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Augusta County supervisors review 2025 legislative priorities, debate Certificate of Public Need
Summary
The board reviewed a draft legislative package ahead of the VACO conference, discussing priorities including behavioral health, school construction, the Virginia Business Ready Sites program and a contested debate over modernizing the state—s COPN rules; staff were directed to draft alternate language for the General Assembly to study COPN.
Augusta County—s Board of Supervisors reviewed a draft 2025 legislative package that mirrors many items in the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) preliminary program and includes county priorities such as behavioral health, I-81 corridor projects, electoral board staffing, 911 center support and school construction assistance.
Miss Wetzel, presenting the packet to the board, said the county had incorporated elements of VACO—s program and noted past state actions that aided the county, including funding for regional crisis stabilization and changes to the school construction assistance program. She clarified the county was supporting the Virginia Business Ready Sites program and would apply for funding like other localities rather than automatically receiving the $100,000,000 VACO referenced for 2025.
Discussion then turned to the Certificate of Public Need (COPN), a state health‑planning mechanism. One supervisor argued that COPN protections were important for Augusta Health as it expands specialty services in Harrisonburg and to preserve local access; another supervisor countered that COPN can be anti‑competitive and proposed language encouraging the General Assembly to modernize COPN rules to focus on patient safety, accreditation, quality of care, access and charity care.
Board members pressed staff to produce alternative wording: the board expressed support for existing protections while also directing staff to prepare a separate statement asking the General Assembly to study and propose targeted COPN reforms. The chair asked staff to return with draft language for the board—s consideration.
The package also includes an item asking the state to study election‑related costs (including early voting length and potential reimbursement) and to consider extending hazardous‑duty benefits to emergency communications and select other public safety roles. Miss Wetzel said the packet reserves local control over taxing and land‑use decisions and flags several other items members may recommend adding before finalizing the board—s positions.
The board did not adopt a final packaged motion at this discussion; members directed staff to refine the language and return it for formal approval.
