Wonder where Northampton County stands on the issues? Take a look at our series regarding Legislative Agenda for Fiscal Year 2024.
1. Continued supplementary COCA funding for teacher salaries
Northampton and Accomack schools lose a significant number of new teachers each year to other states such as Maryland due to lack of competitive salaries. We support the funding for the Cost of Competing salary adjustments for both Accomack and Northampton County school districts and request that the funding be made permanent.
Where are we at now?
The Northampton County FY25 Budget has been approved. Teachers compensation is
• $50,000 Starting Salary
• Steps equal to years of experience
• 1.25% equal distribution between each step
• Averaging 5% step increase for Cost of Living Adjustment.
According to Virginia’s Biennial Budget for FY 2024 – FY 2026 supplemental support for Accomack and Northampton Counties includes $1.7 million GF over the biennium to the Eastern Shore school divisions to support salary adjustments to remain competitive and improve teacher recruitment and retention.
2. Waterways funding
Northampton County has been economically and culturally connected to its waterways for centuries. The Eastern Shore is one of the largest producers for aquaculture products on the East Coast. Some of the largest employers in the County are engaged in aquaculture and fishing with annual salaries exceeding $10 million. Recreational boating and other water sports are a significant part of our tourism industry which is a vital part of our local economy. Acquiring and maintaining beaches, boat ramps, and marinas is very costly. Dredging Channels and harbors is an expensive ongoing effort. Northampton County supports the Commonwealth providing sustainable funding for waterway communities to build and maintain infrastructure which is critical to our economy and culture.
Where are we now?
Past Projects for VDH Boating Infrastructure Grant: The Town of Cape Charles has used multiple Boating Infrastructure Grant (s) to fund the construction and installation of 22 floating transient slips, 400’ breakwater, main water/electric service, bathhouse, electrical transformer, fire hydrants, gangways compliant with the American with Disability Act, lighting, security cameras, fuel system upgrade, development of tourism brochures, and an advertising campaign to highlight regional cultural and historic amenities.
In 2022, Northampton County Public Works Department made several upgrades to our harbors and boat ramps. A kayak launch and restroom facilities were added to Morley's Wharf plus a new bulkhead. Wise Point got a kayak launch. Willis Wharf harbor was paved and is receiving new restroom facilities.
According to the ESVA Waterways website, in 2020 Accomack and Northampton Counties were awarded $426,500 from the Virginia Port Authority through the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Fund on July 2, 2020 to complete shallow-draft dredging on Folly Creek, Hungars Creek, Nassawadox Creek, and Red Bank projects.
We'll check back at a later date to see if other projects are in the works after the grant deadlines have passed.
3. Affordable and Workforce Housing
There is a need for housing which is suitable and priced for full-time workers such as teachers, deputies, hospitality workers, and other mid-level employees. Market based developers in the area are concentrating on high end housing. This has limited the availability and affordability of work force housing in the area. The County is looking to work with the Towns and businesses to address this situation by facilitating the construction of housing suitable for that market. We are hampered by the high costs of construction on the Shore and the high level of regulation. We also need significant assistance in expanding availability to sanitary sewer systems. We are requesting assistance from the Commonwealth in the form of a $2 million grant and additional zero interest loans to finance the projects.
For more information about housing issues and resources in Northampton County, visit our Housing page on our website.
4. Increase in Jail Funding
Sharply increased expenses for staffing, medical costs, and other operations have severely impacted the regional jail budget. The Compensation Board estimated a total average daily cost of operating local and regional jails at $107 .09 per inmate in FY2021, of which $59.03 was contributed by localities. The County supports an increase in the amount of State funding for local and regional jails.
5. Eastern Shore Rail Trail
The Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation needs to be allocated $20 million to complete funding for the entire Eastern Shore rails to trails project. The property is already controlled by the Foundation and significant funding is already in place. Planning and design has already commenced for large portions of the proposed trail. This funding can be made available through the Virginia Recreational Trail Program and VDOT.
Where are we now?
