The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) has awarded Delegate David L. Bulova its ninth Legislator of the Year Award. The award honors legislators who serve as ambassadors for the advancement of regional planning and cooperation. Bulova represents the 37th House District, which includes the City of Fairfax and part of Fairfax County.
“PDCs and local governments across the Commonwealth benefited from Delegate Bulova’s leadership in helping secure additional state funding for PDCs. The $14,000 especially goes a long way toward helping small PDCs," said VAPDC President Kim Callis. "As the chairman of the Agriculture Commerce and Natural Resources subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee last year, Delegate Bulova worked to successfully steer the VAPDC request through the legislative process.”
The VAPDC initiated a funding request in the 2021 General Assembly to increase the state contribution to all planning district commissions/regional councils by $14,000 per year. “Delegate Bulova worked diligently on the VAPDC request. The funds help us to match against grants and other things that we otherwise may not be able to do,” said Robert Lazaro, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
“I appreciate being honored with the 2022 Legislator of the Year award from the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions,” said Delegate Bulova. “You are really unsung heroes in terms of helping foster that collaboration among localities. It makes for better policy and better decision-making.”
Delegate Bulova currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee, as well as the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee and the General Laws Committee. He is an environmental planner who previously served on the staff of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
VAPDC's leadership created the Legislator of the Year Award to recognize public officials who not only support regional collaboration, but who are actively engaged in public policy efforts that advance economic prosperity in the Commonwealth.
The first planning district commissions (PDCs) were established in 1969 following enactment the prior year of the Virginia Area Development Act by the General Assembly. There are 21 PDCs and regional commissions in Virginia made up of elected officials and citizens appointed by local governments. The purpose of the PDCs is to encourage and facilitate regional solutions to problems of area-wide significance, by promoting the efficient development of the physical, social, and economic policies of all districts by assisting local governments to plan for the future. The PDCs of Virginia have joined together to create the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions to share best practices, and advance regionalism across the commonwealth.
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