for refuse collection. According to Tedd
Povar, through EBIS, “Virginia has the most networked
local government community in the nation.”
VLGMA SUPPORT NETWORK
The Virginia Local Government
Management Association (VLGMA) is fortunate to have 20 local
government chief administrators (volunteer support
coordinators) and 11 retired administrators (range riders) who
act as contacts for colleagues experiencing unusually stressful
times.
The Institute administers this
network, enlisting volunteers and keeping VLGMA informed of
position changes and other significant events affecting its
members. “By serving as a reliable point of contact, the
Institute enables the support network to offer assistance at
the most opportune moment,” observed Kim Payne, who is
the Lynchburg City Manager and chair of VLGMA’s member
support committee.
An outgrowth of the Institute’s
work with the support network is its role as a clearinghouse
for localities seeking interim managers.
APPLIED RESEARCH & STUDY COMMISSIONS
In response to member requests, the
Institute locates consultants to undertake research on topics
of practical application for local governments. Now in its
final stages is an evaluation of the Albemarle County Family
Support Program, that assists students with special needs
through school/community collaboration. Kathy Raltson, director
of the county’s department of social services recalled
that the Institute “…was eager to take on a
project of this scale and was quick to
help identify resources to accomplish the task.”
Other projects involving the Institute
include compilation of an inventory of statewide school/local
government collaborative efforts and an examination of welfare
reform in Lynchburg with recommendations about new approaches
for meeting the needs of welfare recipients.
By providing staff assistance to statewide
study commissions, the Institute plays an active role in issues
important to its members. These commissions have produced a
profile of Virginia’s cities and proposals for programs
and policies to address their needs; recommendations to enable
the Commonwealth to serve its citizens more effectively and to
manage its resources more efficiently; and an evaluation of the
current tax system’s ability to address the state’s
future requirements.
The Institute remains committed to serving
Virginia local government in the most comprehensive manner
possible and is always open to suggestions about ways to expand
and improve its services. 
For more information:
Billie Easton
Virginia Institute of Government
Training Director
700 East Franklin Street,
Suite 700
Suite 700
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 371-0202
http://www.coopercenter.org/institute
bee2u@virginia.edu