May 2024: Cape Charles segment: 2.17 miles
Cheriton segment: 1.4 miles
This segment of the rail trail is federally funded with a $2.5 million grant. VDOT is in the Design Phase for this segment and plans to begin construction Spring 2025. The projected completion date is no later than Summer 2026. The trail will begin in Cape Charles at Rayfield's Pharmacy with a trailhead and parking lot. It will continue along the rail corridor east to Rt.13 at Food Lion, then continue up to Sunnyside Rd. in Cheriton.
August 2024: Birdsnest to Onley Rail Trail
This 17-mile section is funded with a federal grant for $23.5M. An engineering firm has been secured for preliminary work to be completed by the end of September 2024. Once that work is successfully completed, construction will begin Spring 2025.
Current Funding Efforts
Accomack and Northampton counties submitted SMART SCALE applications to fund trail segments from Parksley to Onley and from Birdsnest to Cheriton. The latter would fully fund the Northampton County segments of the rail trail. Only a short section of trail in Accomack would be unfunded.
The grant is in the Final Consensus Scenario under Smart Scale.
See more on the Rails to Trails page.
6. Short Term Rentals
The County opposes any effort by the General Assembly to limit the ability of localities to regulate short term rental properties.
Where are we now?
Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors of Northampton County proposed a Zoning Text Amendment to revise the sections which pertain to Short Term Rentals in the 2000 and 2016 Zoning Ordinances. These regulations sought to get a handle on the housing crisis that was created by the short term rental craze which turned available housing for long term rentals into short term rentals for more monetary gain. There is no area in the County which prohibits short term rentals nor any requirement to notify adjacent property owners of an intent to rent a house for short term.
The County sought to put in place a Special Use Permit (SUP) for homeowners who sought to turn their homes into short term rentals. However, those efforts were cut short by the General Assembly.
VA SB544 Passed April 17, 2024 which prohibits a locality from barring the use of or requiring that a special exception, special use, or conditional use permit be obtained for the use of a residential dwelling as a short-term rental where the dwelling unit is also legally occupied by the property owner as his primary residence.
"The Virginia General Assembly passed rules which included grandfathering in existing STRs, allowing primary residences to be exempt, the creation of an STR registry as well as exempting STRs from some regulations if they are represented by a licensed Virginia Real Estate Agent." (-from the Shore Daily News)
The Board of Supervisors sent it back to the Planning Commission in their June 11, 2024 regular meeting. The Planning Commission has 100 days to come up with another revision.
7. Heirs property/legal assistance
There are frequent instances where properties are left abandoned because clear ownership cannot be determined. These properties are also not eligible for some State and Federal funding assistance programs because clear title to the property cannot be determined. We request that the State fund a program to assist property owners in clearing up title issues on properties throughout the Commonwealth in order to preserve and encourage property ownership among Virginia residents.
8. Menhaden
We encourage the State to fund adequate studies to ensure that important marine resources, such as menhaden, are adequately protected from overfishing. We also request that the State consider additional regulations on the harvesting of these resources to protect the economy and quality of life of Eastern Shore residents.
Where are we now?
On January 9, 2024, the Northampton County Board of Supervisors signed A RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVING THE COUNTY’S POSITION THAT INDUSTRIAL ATLANTIC MENHADEN FISHING SHOULD BE PROHIBITED WITHIN THE WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND THREE MILES OF ALL LANDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND REQUESTING THAT THE VIRGINIA MARINE RESOURCE COMMISSION AND STATE AGENCIES LEGALLY ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE A PROHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRIAL ATLANTIC MENHADEN FISHERY WITHIN THE WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND WITHIN THREE MILES OF ANY LANDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
A study was just released by researchers at William & Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology that determined the high chick death rate for ospreys is due to starvation. "The researchers believe the decline is due to the increasing scarcity of menhaden tied to overharvesting."
But there is more bad news. In the Resolution it states: "Both the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources published record low striped bass recruitment numbers for 2023, this is the fifth consecutive year of juvenile striped bass numbers being below the average and the second lowest striped bass index ever recorded since 1957.
