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Members of the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority
showed
their support for keeping the local Virginia Employment Commission
Office located on Seymour Drive open and for possibly making it into
a
regional office to serve Southside Virginia. State VEC officials had
notified the group that the state is facing cuts of some of the 37
field offices it operates throughout the state, due to a cut in
federal
funding for the coming fiscal.
IDA members unanimously passed the following resolution which they
will
send to the Governor and members of the state's congressional
delegation:
WHEREAS, the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County,
Virginia ("the Authority") is an industrial development authority
organized as a separate political subdivision of the Commonwealth of
Virginia, under the Virginia Industrial Development and Revenue Bond
Act; and
WHEREAS, The Virginia Employment Commission field office located in
the
Town of South Boston ("the South Boston Field Office") has provided
superior services over many years to the citizens of Halifax County
and
the surrounding area, including Campbell County, Charlotte County,
the
City of Danville, Mecklenburg County, Pittsylvania County and the
residents of Caswell, Granville and Person Counties, North Carolina;
and
WHEREAS, the South Boston Field Office is highly experienced at
providing the entire menu of Virginia Employment Commission ("VEC")
services, including assistance with New Company Recruitment, Trade
Act
Program, Unemployment Insurance, Job Services, labor Market
Information, Veterans Services, Rapid Response, an Employer Advisory
Council, Work Opportunity Tax Credits, On-the-Job Training Programs,
Rural Services for Farmers, Job Fairs, et al; and
WHEREAS, the South Boston Field Office has proactively established
working partnerships with various local. regional and state service
providers, including Social Services, the Southern Virginia Higher
Education Center, the Virginia Community College System, the
Virginia
Department of Business Assistance, the Department of Rehabilitative
Services, the Department of Veteran Services, the Department of
Taxation, Lake Country Area Agency for Aging, public schools and
other
entities throughout the region; and
WHEREAS, the South Boston Field Office has been noted as having the
most informed Trade Act Representative and Team in the Commonwealth;
and
WHEREAS, the management and staff of the South Boston Field Office
have
consistently out-performed their counterparts in delivering services
to
their clientele; and
WHEREAS, the decrease in federal funding has resulted in a reduction
in
operating appropriations for the VEC, necessitating a reduction in
the
number of field offices across the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, the potential consolidation of VEC field offices comes at a
time when the Southside Region is experiencing an average
unemployment
rate approaching 7%, the highest of any region in the Commonwealth;
and
WHEREAS, Halifax County has a proven track record in working
hand-in-hand with the VEC in developing and staffing a call center
located in Riverstone Technology Park:
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Industrial Development
Authority
of Halifax County, Virginia that the Authority requests that serious
consideration be given to the expansion of the South Boston Field
Office to serve as the VEC field office for the entire Southside
Region. Furthermore, the Authority pledges to assist the VEC in
whatever manner is required to ensure that the regional field office
is
established in a timely manner in order to meet the strong demands
that
will be placed on its services and employees.
Adopted this 19th day of April, 2007.
Garland Ricketts
Vice Chairman, Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County,
Virginia
Attest: John Bosiger, Secretary, Industrial Development Authority of
Halifax County, Virginia