Victor K. Tervala

Victor K. Tervala is Of Counsel in the Baltimore office of Funk & Bolton, P.A. and is a member of the local government practice area. He joined the firm in January 2008.

For many years Mr. Tervala was on the faculty at the University of Maryland's Institute for Governmental Service. In that capacity he worked with communities and local governments throughout the state, including Maryland state government, on a wide variety of legal and policy issues. He has counseled clients on personnel law, local fiscal affairs, environmental issues, procurement law, tax differentials, planning and zoning, economic and community development, school board functions and relations, annexation, municipal incorporation, intergovernmental relations, interstate agreements, and organizational analysis. He has been active in strategic planning for communities and organizations.

Mr. Tervala is perhaps best known for his expertise in the structure of local governments and for options in structuring and restructuring these entities. He lectures extensively in this area to policy-makers and communities and has served and advised multiple charter boards, advisory committees, and other policy groups looking into ways to improve government operations. He has written extensively on these topics and is the author of the book Home Rule Options in Maryland, which is a guide for policy-makers interested in changing their form of government. He is one of the co-authors of The Handbook for Maryland Municipal Officials.

Mr Tervala is active in the Academy for Excellence in Local Government, which provides educational resources for policy-makers to learn the business of government. He is an Academy Advisor and lecturer for the class "The Structure of Municipal Government." He also has lectured on strategic planning for the Academy.

Prior to his work with Funk & Bolton and the University of Maryland, Mr. Tervala worked in the area of employee benefits with a large Baltimore law firm and as a legislative analyst with the Maryland General Assembly. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.