eNews – April 10, 2026
Register for the Small Towns Conference, General Assembly webinars coming soon, VML accepting policy committee nominations...and more!
Friday, April 10, 2026/Categories: eNews
This edition of eNews is sponsored by Virginia Energy Sense (VES) helping residents better understand how they use energy and how they can reduce both consumption and costs. Learn more >
In this issue:
VML News
Finance
Announcements
Resources
Opportunities
VML News
Register now! Only one month until the 2026 Small Towns Conference in Chincoteague
One fee covers all the offerings outlined below. Learn more and register here >.
May 13 – Pre-Conference Program & Reception
1:00pm – 4:30pm | Local Workshop: Tools & Materials for Building Communities
What are the tools and materials used for building and revitalizing communities? How can you make informed decisions that positively affect the growth of your community? This interactive workshop will provide a better understanding of the many components of community building, such as zoning & land use, transportation, historic preservation, placemaking & open space planning, and economic development.
5:00pm – 6:30pm |Reception at Steamers Restaurant
Whether you are coming from the afternoon program or just getting into town for the conference the next day, please join us!
May 14-15 – Small Towns Conference & Reception
The Small Towns Conference provides an overview of topics related to local government management specifically geared towards small town issues. This conference invites elected officials, including council members and mayors, town managers, and leadership staff to learn, network, and share resources and ideas.
Schedule:
- Continental breakfast will be available at 8:30am both mornings with programming beginning at 9:00am.
- VML Community Business Member Virginia American Water will host a reception (appropriately with a water view!) at the Ropewalk Restaurant 5:00pm – 6:30pm on May 14.
- The conference will conclude at 11:00am on May 15.
Full agenda coming soon!
For information on lodging, the latest updates, and to register visit VML’s website here >.
See you in Chincoteague!
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
VML General Assembly Session Review: Webinars scheduled for April 27 and April 28
The 2026 General Assembly Session is over, with a special session scheduled for April 23 to address the 2026-2028 budget.
VML invites officials and staff from our member localities to join us for a webinar to review the actions of the 2026 General Assembly most important to you.
The webinars are free, but registration is required.
Please use the links below to register for the appropriate Zoom session prior to the event.
Town Section: General Assembly Session Review Webinar
City & Urban Sections: General Assembly Session Review Webinar
We look forward to seeing you later this month!
VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org
VML's 2026 policy process is underway!
VML has five policy committees that meet once in July to learn about issues; review, revise, and propose VML policy positions; and recommend issues for consideration by VML's legislative committee. The draft policy statements are reviewed and voted on by the VML membership during the annual business meeting.
You can read more about VML’s policy committees on the policy page on VML’s website.
- Who's eligible to serve? VML full-member local governments may nominate their governing body members, appointed officials, and senior-level staff/department directors to serve on a committee. No more than two individuals from the same locality can serve on the same committee.
- How many committees can an individual join? One committee per person, please.
- How do committees meet? Committee meeting dates and times will be announced soon; all meetings will be held on Zoom.
- How can I sign up? Policy committee nominations forms were recently sent to VML-member managers and clerks. If you wish to be nominated, please submit your forms by May 15, 2026.
VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org
VML partners with Virginia Energy Sense
VML is pleased to announce a partnership with Virginia Energy Sense (VES) that will allow information and resources to reach our member localities through this newsletter, our magazine, and at events.
VES is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s statewide energy education program, administered through the State Corporation Commission, that helps residents understand how they use energy and how they can reduce both consumption and costs. The program provides practical tools, resources, and guidance that enable Virginians to make informed decisions about energy use in their homes and businesses. By promoting energy efficiency, VES helps individuals lower utility bills, improve home comfort, and contribute to a more sustainable future. The program highlights how reducing energy use can free up household funds for other needs while also supporting healthier environments and long-term environmental benefits.
Virginia Energy Sense informs communities across the Commonwealth to adopt practical upgrades and better understand their energy usage. Learn more at https://www.virginiaenergysense.org.
