SB 620 (Cosgrove), which would impose new restrictions on the local budget process, was passed by indefinitely in the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee this morning. The original bill would have required a referendum to be held if real estate tax revenues were projected to increase by more than 101 percent over the previous year’s collections and the locality did not reduce tax rates accordingly; the substitute proposal considered by the committee would have required a supermajority vote of two-thirds of the governing body if real property tax revenues would increase by 105 percent over the previous year’s and the tax rate was not reduced accordingly. A referendum would be required for increases beyond that level. A companion House measure has not yet been heard in House Finance.
HB 380 (Freitas), which would have eliminated BPOL, was tabled in a subcommittee of House Finance yesterday afternoon. HB 75 (Ware), which would have imposed restrictions on the authority to impose transient occupancy taxes and meals taxes that was granted to counties in 2020, was also tabled in House Finance subcommittee #2.
VACo spoke in opposition to both measures.
VACo is appreciative of members’ advocacy in working to defeat these problematic bills.
VACo Contact: Katie Boyle