The 2016, 60-day session of the Virginia General Assembly gavels in on January 13.
The legislature will craft a two-year budget, which will be Governor McAuliffe’s first chance to put his stamp on the state’s finances. While Virginia’s economy lags behind the national average, revenue is up more than average for the first time since I was elected in 2009 and there are many unmet needs worthy of funding.
Now that this years’ election has concluded and budget season is here, it is time for the Prince William Board of County Supervisors to make good on their campaign promises.
At the December 1 Board meeting, Chairman Stewart took the first steps to follow through on his promises to improve the County’s business climate and expand the commercial tax base by announcing the introduction of an aggressive economic development agenda in the coming weeks. What exactly can we hope to expect from the Chairman’s economic development plan?
To the Editor:
You recently published a letter to the editor from the chair of the Prince William Democratic Committee regarding Dominion’s request for a water permit modification for Possum Point Power Station that will enable the company to close its coal ash ponds at the facility.
Dominion Power has applied for a permit to discharge millions of gallons of toxic waste water into Quantico Creek, a tidal water way that flows in to the Potomac River and eventually in to the Chesapeake Bay.
The toxic waste that Dominion is proposing to discharge comes from unlined coal ash ponds at the Possum Point power plant that are leaking in to ground water and contains fatal to life heavy metals including arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury and numerous other toxic and life killing substances.
At the State Senate annual Finance Retreat two weeks ago, staff updated the State Senate on Virginia’s economy, projected revenues and significant budget issues expected during the 2016 session to begin on January 13. The news is a mixed bag.
First, Virginia’s economy is still struggling. Thanks to the “Sequester,” large, across-the-board, federal budget cuts, federal spending in Virginia is down by 33 percent over just last year. That’s $24 billion fewer dollars coming into the Virginia economy. Not surprisingly, economic growth has been flat statewide. Twelve percent of homes are still short sales due to stagnant home prices and our predicted economic growth for 2016 is about one-third less than the national rate.
Last week, I joined the Virginia Senate’s Finance Committee in Portsmouth for briefings on Virginia’s economy, revenue projections and other important issues facing the state legislature. More on that later. While in Portsmouth, I toured two significant and under-appreciated Virginia assets.
While neither the shipyard nor the Port is located in Northern Virginia, both have a significant impact on our quality of life and the entire state’s economy. A healthy Port of Virginia has beneficial ripple effects across the whole state.
November is National Adoption Month in America, a time when our nation celebrates and raises awareness about adoption. While all adoption stories are important, the particular focus of this month is the adoption of children currently in foster care.
There are millions of orphans all over the world who desperately need families. Here in America, there are also children who don’t have the love and security of a stable family.
My name is Riley Kotlus and I am an 11 year old student in Prince William County.
Two years ago my family moved so that we could be closer to my dad’s job so he could get to work faster. My dad commutes to work everyday.
As I criss-cross eastern Prince William County in my quest to become the next Occoquan Supervisor, people at their doors tell me that traffic congestion is a nightmare and getting worse, especially during extended rush hours and when school is in session.
While our major interstate arteries are clogged, most conversations at the doors are about congestion on Old Bridge Road, Smoketown Road, Davis Ford Road, Yates Ford Road, and similar roadways.
Betty Covington is the right choice for Potomac District, Prince William County School Board. Betty has dedicated her life to helping children, standing up for teachers, giving back to her community.
It was an honor to serve with her on the school board from 2003-2009. You always know where she stands, on the side of our students, teachers and parents.
