Capitol City Chaos

Tag: politics

  • Wise County seeks to fix fire and fire-related EMS services

    Norton council seeks state funding fix for Wise County fire and fire-related EMS services

    Norton City Council will meet with Fire Chief Todd Lagos on Tuesday to discuss a resolution urging the Virginia General Assembly to review Aid to Localities funding for Wise County fire and rescue services.

    Norton’s fire and EMS system has grown increasingly dependent on local tax dollars, despite the city having a high share of residents at or below the poverty line.

    The state funding formula for the Aid to Localities grant has not changed in 31 years. The program does not account for the differences between low-income and wealthy communities; both receive the same formula-based support.​  

    75% of the program’s funding comes from 1% of the revenue from fire insurance policies written by insurance companies operating in Virginia. These monies feed the Virginia Fire Programs Fund, which then distributes money to the Aid to Localities program and fire-fighting related grants in the state. 

    The resolution includes a request that the Assembly increase the rate from 1% to 2% over 2 years, permanently establish the $5 million Personal Protective Equipment grant program, and create an At-Risk Locality Fund to support poverty-level & low-income communities in maintaining fire protection services. The town of Marion has passed the same kind of inquiry for the Assembly’s review.

    Norton City Manager Jeffrey Shupe told me that while the request seeks additional funding, it is not intended to reallocate existing monies from larger municipalities.

    Wise County and the City of Norton rank among Virginia’s lowest-funded localities for emergency medical services based on population, land area, and call volume. 

    Both report average response times of over 60 minutes and decreasing volunteer participation. The combined effect results in extreme vulnerability to fire emergencies and challenges ranging from equipment maintenance to staffing shortages. 

    Tuesday’s meeting is at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Public participation is encouraged.

    Map of localities with overlapping funding vulnerabilities based on population, land area, and call volume (FY21-23) Courtesy of VCU.

  • Happening Now: DC’s Mayor Bowser does not “want to minimize the intrusion on our autonomy” in takeover of MPD

    Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser responds to the federal takeover of the Districts Metropolitan Police Department. Here are quotes from the conference.


    Why it matters: Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged Trump’s broad emergency powers while defending MPD amid a federal takeover, despite violent crime dropping 26% citywide.


    Trump’s authority is extensive. “Home rule charter gives the president ability to determine the conditions of an emergency and we can contest that, but the authority is pretty broad. He can put the meat around what he thinks is an emergency.”


    This isn’t routine federal support. “It’s not like the special events task force. I don’t want to minimize what was said, I don’t want to minimize the intrusion on our autonomy because it is very different than working a special event.”


    Bowser warns of potential disasters. “What could be a disaster is If we lose communities who wont call the police.. if communities wont talk to the police if a crime has been committed and could help solve that crime.. that could be a disaster.”


    Mayor plans to end “so called emergency.” “So we are gonna work every day to get this emergency put to an end “ill call it the so called emergency” “and continue to do our work.”


    DC has existing crime surge tools. “We know the tools the available to the district if we are having a surge in crime – curfews, council to pass emergency legislation, congress for additional funds, we’ve done all of those things.”