Norfolk council adopts $1.6 billion budget, includes 2-hour free parking
Norfolk City Council members unanimously voted to adopt a $1.6 billion operating budget for the fiscal year 2026 on Tuesday, which includes two hours of free parking in city decks, a 2.5% raise for city employees and a new compensation plan.
Council members approved the $1.6 billion operating budget, a $260 million capital improvement plan, a $6.7 million annual plan for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development block grants and a $141 million annual grants plan. Council members voted to unanimously approve the capital improvement plan.
'I know that this is not a perfect plan, and everybody didn't get everything, but I do believe that we're moving in the right direction,' said council member Carlos Clanton during the meeting.
The budget keeps all city tax rates the same. The current real estate tax is $1.23 per $100 of assessed value and the personal property tax for vehicles is $4.33 per $100 of assessed value.
However, the budget includes a $5-a-month increase in the garbage collection fee to offset recycling program cost increases and beach collection costs.
What to expect from Norfolk's proposed $1.6 billion operating budget
Norfolk to vote on allowing city attorney to prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting
Norfolk mayor creates city commission to study affordable housing shortage
The budget reconciliation process added about $1 million in additional expenditures, including additional fire department positions, downtown holiday lighting and additional funding to Norfolk Public Schools to reflect additional revenue under a revenue-sharing formula. Additional revenue to balance the budget comes from revised revenue estimates and federal and state sources.
The reconciliation process also expanded plans for a free parking pilot program in all downtown Norfolk parking decks from the first hour to the first two hours. The city plans to pay for the initiative by increasing the costs of downtown parking meters by 50 cents each quarter of an hour for a $2 hourly increase. Current meter rates vary by location.
The capital improvement plan includes $44 million for the city's flood wall project, called the Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, in addition to other projects like beach re-nourishment, community park improvements and a new playground at Crossroads School, among other initiatives.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
New housing development in Newport News aims to bring the Southeast community home
Newport News leaders cut the ribbon Thursday to celebrate the completion of the city's latest housing development in its effort to revitalize the Marshall-Ridley community. The 18-acre Legacy Landing will replace the former Ridley Place with 155 mixed-income units, including one, two and three-bedroom apartments. The project is a long-standing collaborative effort between the city and the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority since breaking ground three years ago. This first phase includes 71 new apartments. The namesake building holds 41 of those with ground-floor retail and community amenity space, along with several townhouses. Construction has already begun on Legacy Landing's second phase, which will bring the total to 155 new homes, along with child care opportunities and a wellness trail for residents. Marshall-Ridley, in addition to private partners, is funded by a $35 million federal investment, including a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods program. This first phase of redevelopment at Legacy Landing includes more than $6 million of grant funding alone to build, according to Patrick Stewart, Regional Vice President of Pennrose, the developer behind the project. 'It's literally an entire new neighborhood,' Stewart said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Choice Neighborhoods program focuses on transforming local communities creating more affordable housing opportunities and improving access to services. HUD awarded Newport News a $500,000 grant in 2016 to create transformation plans, and awarded the city the $30 million implementation grant in 2019 for Marshall-Ridley. Marshall-Ridley, which sits near 39th Street and I-64, is a historically Black neighborhood that at the time of planning saw a declining population with more than half of its 2,000 households subsidized. Ridley Place itself was a decades-old complex. The neighborhood's poverty rate and unemployment rate were more than triple citywide rates, with the median household income around $20,000, according to census data. Ridley Place residents were given Section 8 housing vouchers when their former home was torn down six years ago. According to city Chief Strategist Officer Eoghan 'Owen' Miller, many of them moved out of the city and have yet to return. The first two phases of the project created The Lift and Rise on Jefferson, two buildings containing 81 mixed-use apartments and opened in December 2022. Former Ridley Place residents were given the option to return. However, Miller said most families wanted to return to the building that replaced their former home. 'This is where they originally left from,' Miller said. 'So, we're anticipating that a larger amount of families coming back here. They're given the first right to return.' Stewart added Legacy Landing is already nearly at full occupancy, largely consisting of former Ridley Place residents. Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany said Legacy Landing is a commitment from Newport News to its Southeast community to provide sustainable housing opportunities for its residents. 'Legacy Landing is not only a collection of new buildings, it is the transformation of the former Ridley Place into a vibrant, modern, mixed-income community,' Bethany said. 'We are rebuilding a community, fostering economic growth and strengthening connections that will continue to shape the Southeast community.' The city expects construction on Legacy Landing's second phase to be completed by the end of the year. Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037,
