Johnson, Bloxom and Kiggans Rep address Chamber’s Eggs and Issues Breakfast

Local, state and federal issues were the focus of the latest Eggs & Issues forum put on by the ESVA Chamber at the Wallops Flight Facility Thursday morning. Representatives from Accomack County, the Virginia General Assembly and Congress provided updates on budgets, legislation, workforce needs and major projects affecting the Eastern Shore.

Accomack County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Vanessa Johnson said the county’s newly adopted fiscal year 2027 budget is 3.6% lower than last year’s budget, reflecting what she described as a disciplined effort to maintain core services while controlling costs.

Johnson said the county added no new employee positions and took steps to restructure health insurance benefits after initially facing a projected 28% increase.

She also addressed the countywide reassessment, which resulted in an 11.7% increase in total property values. In response, the Board of Supervisors reduced the real estate tax rate from 53.4 cents to 48.6 cents per $100 of assessed value. Johnson said that, under Virginia law, the lower rate still represents an effective tax increase because it generates more revenue than the previous year, amounting to about $13 more per $100,000 in assessed value.

Johnson said funding was restored for the county’s translator television service, which has provided free broadcast access to Hampton Roads network stations since 1979. She said public response, especially from seniors and residents with limited means, played a role in the decision.

She also highlighted workforce development efforts, including the Accomack County Fire and EMS Recruit Academy, which recently graduated 10 recruits, the largest class since the program began. All 10 have moved into full-time county positions.

Johnson said a redesigned county website is close to launch, and the county’s public GIS platform, Accomap, has been upgraded. She also pointed to progress on childcare, including expansion plans by NASA Wallops and a new county initiative focused on supporting small family day homes.

The county is also updating its comprehensive plan, a long-range planning document required by Virginia law. Public workshops and pop-up events are scheduled in May, and Johnson urged residents to participate.

Delegate Rob Bloxom also gave an update from Richmond, describing a busy General Assembly session with roughly 3,000 bills introduced and about 1,100 passed. Bloxom discussed several major issues, including paid family leave, gun legislation, landlord-tenant bills, local zoning concerns and the state budget.

Bloxom, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee and as a budget conferee, said negotiations remain unresolved, with disagreement over revenue tied in part to data center tax exemptions. He said the final budget must be completed before July 1 to avoid disruptions in state support for schools, law enforcement, health services and other programs.

Bloxom also answered questions about a potential long-term menhaden study in the Chesapeake Bay. The long-discussed study appears to be moving closer to reality, but he warned that all sides first need to agree on what the study will measure and how the results will be accepted. Bloxom said the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has assembled a group of scientists, including representatives from Virginia and other states, to design the study. The focus would be whether there is a distinct population, or sub-stock, of menhaden that remains primarily in the Chesapeake Bay, as opposed to the broader coastwide menhaden population already assessed by fisheries managers.

Bloxom said he supports funding the work, with roughly $2 million included in the state budget discussion, but noted that he wants Maryland to help pay for the study as well. He said the effort would not be a quick one, it could take as long as 10 years to complete properly. The goal, he said, is to produce a study that recreational fishermen, Omega Protein, scientists, and regulators can all recognize as credible before major policy decisions are based on it.

Representing Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, Tyler Edmonds said the House was working through several major federal issues, including the farm bill, Department of Homeland Security funding, and preparations for the National Defense Authorization Act.

Edwards said Kiggans’ office is also watching funding priorities tied to Wallops, Virginia Spaceport, local water and sewer projects, and the Chincoteague Inlet work study, which he said has been included in the Army Corps work plan.

Kiggans’ office is also scheduled to hold mobile office hours on the Eastern Shore on May 13.