An expansion of the regional airport and an overhaul of the way funding for K-12 education is determined are among the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission’s legislative priorities going into the 2025 General Assembly session.
The commission is in its second year of compiling and lobbying for legislative action that would benefit the entire region, both urban and rural areas. The RVARC is unique in its approach — many regional planning commissions in Southside and Southwest Virginia have not yet developed a list of legislative priorities to lobby General Assembly members.
“There aren’t very many regional legislative efforts,” said Jeremy Holmes, executive director of RVARC. “Particularly with our smaller rural communities, they didn’t do legislative agendas, they didn’t do legislative work and they really needed that help. Understanding how [our] rural and urban localities interacted, and the things they complimented, helped everybody. We need to have a stronger legislative voice for our entire region and share those things that helped everybody.”
The commission has developed a one-sheet paper with its priorities, along with a postcard-sized handout, to give to legislators in Richmond during the session.
“We just want everyone to know that, hey, we’re not just advocating for the region, we’re advocating together as a region and putting our thoughts on paper to share with the delegates,” said Phil North, the commission’s legislative committee chair and chair of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. “We’ve all got to be singing from the same hymn book to get traction.”
Investments in transportation infrastructure, specifically upgrades to U.S. 220 and a study to explore an expansion for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, are top of mind for the commission.
“If you compare North Carolina and Virginia, we’re anemic in terms of funding for airports,” Phil North said. “When people want to come visit … they don’t want to have to take two flights to get here and spend a half to three-quarters of the day traveling each way, it limits their time here, and it also can become costly.”
Other areas of interest for the RVARC include economic development focused on jobs and houses and an overhaul of the stress test — the composite index of local ability to pay — used to determine education funding, including funding for construction of new school facilities.
What is a regional planning district commission?
The Virginia General Assembly passed the Regional Cooperation Act in 1968, which called for the formation of different regional volunteer bodies, 21 total today, that brings together locally elected or appointed people with citizens to discuss and determine needs and solutions to tackle regional problems.
Each regional commission is tasked with developing a plan to advocate for enhancing the quality of life and strengthening localities within the commission’s bounds.
There are nine regional commissions across Southside and Southwest Virginia, including RVARC, each with its own unique set of challenges and goals, though there is some overlap regarding priorities. Many identified the need to develop the region’s workforce and access to affordable housing as key priorities in a recent survey conducted by Cardinal News.
All but two of the nine regional planning district commissions responded when asked about their legislative priorities for the upcoming General Assembly session; see what they had to say, below.
Region 1: Lenowisco Planning District Commission
The Lenowisco Planning District Commission serves Lee, Wise and Scott counties and the city of Norton.
Duane Miller, executive director of the planning commission, said the commission hopes to see in the legislative session a continued focus on diversifying the regional economy with new energy initiatives that complement the production of existing energy producers like coal and gas. The commission would like to see the continued construction of new and improved broadband infrastructure; an emphasis on new water and wastewater service infrastructure; and research programs development at Mountain Empire Community College and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Region 2: Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission
The Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission serves Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties and the towns within those counties.
Scotty Wampler, executive director of the planning commission, said the commission’s main focus going into the legislative session is the development of affordable housing to support the region’s economic and workforce development.
“The PDC is in regular contact with its funding partners concerning this issue and we anticipate exploring new housing projects in 2025,” he said.
Region 3: Mount Rogers Planning District Commission
The Mount Rogers Planning District Commission serves Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington, and Wythe counties as well as the cities of Bristol and Galax.
The planning commission did not respond when asked about its legislative priorities.
Region 4: New River Valley Regional Commission
The New River Valley Regional Commission serves Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski counties, and the city of Radford.
Kevin Byrd, executive director for the regional commission, said that, historically, the organization has not developed a legislative priorities list.
“Last year we worked extensively on increasing funding to planning district commissions across the commonwealth and that was included, so we do not have any specific legislative items this session,” he said.
Region 5: Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission serves Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and Roanoke counties, the cities of Covington, Roanoke and Salem, and the towns of Clifton Forge, Rocky Mount and Vinton.
The regional commission plans to focus its legislative priorities on transportation infrastructure upgrades, economic development focused on jobs and houses, and an overhaul of the stress test used to determine education funding, including funding for construction of new school facilities.
Region 6: Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission serves Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge and Rockingham counties, the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro, and 11 towns.
Ann Cundy, executive director of the planning commission, said it doesn’t develop a legislative agenda, but it has encouraged its member jurisdictions to highlight the need for additional funding to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to cover the cost of the mandated water supply plan updates that begin in 2025.
“The process is time consuming, expensive and currently underfunded at DEQ,” she said.
Region 11: Central Virginia Planning District Commission
The Central Virginia Planning District Commission serves Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties, the city of Lynchburg, and the towns of Altavista, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Brookneal.
Alec Brebner, executive director of the planning commission, said the body does not develop or adopt a legislative agenda.
Top issues, according to the commission’s website, include a comprehensive economic development plan, flood resilience and watershed planning, and assessment of expanding, redeveloping or reusing existing property.
Region 12: West Piedmont Planning District Commission
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission serves Franklin, Henry, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties, the cities of Danville and Martinsville and the town of Rocky Mount.
The planning commission did not respond when asked about its legislative priorities.
Region 13: Southside Planning District Commission
The Southside Planning District Commission serves Halifax, Mecklenburg and Brunswick counties, and the towns of South Boston and South Hill.
Deborah Gosney, executive director of the planning commission, said the body’s top issues are affordable housing, repurposing or demolishing abandoned vacant downtown buildings, out-migration of youth and population decline.
She said she hoped to see increased dollars targeted to support affordable housing programs, industrial site development, and continued support for the reuse of vacant downtown buildings.
