Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed making a $400 million taxpayer aid fund throughout a Friday assembly with state funds negotiators. 

“When authorities collects extra money than it anticipates, and rightfully spends lower than it plans, it solely is sensible to present the cash again to the individuals who earned it,” Youngkin stated. 

He stated the state has about $three billion in surplus money from unplanned tax income and budgeted cash that went unspent. 

Most of that money is spoken for. About $900 million should go to the state’s wet day fund and about $585 million is already dedicated to packages within the present state funds, together with sending money to the state’s retirement system, water high quality enchancment fund and extra. One other $1.2 billion can be reappropriated. 

The remaining, Youngkin stated, will return to the proposed tax aid pot. He’ll embrace that program in his first funds proposal, due in December. 

Del. Sally Hudson (D-Charlottesville) informed VPM Information, “it feels like that’s the one concept [Youngkin] has for the way to spend money on Virginia.” 

She stated state lawmakers have persistently underfunded public providers, citing the continuing nursing-home staffing scarcity and the estimated $25 billion it could take to switch faculty buildings throughout the state which might be greater than 50 years previous.

“These are usually not luxuries, these are core public providers,” Hudson stated. “And when we’ve got sudden income, we must be paying down these main deficits that we owe Virginians.” 

Youngkin additionally spoke on key coverage targets for his administration throughout the subsequent yr, together with specializing in public security. He stated he’ll encourage collaboration between state, native and federal police departments to halt rising violent crime. He additionally pointed to rising housing prices as a key challenge for his administration. 

“The price to lease or purchase a house is simply too costly,” Youngkin stated. “Skyrocketing actual property taxes pushed by inflation, a scarcity of provide brought on by overburdensome native governments, rising rents and waitlists for flats have turn out to be too regular within the commonwealth.” 

Hudson stated she was glad to listen to Youngkin’s dedication to bringing down housing prices. 

“Housing is the largest share of anyone’s paycheck, and so any dialog concerning the rising value of residing has to begin with housing,” she stated. 

Youngkin additionally stated that the commonwealth is behind on its dedication to cut back air pollution from the state that leads to the Chesapeake Bay. He emphasised the state’s agricultural greatest administration practices program as a key instrument to succeed in that purpose. 

After the governor submits his first funds proposal to lawmakers in December, the Common Meeting will convene in January to make adjustments to the doc.