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This past Monday, January 15th, I had the opportunity to travel to Richmond and spend most of the day in the General Assembly offices and in the state capitol. I got to see some familiar faces and make new connections with members of the General Assembly and their staff. I would like to thank Delegate Chad Green and his legislative aide, Trevor Webb, for providing me a temporary work space, letting me sit in on some planning sessions and for providing me with new insights on the state’s legislative process.
One of the reasons I visited Richmond was to speak with our representatives on matters important to York County. While there, I was able to schedule some one-on-one time with our current Delegates Chad Green and AC Cordoza, our former Delegate Amanda Batten and our Senator Danny Diggs.
While their schedules only allowed us to meet for a short time, I was able to cover several topics where I hope the state can provide assistance. Among those were:
- There is a desire with some members of the General Assembly this year to finally eliminate the car tax. While that would be a welcomed change for most every Virginian, we have to be watchful of how that would be accomplished. For example, one plan I’ve heard being discussed was to balance the reduction of car tax revenues by increasing the state sales tax rate. Given that York County already shares the highest sales tax rate in the state with Williamsburg and James City County, I urged everyone I spoke with against any action that would raise our sales tax. Any rise in the sales tax will be applied to most purchases York County citizens make and negatively impact local businesses as consumers possibly begin to look outside of the county to make large purchases. It has the potential to drive businesses out of the county and reduce local purchasing choices.
- Provide more funding to the Virginia State Police and/or the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office. The Virginia State Police is experiencing staffing and resources pressures at the same time the need for their services are increasing. This is forcing them to step away from performing some of the duties they have historically been responsible for in the county. Accordingly, this has required our Sheriff’s department to fill those gaps. Additional resources from the General Assembly would help to alleviate the strain our Sheriff’s Department is facing and help keep York County one of the safest communities in the area.
- Adding funding and resources to local VDOT maintenance operations. Request for VDOT-related services is one of the primary topics I speak with residents about. From road improvements, to ditch clearing/cleaning and roadside maintenance, there is a steady stream of service requests that VDOT processes. The Board of Supervisors receives a quarterly report on local VDOT activities and they complete many work requests throughout the year. However, there are many more that they are not able to complete in a timely manner due to a lack of personnel. Providing funding to augment their staff or to contract work out to 3rd parties could go a long way to eliminate the road/ditch/drainage issues many people in the county are experiencing.
One additional thought, this year’s session of the General Assembly is considered a long session but it only runs for 60 days. Beginning on January 10th, it is scheduled to adjourn on March 9th. Mid-February will see cross-over day (that’s the day each chamber receives the other chamber’s bills for review). I can say that all the legislators are moving quickly to introduce bills, make changes or amendments and bring them to the floor for votes.
If you would like to contact your state representatives to provide input on an existing bill or to ask them to introduce new legislation, now is the time to do so. The window for new bills or changes will quickly close for 2024. Virginia’s Legislative Information System is an excellent resource for anyone interested in following bills as they wind their way through the General Assembly.
Best regards,
Stephen
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