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Finance
No budget yet…but rumblings begin to be felt
Based on activity in the General Assembly Building the past few weeks, it would be difficult to claim that a final budget deal is imminent. However, it hasn’t been total silence on the budget front. Governor Spanberger sounded optimistic on Wednesday that an agreed-upon budget was within reach, citing conversations that she’s had with Senator Louise Lucas, the Chair of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committees, and author of the Senate’s budget (SB30).
It’s important to keep in mind that SB30 includes a provision to end the current sales and use tax exemptions for data center equipment at the end of 2026. Sunsetting the exemption for data centers results in significant revenues for the state’s coffers and allows for additional spending in the Senate’s budget. Removing the exemption also brings in monies for transportation and local governments (according to Slide 9 of the SFAC presentation dated February 26, 2026).
Earlier in the week, Senator Lucas appeared less sanguine about having a finalized budget any time soon. And Delegate Luke Torian, Chairman of House Appropriations seemed to agree, highlighting the fact that conversations between the budget conferees had been minimal since a breakfast meeting Governor Spanberger convened during the last few weeks of the 2026 Session.
The Rolling Stones may have believed that “time was on [their] side”, but it’s not clear that time is on the side of the Commonwealth’s budget-writers as the calendar approaches mid-April. In fact, it appears that time, to quote Paul Simon, continues to “slip slide away.”
As localities continue to fine tune their budgets, we can only hope that the Commonwealth can finalize its fiscal plan, so local governments can complete theirs.
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Fiscal Distress Report for one town can serve as guidance for other localities
Last month, the Berkley Group released its report to the Commission on Local Government on the financial challenges facing the Town of Tangier. However, staff and officials in localities across the Commonwealth may find the document useful in understanding how an outside entity like the Berkley Group assesses the fiscal health of a community. According to the document, “The report outlines the Commonwealth’s [fiscal distressed communities] process, provides background on the Town of Tangier, and provides a roadmap for the locality to improve its financial viability.”
The document contains a number of useful tools and metrics that localities may want to consider as they oversee the fiscal health of their own communities. The report begins on page eight of this document.
Last July the Town of Tangier was flagged by the Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) as a locality that met the criteria for fiscal distress and assistance from the Commonwealth, ultimately resulting in the more in-depth analysis reflected in the recent report (that initial review can be found here).
In the report, The Berkley Group points out that, “Throughout this assessment process, town officials have been cooperative with information requests, meeting with the consultant team, and expressing a willingness to improve their financial situation.”
In recent years, a lot of attention has been paid to ways in which the process of identifying and assisting localities in fiscal trouble could be enhanced. While the road ahead will undoubtedly be difficult for the town of Tangier and many other localities, the approach taken in this instance may prove to be a model to be used in future years when it becomes necessary to act to improve a town’s financial viability.
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Announcements
ARPA reports are due by the end of the month
The 2026 APRA annual reporting period is open. The portal is officially open from April 1-April 30, and both annual and quarterly reporters must submit their reports this month.
Dante Moreno from the National League of Cities (NLC) is offering biweekly office hours and VML members needing assistance are welcome to schedule appointments.
Regarding closeout:
- The deadline to participate in early closeout was March 14. Nationally, ~12,000 municipalities were invited to closeout, ~7,000 initiated closeout, and ~2,500 formally closed it out.
- Municipalities that submitted an early closeout report will not be able (or need) to submit their 2026 report.
- Everyone who didn't submit their early closeout report will need to submit their 2026 report before April 30.
- If you are ready to closeout they will need to select "yes" on the closeout question in the report, and batches of closeout invitations should start to go out during the last week of May.
NLC does not expect Treasury to provide the helpful Excel tracking sheets again this year, but they are doing their best to get similar information.
Resources:
NLC Contact: Dante Moreno, moreno@nlc.org
Regulating e-cigarette retailers: Survey for the Joint Commission on Health Care
The General Assembly's Joint Commission on Health Care is studying the public health impacts of E-Cigarette sales in Virginia. The Commission has asked VML for help with disseminating a brief (10-minute) survey to local governments regarding local ordinances/regulations addressing E-Cigarette sales.
