eNews – May 9, 2025
Small Towns Conference updates, Broadband Together next week, Treasury ARPA reporting office hours...and more!
Friday, May 9, 2025/Categories: eNews
This edition of eNews is sponsored by PMA Architecture, a celebrated design, preservation & planning firm well-versed in community design, architecture & interior design. Learn more >.
In this issue:
VML News
Finance
Resources
Opportunities
VML News
Small Towns Conference: Preliminary details and schedule available; deadline to 
register is May 29!
It doesn’t matter how small – or how big – your town is, VML and Virginia Tech invite officials and staff from towns of all sizes to join us on the campus of Longwood University in Farmville on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6 for this event.
Program
A final agenda with individual session details will be posted in the coming weeks. However, for those already registered or considering registration please know that you can expect to hear from experts on a variety of town-centric topics, including:
- Remarks from 50th District Delegate Thomas C. Wright
- Making the Most of Economic Development Opportunities
- Helpful Hints for Working with VDOT on Local Projects
- An Introduction to the National League of Cities’ Small Town Program (Fun Fact: June is NLC's "Small Cities Month")
- LED Streetlight Conversions for Towns
- Water & Wastewater Considerations for Towns
- Housing Resources Available to Towns
- Emergency Management & Disaster Preparedness
- …and much more!
Schedule
Not including breaks, the schedule for the event runs as follows:
Thursday, June 5:
- 8:30 – 9:00 AM – Continental Breakfast & Registration
- 9:00 – 10:00 AM – Opening Remarks and “Town Stories” Networking
- 10:00 – 11:45 AM – Program
- 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM – Lunch
- 12:45 – 4:00 PM – Program
- 5:00 – 6:30 PM – Reception on the Hotel Weyanoke’s Catbird Rooftop Terrace
Friday, June 6:
- 8:30 – 9:00 AM – Full Breakfast
- 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Program
Registration deadline is May 29!
Don’t delay! Additional details and registration are available on VML’s website here >.
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Broadband Together Conference: May 14-15 in Richmond
The Broadband Association of Virginia in conjunction with Virginia DHCD and VML are pleased to present the 2025 offering of the Broadband Together Conference at the Short Pump Hilton May 14-15. This year’s theme is “Universal Broadband & Beyond” and features sessions on topics such as
- Building on Universal Connectivity
- BEAD Non-Deployment
- Digital Opportunity Subgrants
- Hurricane Recovery and Telecom Resiliency
- Artificial Intelligence
- Economic Development and Data Centers
- Driving Broadband Adoption
More information and registration are available here >.
VML Contact: Josette Bulova, jbulova@vml.org
VML now accepting 2025 Innovation Awards submissions
The Virginia Municipal League’s Innovation Awards celebrate the programs and individuals that make it possible for our local governments to solve pressing problems, address emerging needs, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Local governments of all sizes are encouraged to compete for coveted Innovation Awards across seven categories. The entries will be judged based on the scope and results of the project in relation to the community’s size, thereby putting all localities on a level playing field.
One of the seven category winners will be selected for the prestigious President’s Award for Innovation. The winner of the President’s Award will be revealed when all the award winners are honored during the Awards Banquet at the VML Annual Conference in Roanoke in October.
Don’t miss this premiere opportunity to spotlight innovative programs that make your town, city or county a great place for people to call home!
Learn more and download the entry form on VML’s website here >.
VML Contact: Manuel Timbreza, mtimbreza@vml.org
Please help determine federal tax-exempt properties in Virginia localities
The Virginia Municipal League, in conjunction with the City of Norfolk, is working to gather a comprehensive overview of the tax-exempt status of federal properties in Virginia's localities. We would very much appreciate your locality completing a brief survey (about 2 minutes) to let us know if you have any federal tax-exempt properties and, if so, the reason for the tax-exempt status.
Please complete the survey here >.
Thank you for your assistance!
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Finance
Local Comparative Reports are overdue for some counties, cities, and towns – Please respond ASAP
Late last month, the Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) issued its latest annual Comparative Report of Local Government Revenues and Expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, in accordance with § 15.2-2510 of the Code of Virginia.
According to the APA, 25 localities have not submitted their fiscal year 2024 transmittal data and audited financial reports including eight cities, ten counties, and seven towns. To fully comply with state law, local governments should submit the required information as soon as possible. VML staff can put you in contact with the appropriate staff at the APA if you require further assistance.
As a reminder, Virginia statute requires the treasurer or other chief financial officer of each locality to submit a detailed statement prepared according to the APA’s specifications “showing the amount of revenues, expenditures and fund balances of the locality for the preceding fiscal year, accompanied by the locality's audited financial report.” The report is due to the APA no later than December 15th of each year.
The submission is required to include a notarized statement from the chief elected official and the chief administrative officer of the locality that the locality's audited financial report has been presented to the local governing body.
As a reminder, the requirements of the Code “apply to all counties and cities, to all towns having a population of 3,500 or over, and to all towns constituting a separate school division regardless of their population.”
