinar FOIA trainings during the months of August and September. If you are have any problems registering for a training session, please try using another internet browser such as Google Chrome, as the staff  has received reports that Internet Explorer doesn’t load the webpage properly. […]

VACo’s Chris McDonald Graduates From The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership

Pictured – Larry Roberts (Director, Sorensen Institute), Chris McDonald, and Lauren Gilbert (Associate Director and Director of Programs, Sorensen institute). After nearly two years of coursework, classroom instruction, meetings, and travel across the Commonwealth, VACo Director of Government Relations Chris McDonald graduated from The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. The Sorensen Institute, an initiative of […]

General Assembly Approves Plan for Federal Relief Dollars

The General Assembly approved a package of amendments to the 2021 Appropriations Act on August 9 to appropriate federal relief funding that is being provided to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act.  The Governor signed the budget bill on August 10, so the revisions are now in effect.  The revised budget appropriates approximately […]

General Assembly Adopts Governor’s Amended Budget Language Addressing Primary Overtime Compensation Concerns

The General Assembly approved language and added additional language to Governor Ralph Northam’s budget amendments addressing the Department of Labor and Industry’s (DOLI) interpretation of Delegate Mike Mullins’ HB 2063, which was passed earlier this year. The DOLI interpretation overturned the longstanding provision of the Fair Labor Stands Act that allowed public agencies to offer […]