VML/VACo Finance

VML/VACo Finance offers local governments a flexible, easy-to-use, low-cost source of financing for all types of capital projects and equipment.  The Finance Program serves localities of all sizes, from the most highly rated cities to small, non-rated towns.  By pooling projects and sharing costs, VML/VACo Finance regularly achieves the lowest cost of financing available in the market today.  This is equally true for all types of borrowers financing through the program. 

Two financing options are available: the Pooled Bond Program and the Commercial Paper Program.  The Pooled Bond Program is a fixed-rate financing option in which AAA-rated insured municipal bonds are issued twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.  This option is typically used for longer-term financing of at least 10 years. 

The Commercial Paper Program, available year-round, is a flexible, low-cost, variable-rate financing alternative that is typically used to finance equipment, or capital projects on an interim basis or for up to 10 years.  Commercial paper loans can be repaid at any time without penalty. 

To learn more about how either of these two programs could help finance your next project, contact Steve Mulroy at 804/648-0635 or send e-mail to info@valocalfinance.org.  Visit our Web site at www.valocalfinance.org.

U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance

U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance pools the purchasing power of public agencies, achieves bulk volume discounts on behalf of public agencies, competitively solicits quality products through a lead public agency and provides a purchasing forum for public agencies nationwide. It is jointly sponsored by the National League of Cities, the Association of School Business Officials International, the National Association of Counties, the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. U.S. Communities was designed in cooperation with an advisory board of local government purchasing officials. http://www.uscommunities.org

GovDeals

GovDeals is a state-of-the-art auction service that allows VML members to conduct on-line transactions of surplus, abandoned and confiscated equipment and property via the Internet. Not only can VML members list their items for sale immediately as they are declared surplus, but they are instantly exposed to a large group of registered buyers interested in government surplus. Sellers pay a fee to GovDeals of 7 percent of the final sales price. GovDeals will present sellers -- at the end of each month -- with an itemized invoice of all items sold, the final sales price and its commission per item. http://www.govdeals.com

American Legal Publishing Corp.

The Virginia Basic Code, published by American Legal Publishing Corp. in cooperation with VML, is a complete model code of ordinances designed specifically for small cities and towns in Virginia. By utilizing the concept of shared cost to provide an economic alternative for codification, it allows Virginia towns to enjoy the benefits of codification without the substantial expense of a customized code.

Most sections are based directly on Virginia law or on model ordinances drafted by American Legal Publishing Corp. and reviewed by the Virginia Municipal League. In addition, the Virginia Basic Code is updated annually to keep your community current with changes in Virginia law.

Virginia Municipal Laws (2008 edition now available) is a single volume softbound manual containing all of the state law provisions that relate to local government. The manual is ideal for local and state government personnel, attorneys, real estate developers and other individuals who need ready reference to statutory material, but who don't need the entire 29-volume Code of Virginia.

For pricing and ordering information, please visit American Legal Publishing's Web site or contact Richard Frommeyer at 1-800/445-5588 or RFrommeyer@amlegal.com.

United States Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia

The United States Senate Productivity and Quality Award program is designed to cultivate continuous performance improvement of organizations through a process of knowledge sharing, evaluation and recognition. A non-profit organization, SPQA in Virginia is administered by a board of directors with assistance from the Mason Enterprise Center at George Mason University. Organizations seeking the award submit a formal application that describes in detail how they perform against essentially the same criteria used to evaluate recipients of another notable program known as the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. http://www.spqa-va.org

Virginia Local Government Web Alliance

The Virginia Local Government Web Alliance (VLGWA) was created in September 1999 by the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) and the Virginia Municipal League (VML) to provide a regular forum of communication among those responsible for web initiatives in their localities. This informal networking group has grown considerably and now holds meetings every other month, usually hosted in Charlottesville, Va., by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and the Virginia Institute of Government. All localities that have a web site or would like more information about starting a web site are invited to join. VLGWA has localities with resources ranging from a single IT staff person to an IT department with a staff of 300. http://www.vlgwa.org