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Governor signs budget but vetoes 37 amendments in the face of muddled economic outlook
As promised, Governor Youngkin signed HB 1600, comprised of changes to the 2024-26 biennial budget. But he also used his line-item veto to reject more than three dozen amendments to pad the Commonwealth’s general fund’s bottom line by an additional $849 million as a safeguard against possible revenue declines.
It’s the second time in as many months that the Governor has acknowledged that the uncertainty unleashed by federal budget decisions and personnel actions as well as on-again, off-again tariff policies are creating sufficient economic headwinds to justify banking general fund resources.
When combined with the $51 million that was generated by budget amendments and vetoes approved at the Reconvened Session, the vetoes mean that there will be an additional pot of $900 million in cash when the Governor prepares his outgoing budgets in December. You may recall that Governor Youngkin proposed the creation of a revenue reserve deposit of $300 million in late March. That amount has now tripled to $900 million! This additional pool of resources combined with more than $4.0 billion from the Revenue Stabilization (aka Rainy Day) and Revenue Reserve Funds should provide additional ballast as the Commonwealth prepares to face stormy economic seas in the months ahead.
Capital projects at colleges and universities bore the brunt of Governor Youngkin’s veto pen, accounting for more than three-quarters or $646 million of the funding reductions. Other major funding line-item vetoes are listed in the below chart.
The Governor’s line-item vetoes also eliminated funding for several local projects including:
- $6.0 million for a water main improvement project in the City of Portsmouth;
- $5.9 million for Safer Communities and Community Violence Reduction Grants in the cities of Hampton, Chesapeake, and Newport News;
- $2.5 million for Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment;
- $2.3 million for Supplemental Groundwater Research;
- $1.5 million for Low-Barrier Emergency Shelters in the City of Charlottesville;
- $1.3 million for an ADA-compliant walking trail in Albemarle County;
- $1.2 million for the Occoquan Riverwalk project in Prince William County; and
- $1.0 million for the Town of Dumfries for restoration and flood mitigation.
Finally, the Governor vetoed budget language that would have required the Department of Taxation to estimate the general fund revenue impact from federal income tax law changes and inform the Governor and General Assembly. The amendment ultimately would have required the Governor to submit an introduced budget bill if the cumulative impact of federal amendments decreases general fund revenue by more than $100.0 million.
While the General Assembly’s original amendment was questionable, the Governor’s veto of it is also suspect. Because the amendment does not deal specifically with an appropriation, it’s not clear that it can be vetoed. It will be interesting to watch in the days ahead whether that veto and a few others that seem to push the envelope are permitted.
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Resources
Treasury and NLC offering ARPA compliance office hours
Treasury is currently hosting office hours to assist recipients that submitted P&E reports with some common reporting errors. The National League of Cities (NLC) is also holding office hours on Mondays and Thursdays. See NLC office hours registration link and more info here >.
Upcoming Treasury office hours:
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025: EST (Eastern Standard Time):
Wednesday, May 14th, 2025: EST (Eastern Standard Time):
Thursday, May 15th, 2025: EST (Eastern Standard Time):
Additional resources from Treasury
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Complete the SLAF Needs Assessment Survey by May 16
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking input to identify future funding needs for SLAF-eligible nutrient reduction projects in the Commonwealth. This survey intends to capture an estimate of the SLAF funding needed for permittees conducting stormwater projects in the near future. Please note that there are several new survey questions in this year’s survey. Please pay special attention to the first section of the survey where these changes occur.
Survey data will be used to prepare an estimate of the amount of SLAF matching grants expected to be requested by local governments. This will be included in the biennial funding report submitted to the Governor pursuant to § 2.2-1504 and included in the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Waters Clean-up Plan and Report submitted annually by the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to the Governor and the General Assembly pursuant to § 62.1-44.118. Submissions must be received by May 16, 2025, in order for DEQ to include your information in these related reports.
Access the survey here: bit.ly/4iLvzK4
DEQ Contact: Karen Doran, 804-836-5912 or cwfap@deq.virginia.gov
Opportunities
VDEM: $10M in flood mitigation grants available in Virginia
Virginia local governments with an approved and adopted hazard mitigation plan have a rare opportunity to apply for grant funds to elevate, acquire and demolish, or floodproof repetitive and severe repetitive loss properties. While flood insurance claims do not represent a comprehensive picture of flooding issues at the local level, they do indicate areas where it happens frequently and may be worthy of action.
Why mitigate?
Virginia has an extensive history of success stories. Studies show that projects in Virginia have a return on investment exceeding expected avoided flood losses by 87%. Want to learn more? Virginia Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Success Stories | VDEM.
Funding
The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program is a nationally competitive program. The $10M set-aside is specific for Virginia local governments as a result of Hurricane Helene. If the funding is not applied for and used, the funding returns to the federal government and Virginia loses out on that opportunity.
