VA Film Office Adjusts its Focus as GA Lures Away Productions
In 2016, Virginia film tax credits and grants have totaled $9.5 million from the Virginia tax credit fund and the Governor's Motion Picture fund.
Funding in Place for Bridge-Tunnel Project
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission will finance the $756 million project through federal and state bonds, a revenue bond issue and contributions from the District's General Fund.
VA Approves 9 Regional Economic Areas
A new state-financed economic development initiative is moving forward to create regional councils to identify and cultivate clusters of like-minded businesses that can drive economic growth in nine regions of Virginia.
Three Economic Development Authorities Form Greater Williamsburg Partnership
Economic development authorities in Williamsburg, James City County and York County have joined forces to form the Greater Williamsburg Partnership (GWP). GWP said it plans to combine the assets of the three jurisdictions to recruit and stimulate new enterprises and expand existing businesses.
Report Finds Disarray at VEDP, Urges Withholding Money
The report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission warns that the partnership has left the state vulnerable to fraud by failing to establish policies for awarding incentive grants to new and expanding businesses or requiring them to perform to their requirements, despite giving out nearly $400 million in incentive grants over the past 10 years.
Management and Accountability of the VA Economic Development Partnership
In 2016 the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 7, which directed JLARC staff to review various aspects of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority (VEDP), including its operational efficiency, performance, and accountability structure. JLARC staff were also directed to review the level of coordination of economic development programs in Virginia.
VA, MD Will Miss DOT's Deadline for Metro Oversight
Virginia and Maryland have told Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that they aren't going to create a new oversight body for Metro before DOT's deadline of Feb. 9, 2017, the Washington Post reports. The transportation secretaries for Maryland and Virginia sent letters to Foxx saying that legislative calendars and logistical issues will prevent the states from getting an agency up and running by February.
Why VA and MD are Lapping DC in the Brewery Boom
Greater Washington's brewery boom merits a hearty hoist of the pint glass. The number of breweries in the region has grown from a mere dozen to more than 75 in the past five years, with several more on the way. But most are in Virginia and Maryland, with only 12—six production breweries and six brewpubs—in D.C. proper. City swillers find themselves crossing state lines with envy, wondering why the District isn't seeing more substantial growth.
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