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Sen. Emily Jordan outlines 2025 budget wins for Dinwiddie, urges local action on school and water projects
Summary
Sen. Emily M. Jordan told the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors that the 2025 General Assembly session produced one-time pots for water infrastructure and school construction, a new definition for psychiatric emergency departments, a business "pad-ready" grant program and a drone-replacement grant program she urged localities to pursue.
Sen. Emily M. Jordan, who represents the 17th Senate District, told the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors on May 20 that the 2025 General Assembly session produced several items she said could benefit the county.
Jordan said the state budget included a one-time $25 million fund for upgrades to existing water infrastructure with a 25% locality match, and $310 million added to school construction grants. “With only 25% match, that is kind of rare,” Jordan told the board. “Usually, we're looking at 50 or 100 oftentimes, so I think that 25% is very nice.”
The senator also described recently enacted legislation that will redefine what constitutes a psychiatric emergency department so that hospitals may use behavioral-health spaces that do not require a physical bed. Jordan said the change, which the governor signed into law in April, takes effect July 1 and is intended to shorten stays and reduce law-enforcement time guarding patients during transfers.
Jordan described additional state actions she said could help rural localities: Senate Bill 1275, a new program to expand grants for “pad-ready” business sites in towns or localities under 35 square miles; a rural opportunity dashboard to highlight small-town assets; and a $1 million drone-replacement grant for public-safety agencies to replace equipment and avoid foreign-made components. “If any of your public-safety agencies are using drones,” Jordan said, “that grant replacement is to allow any locality that currently has a drone capability or a fleet of such … to replace those, through that grant funding program.”
During a brief Q&A, supervisors and staff pressed Jordan on secondary-road funding, school staffing and how to access the new pots. Jordan encouraged local officials to work with her office on grant applications and said she would return annually with a post-session report. “If there's anything I can ever do with you throughout the year, please let me know,” she said.
The board did not take formal action on any of Jordan’s items during the meeting; her appearance was an informational report.