Applications are due to VDEM on May 13, so we want to hear from you now by submitting a pre-application at https://vdem.emgrants.com.
This is a statewide opportunity, but priority and resources will be given to localities in Southwest Virginia that were declared in Helene.
Staff and Resources
For the application:
- VDEM can provide assistance in the general scope of work, budget, and timeline. Local government will need to identify which properties they are including in the application. You should expect requests for information for additional information once the application is submitted. VDEM can continue to support.
For implementation:
- If awarded grant funds, 5% of the award can be used for management costs to oversee the grant project. Implementation of these projects usually takes a few years, so if you do not have the resources in place at this moment – there is a planning window to prepare.
Not only local governments can apply, but Planning District Commissions – if appropriate, can apply on behalf of the local government.
VDEM Contact: Katie Vugdalic, katie.vugdalic@vdem.virginia.gov
Coalition Against Bigger Trucks: Opportunity to sign letter being sent to Congress
In 2023, the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) sent a letter to Congress with the names of over 1,000 local government officials who shared the organization’s belief that bigger trucks are bad for America’s local communities.
With a new Congress considering recently introduced legislation to allow longer and heavier trucks, CABT is asking local leaders to add their names to the 2025 version of the letter.
It is very likely that votes on truck size and weight increases could be happening as soon as next month. Please consider adding your name to the joint letter.
Read the letter and add your name here >.
CABT Contact: Elizabeth Bolstad Ridler – Regional Director, ebolstad@cabt.org | (703) 201-7565
Spring edition of National Civic Review now available
The spring issue of the National Civic Review explores the evolving infrastructure of democracy and belong – from dinner tables to city halls. Articles examine how shared meals foster social connection, how local governments are reforming electoral systems and police oversight through public deliberation, and how communities are combining citizen assemblies with participatory budgeting. Contributors also highlight the civic muscle behind effective citizen engagement, discuss the seven principles for impactful citizens’ assemblies in practice, and reflect on the civic virtue of committing to a place. Together, these stories illuminate how communities are revitalizing democracy from the ground up.
Explore the online edition of NCR, made possible through VML's partnership with the National Civic League. Access it here >.
NCL Contact: Janet Darling, janet@grantwritingusa.net
It’s American Wetlands Month!
May is American Wetlands Month and communities thrive when the environment around them is healthy. Protecting your local wetlands leads to improved water quality, better flood control, and reduced shoreline erosion. In turn, these healthy habitats support your local economy. Some of the most valuable sectors of the Virginia economy depend on clean water and thriving wetlands:
- Lucrative commercial fisheries, like blue crab and oyster, annually have an economic value of more than $200 million.
- Outdoor recreation like fishing, boating, wetland-dependent bird hunting, and bird watching adds more than $9 billion to Virginia's economy each year.
- Access to public parks and other natural amenities helps attract and retain a strong workforce and improve quality of life for residents.
- Wetland restoration can protect pastures and cropland, contributing to Virginia’s robust agricultural sector.
Investing in wetlands is good for business. Wetlands are vital to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and in 2014, the region was calculated to provide at least $107.2 billion in natural benefits annually. Learn more about how to conserve wetlands and their valuable benefits at ProtectLocalWaterways.org.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Funding available from National Fitness Campaign for outdoor wellness infrastructure
Free, accessible outdoor wellness opportunities for communities and schools across Virginia are possible thanks to a continued partnership between National Fitness Campaign and Aetna.
In 2025, the sponsorship will provide more than $350,000 in new grant funding to communities and schools across the Commonwealth. This funding will be allocated to support municipalities across Virginia to join the growing National Fitness Campaign, building healthy infrastructure for smart communities and schools of the future. The campaign has expanded significantly in the past few years, with plans to welcome its 750th Healthy Community in America in 2025, fostering a healthier, more active country.
The program is designed to bring world-class healthy infrastructure to public spaces, along with consulting, funding, and community programming support. Watch NFC’s 3-minute video describing the program: Campaign Video.
The Town of Dumfries celebrated the launch of its Fitness Court in 2023 at Ginn Memorial Park. Town of Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood shared his enthusiasm for the community: "Based on our comprehensive plan and resolutions that had already passed in Dumfries, the Fitness Court Studio already aligned with the vision, creating unanimous support in the town. We chose the location for highest density and best walkability in town to make sure the space would be activated for years to come.”
In 2025, the program is seeking applications from municipalities of all sizes interested in building accessible outdoor wellness infrastructure to support the health and wellbeing of their residents. Funding is now available for 2025 applicants and is projected to be allocated over the next 60 days.
If you would like to join a 30-minute briefing to learn more about the NFC/Aetna wellness campaign in Virginia and how to qualify for funding, please fill out a short contact form at the link below. The briefings require the attendance of the Parks Director, Mayor, Town Manager, or Administrator to qualify for funding.
Sign up for briefing for funding qualification here >.
NFC Contact: Sarah Morgan, sarah@nfchq.com