The survey collects information on whether your locality has any ordinances related to e-cigarette retailers, the key features of such ordinances, and their associated enforcement practices.
Here is the link to the Commission's survey:
https://forms.gle/mQRabfkDYJd3LMwh7
Joint Commission on Health Care Contact: Khadeejat Lawal, klawal@jchc.virginia.gov
Resources
VDH offering training on mass incident preparation
As a part of its Community-Based Emergency Response Series (CBERS), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is offering a series of one-day critical mass (mass care, mass fatality, and ass casualty) tabletop exercises across the Commonwealth.
The target audience includes public information officers, emergency management professionals, public health responders, public safety, health care providers, social services professionals, behavioral health professionals and allied partners.
Participants will examine their ability to coordinate multiple agency responses to a complex incident; discuss shelter activation and management during a complex incident; examine implementation of fatality management and family assistance operations; evaluate participants’ ability to effectively communicate with the public and stakeholders during a complex incident; and identifying logistics, planning, and interagency coordination gaps.
Upcoming sessions are scheduled for:
- May 7: Weyers Cave
- May 8: Culpeper
- May 12: Roanoke
- May 14: Abingdon
- May 19: Chesapeake
- May 21: Newport News
- May 28: Fairfax
- June 3: Dinwiddie
Registration and more information are available here:
CBERS 2026: Critical Mass (Mass Care, Mass Fatality, and Mass Casualty Tabletop Exercise) - Emergency Preparedness
VDH Contact: Suzi Silverstein, Suzi.silverstein@vdh.virginia.gov
Opportunities
Virginia DEQ seeks feedback on future needs for Water Quality Improvement Fund
As in previous years, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking feedback from localities to assist in determining future needs for the Water Quality Improvement Fund.
The survey can be accessed here >.
Submit a response to this survey if you are an owner desiring WQIF grant funds for eligible project and:
- An existing grant agreement has been executed for your project AND a modification will be proposed to increase the grant amount due to changed conditions; OR
- You have submitted an application for your project but do not have an executed grant agreement from DEQ; OR
- You have not yet submitted an application for your project.
VML encourages members to participate in this survey so local needs needs are accurately captured for future funding discussions. Accurate needs assessments have been essential for this program which has directed significant state resources to local capital improvement projects. Reducing nutrient loads from point sources benefits local water quality as well as the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Reducing nutrient loads is a critical component of Virginia’s commitment to clean up the Bay.
Please see the memo from DEQ for more information.
About WQIF
WQIF is a state funding program that provides finances projects to reduce nutrient flows into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This survey is used to determine the future needs for nutrient reduction projects such as technical assistance and financial assistance for the planning, designing and construction of point source nutrient reduction which includes capital projects such as at wastewater plants.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
VDEM announces application period for FY24 and FY25 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
FEMA has announced the release of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY24 & FY25 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant funding opportunity which includes a total of $1B in funding for this nationally competitive program.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) is currently accepting pre-applications and applications for this funding cycle. VDEM will provide additional details and upcoming webinar information soon!
VDEM Application Open Date: March 25, 2026
VDEM Application Close Date: May 25, 2026
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program makes federal funds available for hazard mitigation activities with the goal of lowering future disaster costs. Key changes from previous years, include a shift toward narrower, construction-ready infrastructure projects, stronger emphasis on building codes, stricter funding caps per project, and streamlined review, while eliminating broad planning and phased funding paths that were previously accepted.
Allowable project types
Capability- and Capacity-Building Activities – activities that directly support infrastructure resilience, such as the adoption, enforcement, and implementation of hazard-resistant building codes. These activities must be directly tied to infrastructure projects such as building code adoption/enforcement, related technical training and project scoping activities for specific infrastructure are eligible. Hazard Mitigation Plan development or updates, and project scoping activities not directly supporting a specific infrastructure project are not eligible under BRIC.
