Delegate Jason Ballard
Virginia General Assembly
Before the General Assembly heads back to Richmond on May 13 to (hopefully) complete work on the Commonwealth’s budget, I’d like to bring you up to speed on a couple of initiatives I’ve been involved in in the New River Valley to provide financial relief and infrastructure improvements to our communities.
On April 2, I signed on to a letter with House Republican colleagues representing Appalachian Power’s service territory to ask that the State Corporation Commission (SCC) reject Appalachian Power’s request for a 5.1% revenue increase. It is estimated that this 5.1% increase would increase the energy utility’s revenue by $95 million and add an average of $10 to each customer’s monthly electric bill. If approved by the SCC, this would mean that the average customer will have experienced a 136% increase in their monthly bill since July 1, 2007! While it is true that Appalachian Power’s service territory provides unique challenges to providing reliable electricity and the cost of doing business has increased along with inflation, customers should not have to make the choice of whether to heat or cool their home, or to put food on the table. It is my desire that Appalachian Power look internally for cost saving measures that protect their customers while delivering reliable and affordable electricity.
Last week, I also sent a letter to Congressman Morgan Griffith to ask that Congress allocate funding to two infrastructure projects of regional significance as federal appropriators consider “Community Project Funding” requests. The first project is one that those who live and travel through Giles and Pulaski Counties know well – the widening of Route 100 to four lanes. As you may already know, Route 100 between Route 601 and Route 692 is a two-lane road that is part of the connector between Dublin in Pulaski County and Pearisburg in Giles County. Although this stretch is only 3.4 miles in length, it has been the scene of nearly 50 crashes between the years 2018-2022, which amounts to about 15 crashes per mile. Repeated efforts over the past several decades to widen this stretch have been stymied due to cost, and in the meantime, increased traffic is leading to more crashes. Additionally, I have asked for federal funding to help rural volunteer fire departments build new firehouses to replace those that are aging and in disrepair. In such locations, a diminishing tax base – to include those living on fixed incomes – often means that a local sustainable funding stream no longer exists to sustain vital emergency fire services. The community of Rich Creek is one that immediately comes to mind, which is why I sponsored HB 304 in the 2024 Legislative Session to create the Virginia Firefighting Facilities Grant Program. Unfortunately, the Democrat-led Committee on General Laws defeated this bill.
Southwest Virginia at-large is fortunate to have a unified voice in Richmond that speaks to our region’s unique needs. I also sincerely appreciate Congressman Griffith’s attention to local matters on the federal level, and I’ll continue to work towards obtaining funding for these important infrastructure projects in the Virginia General Assembly.
As the Delegate representing the 42nd House District in the Virginia General Assembly, your concerns are my greatest priority. If ever I may be of assistance to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at DelJBallard@House.Virginia.Gov. You can also follow me on Twitter @JasonBallardVA or like my Facebook page, Jason Ballard for Delegate, to keep up to date with what I am doing in Richmond and in our community on your behalf.
