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Accomack supervisors narrow 2025 legislative priorities; focus on teacher pay, septic maintenance and wastewater
Summary
County staff presented a long list of potential 2025 General Assembly priorities and the board agreed to select several top items, including teacher salaries/retention, proactive septic‑system owner notification, wastewater treatment improvements in the northern county, first responder recruitment and Route 175 improvements.
Accomack County administrators asked the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 18 to identify three to five priorities for the 2025 General Assembly session; the board discussed a lengthy menu of options and signaled support for several high‑priority items.
County administrator Mike Mason said the county prepared a list of proposals to bring to the regional meeting with state legislators and recommended the board focus on a short list to maximize impact. "Certainly, number 1 is teacher salaries and retention," Mason said, and he urged the board to keep the issue elevated even though some state funding is already designated for the next budget cycle.
Mason and supervisors emphasized other priorities: a request that the Virginia Department of Health take a more proactive role in notifying owners of alternative on‑site septic systems about maintenance responsibilities; continued wastewater treatment improvement efforts in the northern county, including potential engagement with HRSD; and state support for first responder recruitment, retention and training. Mason also suggested seeking additional funding for the Forest Sustainability Fund and exploring long‑term transportation solutions for moving large rocket components to Wallops (such as a barge landing), which would require dredging and capital investment.
Supervisors discussed grouping and ordering priorities and agreed to return a final prioritized list to staff to coordinate with AIM/MPDC and state legislators. No legislative items were formally adopted; the board directed staff to refine and transmit a prioritized list for regional coordination and public notice.
Why it matters: Prioritizing a small set of legislative asks increases the chances of state support for issues that affect schools, infrastructure, wastewater and emergency services in a rural county with limited local resources.