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Help me get back into my home': Hillsborough residents give input on spending $709M in storm recovery funds
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla (WFLA) — Hillsborough County is asking residents to give input on potential spending for storm recovery funds. The county held the first of nine public meetings on Wednesday night. $709 million of federal funding is available to help with recovery and mitigation efforts related to Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene, and Milton. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery. Many hurricane victims are at different stages of recovery. Barbara Yarborough is back in her West Park home after having four feet of water on the inside. 'I walked in the front door and nothing was in the same place,' said Yarborough. 'It was dirty sewer water, that's what bothered me.' Yarborough couldn't make it to the meeting on Wednesday, but said she had been encouraging her neighbors to go, as she says they've never seen flooding like what they saw last fall. Evelyn Igbinosun lives in Lake Magdalene and said three feet of water rushed into her house. 'I'm still not in my house,' said Igbinosun. 'If I didn't have a relative, I would be out on the street.' These women, and other residents, called on Hillsborough County to make some changes. The county proposes putting $35 million toward administration, $5 million for planning, $360 million for housing, $107 million for infrastructure, $180 million toward the economy, and $12 million for public services. 'We want this to be fair and accessible to all who qualify,' said the moderator of the public hearing. Residents said they felt $709 million isn't enough money to help. '$10 million for flood mitigation wouldn't even cover this area,' said one resident. 'These public dollars should prioritize long-term community resilience, not corporate profit,' said another resident. They also mentioned the backed-up canals and drainage systems they feel make storms even worse. 'Our ditches in the Town and Country area are horrible,' said one woman. 'It rained the other day and I went into a panic. I said 'Oh my gosh, I hope it's not going to rain too much,'' said Yarborough. 'I want them to redo the gutters and that canal there. Stormwater and drainage, after all, that's why we're here. Florida, we're known for that, so we need to take care of it. And I thought our taxes went to take care of things.' Igbinosun said she doesn't think the county was prepared for these storms and wants them to act now. 'Help me get back into my home. I would love that because my husband is in a nursing home. We use to go and get him and bring him home for the day. We can't even do that anymore,' said Igbinosun. 'Drainage would be the most important thing to me and then helping people like me get back into their homes and function day to day in their own surroundings.' The county has six years to use these funds. If the plan is approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the county can implement the program later this fall. If you want to send Marilyn Parker a news tip about this story or other newsworthy events, fill out the form below! Submit a form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Hillsborough's plan for federal hurricane funds focuses on housing
Hillsborough County approved a draft plan to use upward of $700 million in hurricane recovery grant funding. Why it matters: Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused more than $2.4 billion in damage across the county. Now, residents have 30 days to weigh in on where federal aid should go. The big picture: The $709 million disaster recovery fund was allocated to the county by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help with recovery from Helene and Milton. At least 70% of the funds will be designated for low- and moderate-income households countywide. Hillsborough officials will gather feedback through an online survey and a series of community meetings throughout June. Zoom in: The plan calls for more than half of the funding ($360 million) to support housing programs, which county officials identified as the biggest area of need. Homeowners can get up to $350,000 to rebuild or replace storm-damaged properties, including elevating them if needed. Awards of up to $25 million will support the long-term development of affordable rental housing, with a minimum project size of 20 units and a maximum of 300 units. Up to $15 million is available for facilities that serve the homeless and other special populations to cover storm damage and resilience. Infrastructure upgrades tied to housing can receive between $250,000 and $20 million, focusing on fixes to long-standing issues and improving storm resilience. Between the lines: With a public hearing later this month to decide whether to repeal the county's affordable housing trust, these recovery programs could have heightened importance. The fine print: Each program has eligibility requirements based on income, extent of damage and other factors.
