VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch welcomed Delegate Terry Kilgore to the County Pulse Podcast to talk about the 2020 General Assembly Session. The two Scott County natives discussed Equal Taxing Fairness, budget amendments, legislation submitt

General Assembly Legislative Briefs | Episode 1

Jan 10th, 2020 9m 44s

VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch and Lancaster County Supervisor Jason Bellows discuss the start of the 2020 General Assembly Session and issues of interest to Counties.

A First Look at the Introduced Budget

Dec 30th, 2019 24m 25s

VACo’s Katie Boyle talks with economist Jim Regimbal about key elements of the Governor’s proposed budget, which was presented on December 17. VACo’s preliminary analysis of the budget is available at https://www.vaco.org/governor-presents-bie

Funding the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup and an Update on Utility-Scale Solar

Dec 12th, 2019 29m 26s

VACo staff Chris McDonald and Joe Lerch discuss recent announcements and developments in the arena of water quality and renewable energy.

Connecting the Commonwealth – Expanding Broadband Access in Virginia

Dec 11th, 2019 40m 54s

Access to affordable broadband is an essential component of modern life. The impacts of connecting individuals and communities to the internet range from increased economic development, improved student outcomes, and a more vibrant and engaged

The Future of Work

Oct 15th, 2019 28m 2s

VACo’s Angela Inglett speaks with Callan Dudley of Southern Landscape Group about the rising generation of workers. Callan shared how Southern Landscape Group is working with its local school system to inspire students with the employment possi

K-12 Public Education | Small and Rural Schools

Sep 25th, 2019 21m 12s

In this episode, Superintendent Keith Perrigan of Bristol City Public Schools and President of the Small and Rural Schools Coalition and Jason Bellows, District 3 Supervisor for Lancaster County, member of the VACo Board of Directors and VACo R

Virginia’s Veterans – Innovative Partnerships to Serve Those Who Served Us

Aug 22nd, 2019 26m 52s

According to a to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Virginia’s veteran population exceeded 725,000 individuals distributed across every locality in the Commonwealth. This constitutes approximately 3.6% of the total veteran population in the

Another Option

Jul 23rd, 2019 31m 45s

Frank Bossio (Former Culpeper County Administrator) and Sue Hansohn (Member of the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors) jump on the podcast to chat with Angela Inglett about workforce development and to explain why we should encourage young pe

A Breath of Fresh Air: Life in Rural Virginia

Jun 25th, 2019 18m 47s

In this episode, we meet the recently appointed Chair of the VACo Rural Caucus: Grayson County Administrator Bill Shepley. Bill talks to host Angela Inglett about his love for Rural Virginia, his vision for the Caucus, and his excitement about

A Conversation about Economic Trends with Jim Regimbal

Jun 19th, 2019 24m 25s

Katie Boyle talks with Jim Regimbal of Fiscal Analytics, Ltd., about key components of the budget adopted in 2019 and major economic factors shaping the next biennium budget.

Commonwealth Conversations - Senator Emmett Hanger

Jun 4th, 2019 27m 32s

VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch talks with Senate Finance Co-Chairman Emmett Hanger about key policy issues of interest to local governments, including transportation, broadband, and strengthening the state-local partnership.

Communication and Community – A View from Stafford County on Best Budgeting Practices for K-12 Education

May 30th, 2019 42m 15s

Meg Bohmke of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and VACo Executive Committee and Superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools Dr. Scott Kizner join VACo’s Jeremy Bennett to discuss the K-12 education budget process and collaboration

An Ounce of Prevention - Making a Case for Proactive Land Use Planning

May 13th, 2019 21m 41s

Attorney Sharon Pandak of Greehan Taves & Pandak and CEO Darren Coffey of the Berkley Group join VACo's Joe Lerch to discuss the benefit of having a proactive land use plan. Counties routinely budget dollars for legal expenses but rarely for lo

Loudoun County Preps for the 2020 Census

Apr 10th, 2019 18m 33s

Host Joe Lerch speaks with Gwen Kennedy, Loudoun County's Legislative Liaison, about what the Northern Virginia locality is doing to prepare for the 2020 Census approaches. This episode is sponsored by Enterprise Fleet Management - the No. 1 le

Preparing for the 2020 Census

Mar 29th, 2019 18m 12s

Host Katie Boyle talks with Margaret Nimmo Holland, Executive Director of Voices for Virginia’s Children, about the upcoming 2020 Census and efforts to ensure a successful count in Virginia. This episode is sponsored by Avaya -- a leading prov

2019 General Assembly Edition 5

Feb 22nd, 2019 14m 30s

In this episode, VACo Lobbyists Joe Lerch and Katie Boyle talk about the final days of the 2019 General Assembly Session - the conference process, what's next for the state budget, and some bills of interest to counties.

2019 General Assembly Edition 4

Feb 19th, 2019 34m 46s

Host Chris McDonald talks with VACo General Counsel Phyllis Errico and VACo Lobbyist Jeremy Bennett about a variety of issues, including agritourism, school modernization, school safety, FOIA, COIA, and much more.

2019 General Assembly Edition 3

Feb 12th, 2019 22m 16s

VACo Lobbyists Joe Lerch and Chris McDonald talk about a variety of issues, including alcohol reform, I-81 improvements, industrial hemp, casinos, proffers and much more.

2019 General Assembly Edition 2

Feb 8th, 2019 18m 37s

VACo Lobbyists Katie Boyle and Jeremy Bennett join Joe Lerch to talk about the state budget and give updates on the 2019 General Assembly Session. This special legislative episode of the VACo County Pulse is sponsored by The Berkley Group – a

2019 General Assembly Edition 1

Jan 17th, 2019 17m 30s

VACo Lobbyists Joe Lerch and Chris McDonald join Executive Director Dean Lynch to talk about the start of the 2019 General Assembly Session. The trio discusses issues such as solar, proffers, procurement, I-81, water quality, agriculture, and m

Transition to “Next Generation” NG9-1-1 with VITA’s Steve Marzolf

Nov 20th, 2018 21m 41s

Steve Marzolf, VITA’s Integrated Services Program Director, explains the Commonwealth’s plan to assist local governments with the migration of Next Generation NG9-1-1 technology. This podcast includes important information about the timetable a

Top Issues in Behavioral Health with Dr. Hughes Melton

Oct 23rd, 2018 28m 46s

Dr. Hughes Melton, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, sat down with VACo's Dean Lynch to discuss major issues in behavioral health, including efforts to address the addiction crisis and the effects o

The solar situation in Virginia

Sep 18th, 2018 27m 11s

Utility-Scale Solar Energy

Sep 18th, 2018 27m 5s

Utility-scale solar energy (USSE) projects are growing in size and number across the Commonwealth. Unlike a traditional electric generating facility, they are land intensive. One Megawatt (MW) of generation capacity typically requires the sitin