Virginia Beach city council on Tuesday adopted a $2.78 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning in July.
Since it was proposed in March, the spending plan underwent a few changes, but most of it remained intact. These included an increase in the meals tax and stormwater fees and the elimination of five library jobs.
The budget passed 10-1, with Barbara Henley voting against it. She opposed eliminating the library jobs — four branch service coordinators and an administrator.
“We don’t do that to our folks,” she said. “And we certainly don’t just tell them we’ll give them a severance package if they can’t find another job with the city. That’s not the way we treat our people, our employees.”
Henley also opposed the increase to the meals tax — an added 0.5% will bring the city tax to 6%, for a total of 12% when combined with the state sales tax. The 0.5% will go toward a Major Projects Fund in the Capital Improvement Projects budget. That fund will support courthouse updates and a new law enforcement training academy.
Henley asked that the vote on the meals tax be delayed until January so restaurants don’t have to begin collecting the tax in the middle of tourist season. She also questioned the composition of the new Major Projects Fund, which also includes redirections from the Agricultural Reserve Program, Open Space Special Revenue Fund and Town Center Tax Increment Financing fund.
Her motion to amend the budget failed.
One unpopular proposed tax was changed. The boat tax became a boat licensing fee, with fees ranging from $20 for the smallest vessels to $500 for the largest.
The budget increases stormwater fees by about 9 cents per residential unit per day. The revenue will help maintain services and add jobs and equipment to the flood management program. That works out to about $3 more per month on homeowners' stormwater bills.
The city will also introduce a billing program for ambulance rides and services to add funds to the Emergency Medical Services’ budget. Insurance companies will be billed and the city will waive co-pays for residents. The city will also waive bills for people in jail, people with financial hardship and city employees with work-related illnesses or injuries.
Other incremental changes were made to the budget during reconciliation last week.
The Rudee Park development funding was reduced by $10 million, bringing the project cost to $50 million.
Oceanfront festivals garnered more city support, with the East Coast Surfing Championship receiving $75,000 more and the Neptune Festival receiving an additional $50,000.
$150,000 will go toward markers for four historically African American communities that have yet to receive signs. The Department of Cultural Affairs will receive $100,000 for Juneteenth celebrations.
