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In a letter today to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director Mel Watt, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and a bipartisan group of Senate Banking Committee members raised concerns about the development of the Common Securitization Platform (CSP) and urged the agency to move beyond “the duopolistic tendencies of the past” and adopt changes to ensure the CSP is accessible to not only government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but also private sector participants

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced the bipartisan Geospatial Data Reform Act to improve oversight and reduce duplication in the management of geospatial data. The federal government is the largest buyer of geospatial data, but according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), federal agencies do not consistently track or report geospatial investments, which results in duplicative efforts and expense by various entities, including federal, state and local governments as well as private companies

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced $2.3 million in Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) awards for the cities of Petersburg, Roanoke and Waynesboro, as well as the town of Ashland. The IRF program provides gap financing for construction projects aligned with local and regional economic development strategies, primarily in distressed communities.

The Virginia Congressional delegation announced that the U.S. Navy will position its newest carrier, the Gerald Ford, at Naval Station Norfolk for the next several years given its unique capabilities and capacity. This will provide an additional aircraft carrier to the region until 2018 when the USS Lincoln returns to its home port.

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Virginia is developing a resiliency plan for its coastal communities.

Today U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined a dozen colleagues in introducing legislation, the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act of 2015, that would guarantee full pay for federal workers at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who could be furloughed because of a lapse in federal funding or agency shutdown.

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Local Innovation funding for Nelson County. The Local Innovation Fund provides financial assistance to localities that are implementing small scale, innovative community development projects.

The City of Alexandria has mailed real estate assessment notices to all property owners, representing the fair market value of properties as of January 1, 2015.

These are difficult economic times. In finalizing the FY 2015 Budget, the County Board is working hard to balance a number of goals, including giving some relief to homeowners who have seen their assessments rise, limiting the growth of the County budget, funding school growth and maintaining our core services and existing infrastructure

The Arlington County Board today directed the County Manager to reduce the real estate tax rate by one cent in the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget. The Board's action came during the mark-up for the budget, which the Board is set to adopt during its April 22 meeting.