Hazard Mitigation Projects – cost-effective infrastructure and construction projects designed to increase resilience and public safety; reduce injuries and loss of life; and reduce damage and destruction to property, critical services, facilities, and infrastructure (including natural systems) from a multitude of natural hazards, including drought, wildfire, earthquakes, and the effects of natural weather disasters. Only infrastructure and construction projects that have, at a minimum, a conceptual design are eligible; phased projects are not eligible.
Application submission
All project applications, and supporting documentation, must be submitted through VDEM EM Grants. If you do not have a VDEM EM Grants account, please register for an account here and indicate the reason as BRIC application, and the program category as Hazard Mitigation Assistance. VDEM staff will review and approve your account request, at which point you can begin the pre-application and application process.
Please do not attempt to submit your application in FEMA GO.
VDEM Contact: For more information on the application process and eligibility criteria, contact your locality’s VDEM regional hazard mitigation grant administrator listed here.
Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative: Free workshop in Williamsburg April 21
The Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative is hosting a free workshop on Tuesday, April 21 for a workshop discussing NOAA’s updates to geodetic vertical datums and tidal datums.
Vertical datums are the baseline standards from which we derive land elevation and marine-based measurements like mean low water, mean high water, and mean sea level. NOAA and the National Geodetic Survey are in the process of updating vertical and tidal datums. Several of these derived measurements are addressed in state a local government codes and ordinances.
This workshop will focus on a project funded by NOAA through the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, where references to tidal datums, vertical datums, and their derived measurements were catalogued and assessed for potential impacts from pending updates.
Topics will include background on datums and their use in state and local codes in Virginia; how the VCRC, VIMS, and CBNERR-VA approached this research and catalogued references; the results of an analysis of these changes on Virginia state and local laws; and discussion on possible ways to address these impacts.
The workshop will be held from 9:30am to 1:00pm at William & Mary’s School of Education at 301 Monticello Ave, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Registration is free and lunch will be provided. Following various presentations on aspects of the project and preliminary conclusions, ample time for discussion is built in to garner feedback on next steps and address questions. We encourage you to share this event with your networks, particularly state and local government officials and employees, and planning district commissions who will see the most impact from these updates.
REGISTRATION: You can use this link to register for the workshop.
FLYER: A PDF promotional flyer is available here >.
AGENDA: A PDF of the workshop agenda is available here and on the VCRC website.
Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative Contact: Thomas Ruppert, tkruppert@wm.edu
2026 Virginia Recovery Conference happening June 15-17
The 2026 Virginia Recovery Conference, hosted by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority’s (OAA) non-profit foundation, will take place June 15–17, 2026, at the historic Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center in Roanoke, Virginia. This inaugural statewide gathering will highlight best practices in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery. Featuring four general sessions and 20 breakout sessions, this event showcases real‑world examples of how Virginia communities are putting opioid settlement funds to work to save lives and strengthen families.
Because interest in this conference is exceptionally high, attendance is capped at 400 participants, and it is expected to sell out quickly. To ensure that Virginia’s public-sector professionals have the first opportunity to attend, registration for state and local government employees is being opened early, ahead of all other registrants. This early-access registration window is available now through April 6. After this date, registration will open to all remaining interested parties on a first‑come, first‑served basis until capacity is reached.
We strongly encourage you to register as early as possible to secure your spot.
Special Benefits for 2026 Attendees:
- Opportunities for statewide networking and collaboration with leaders in prevention, treatment, recovery, and community partnerships as well as vendors and suppliers from across the Commonwealth.
- Access to practical tools and innovations communities are using to address the opioid epidemic.
- A complimentary professional portrait/headshot, taken onsite and provided at no additional cost.
Use of Opioid Settlement Funds:
Conference registration fees, hotel lodging, meals, and related travel expenses qualify as an allowable use of opioid settlement funds, as the event directly supports capacity-building, training, and knowledge-sharing related to substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives statewide.
Event & Registration Details:
OAA Contact: Tony McDowell, tmcdowell@voaa.us