Despite outcry over stormwater improvements, Virginia Beach City Council approves budget with tax increase

May 10--VIRGINIA BEACH -- Outside City Hall on Tuesday, about 30 people held up signs and shared stories of Hurricane Matthew: Wading through waist-deep water. Calling 911 for help. Homes ruined.

Inside, they implored council members to fund stormwater improvements faster than 15 years and hold off on projects like a $40 million field house.

"Y'all need to start thinking about the people," Princess Anne Plaza resident Judy Renn said. "Not what you want. What we need."

Their pleas didn't work.

In an 8-3 vote, the City Council approved next year's budget that includes a real estate tax increase of 1.25 cents to help pay for full-day kindergarten for two years. The tax rate will be just over $1 per $100 assessed value and remain the lowest in South Hampton Roads. The budget takes effect July 1.

Residents will also have a stormwater fee increase of 2.5 cents per day for the next five years. By 2022, payments will total $203.67 each year -- about $45 more than they are now.

These were the recommendations from City Manager Dave Hansen, and council members have been tweaking them in recent weeks.

The council also approved a capital improvement plan.

That plan includes nearly $300 million in stormwater improvements over six years. In an extended plan proposed by Hansen, projects in neighborhoods such as Windsor Woods and Princess Anne Plaza would be fully funded in 15 years.

"Regrettably, doing it right is going to take some time," Mayor Will Sessoms said. "That's not a cop-out. It's a fact."

The budget includes a pay bump of as much as 2 percent for city and school employees.

Many speakers criticized the council for providing money for things such as infrastructure for a planned arena and a beach maintenance facility.

"The backbone of the city, its residents, cannot be reduced to an 8-mile-by-1-mile strip at the Oceanfront," Becky Bump said.

Vice Mayor Louis Jones said the idea that the city isn't working to address stormwater problems is "just false," and he listed $43 million in neighborhood projects that will be funded in the next year alone.

Council members Jessica Abbott, Bobby Dyer and John Moss were the "no" votes on the budget.

Some council members wanted to go back to the drawing board on the budget and capital improvement plan, but Sessoms said that would "send the wrong message to the investment community."

A few in the council chambers yelled "shame" in reply.

When it became apparent that the vote would not go their way, several people walked out.

The vote included a decision to set aside the first $4 million of a $40 million plan for a proposed field house at the Oceanfront. It would be built on land the city owns by the Virginia Beach Convention Center on 19th Street, near the planned arena.

A recently proposed $36 million parking garage near the arena was not included in Tuesday night's vote and will be discussed later .

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