Whereas, research suggests industrial menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay could be responsible for a decline in striped bass (Buchheister et al. 2017, TRCP et al. 2019). The Virginia Institute of Marine Science linked striped bass starvation to a decline of forage food in the Chesapeake Bay, and starvation as a cause for predisposing fish to Mycobacteriosis, locally referred to as fish wasting disease (Cardinal et al. 2001);...
WHEREAS, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission showed that more purse seine nets are set by industrial menhaden fishing near Northampton County than any other county in the state of Virginia (VMRC et al. 2022); and
WHEREAS, industrial menhaden fishing adversely impacts the economic well-being of Northampton County by disrupting sport fishing and charter businesses; and
WHEREAS, industrial menhaden fishing has caused fish kills and fish spills that have impacted public beaches, private property, and public health in Northampton County; and
WHEREAS, industrial menhaden fishing adversely impacts the economic well-being of Northampton County by disrupting our local tourism industry, due to the adverse effects of fish spills, fish kills, and the persistent rotting odor of fish spills and fish kills;
WHEREAS, all other states on the Atlantic Coast have removed industrial menhaden fishing from their bays and state waters, and have now recorded positive ecological and economic responses in doing so (Main et al. 2023);..."
Northampton County is asking for the state to regulate this industry as it is clearly having a negative impact on our wildlife and our way of life.
The entire Resolution can be viewed on Board Docs under the January 9, 2024 Board of Supervisors meeting.
9. Cellular Phone Service
Cellular phone service on the Eastern Shore can be difficult to maintain in many areas of the Eastern Shore. This service, however, is vital for our public safety, economy, and quality of life. We request that the State fund studies and propose possible solutions for this problem.
Where are we now?
Just a reminder if you do get the SOS status on your cell phone that means you aren't connected to cellular service BUT you are still able make an emergency call.
SOS mode is a feature on smartphones that allows users to make emergency calls when they don't have cellular service. It can also be used to share your location with emergency contacts and record video.
Also, Citizen Input is now available for 911 calls. Citizen Input is a cloud-based service that allows 9-1-1 callers to send videos, photos or live, streaming video to the 9-1-1 Center in a controlled, permission-based procedure. When a person calls 9-1-1 using a mobile phone, the 911 Dispatcher can send a link to the caller's phone by text requesting photos, video, of a live stream. No app download is required on the caller's phone. See more on the 911 Commission page.
Citizens can also sign up for Smart911:
The Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Communications Center is proud to announce that we are now utilizing a potential life-saving application called Smart911 . This application provides 9-1-1 dispatchers with information that you supply in your FREE Smart91 1 online profile such as your home address, medical information, emergency contacts, and other important information that could assist you in an emergency. We encourage all citizens, especially the elderly and disabled, to create a Smart911 profile and provide as much information as possible. To create a profile, visit www.smart911.com
Broadband updates:
Not quite cellular service but broadband does give us access to telehealth, online education programs, job opportunities, and so much more. A smartphone can be used with broadband wifi. The good news is Virginia has secured $1.4 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grant program funds.
According to a press release through Senator Mark Warner, "the BEAD Program seeks to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs. Specifically, the funding will be utilized by the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) to get Virginians high-speed internet, defined as 100 Megabits/second (Mbps) for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. VATI will first prioritize 134,000 unserved locations (those lacking internet service speeds of 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads) and then 28,000 underserved locations (those lacking 100 Mbps/20 Mbps upload/download speeds).
Also through the bipartisan infrastructure law, Sens. Warner and Kaine secured $65 billion in funding to help deploy broadband and decrease costs associated with connecting to the internet. As part of that funding, Virginia received $5 million to help make a strategic plan to deploy coverage. "
The Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority has been working on expanding coverage to the area. "The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) awarded $15.6 million to the Eastern Shore of Virginia as part of the 2022 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative program. The total funding amount includes match funds in the amount of $3,314,865 contributed by the two counties and the ESVBA."
To see updates on the project visit their webpage:
https://esvba.com/2022-virginia-telecommunication-initiative-page/
Now if only we could all get a few more cell phone bars for coverage...