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Home My WebLink AboutAPRIL 19, 2023 SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION MINUTES rt6,/.11 ABF4.�2 cLMkt, v) 7„.....___ -7.- !..) Os, _r, `'� OF OUR NAZ‘0~S e../ VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia April 19, 2023 Mayor Robert M. Dyer called to order the SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL in the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Ballroom 1, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 6:00 P.M. Council Members Present: Michael F.Berlucchi,Mayor Robert M.Dyer,Barbara M.Henley,N.D. "Rocky" Holcomb, Robert W. "Worth" Remick, Jennifer Rouse, Joashua F. "Joash" Schulman, Sabrina D. Wooten and Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson Council Members Absent: Dr. Amelia N. Ross-Hammond—Out of Town Chris Taylor—Family Emergency 2 MAYOR'S CALL FOR SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION ITEM#74137 "HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL In accordance with the Virginia Beach City Code, Section 2-21, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Virginia Beach,I hereby call for a SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL: Wednesday,April 19,2023, at 6:00 P.M. Virginia Beach Convention Center Ballroom 1 1000 19th Street The purpose of this SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION is to conduct a PUBLIC HEARING to obtain public input regarding: • The FY2023-24 Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program • Authorization of$62,460,057 in General Obligation Bonds • Authorization of$26,030,000 in Water and Sewer Utility Revenue Bonds • Authorization of$6,399,140 in Stormwater Utility Revenue Bonds • Increase in Solid Waste Management Fee • Increases to Water& Sewer Fees If you wish to make comments during the meeting,please follow the two-step process provided below: 1. Register for the WebEx at: https://vbgov.webex.com/weblink/registerhfcbfd 1 a37095693e67f 045fea198ec6f 2. Register with the City Clerk's Office by calling 757-385-4303 prior to 5:00 p.m. on April 19, 2023. This Special Formal Session will be broadcast on Cable TV, www.vbgov.com and Facebook Live. Citizens are encouraged to submit their comments to the City Council prior to the Special Formal Session via email at CityCouncil@a,vbgov.com. Sincerely, Robert M. Dyer Mayor" cc: City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Deputy City Managers FOIA Officer Communications Office April 19, 2023 00A-BE4C City of 7irgiriia• Beach s s-: OF OUR NAOott VBgOV.COIn ROBERT M."BOBBY"DYER MUNICIPAL CENTER MAYOR BUILDING 1 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE VIRGINIA BEACH,VA 23456-9000 (757)385-4581 FAX(757)385-5699 April 14, 2023 BDYEROvBGOV.COM HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL In accordance with the Virginia Beach City Code, Section 2-21, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Virginia Beach, I hereby call for a SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL: Wednesday,April 19, 2023, at 6:00 P.M. Virginia Beach Convention Center Ballroom 1 100019t"Street The purpose of this SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION is to conduct a PUBLIC HEARING to obtain public input regarding: • The FY2023-24 Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program • Authorization of$62,460,057 in General Obligation Bonds • Authorization of$26,030,000 in Water and Sewer Utility Revenue Bonds • Authorization of$6,399,140 in Stormwater Utility Revenue Bonds • Increase in Solid Waste Management Fee • Increases to Water& Sewer Fees If you wish to make comments during the meeting,please follow the two-step process provided below: 1. Register for the WebEx at: https://vbgov.webex.com/weblink/register/rfcbfd 1 a37095693e67f045fea198ec6f 2. Register with the City Clerk's Office by calling 757-385-4303 prior to 5:00 p.m. on April 19, 2023. This Special Session will be broadcast on Cable TV, www.vbgov.com and Facebook Live. Citizens are encouraged to submit their comments to the City Council prior to the Special Formal Session via email at CityCouncil@vbgov.com. Sincerely, Robert M. Dyer Mayor cc: City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Deputy City Managers FOIA Officer Communications Office 3 PUBLIC HEARING ITEM#74138 Mayor Dyer DECLARED A PUBLIC HEARING: The following registered to speak: Kathleen Slinde, 5308 Roves Court, Phone: 373-5784, spoke in SUPPORT of proposed School budget Dawn Euman, 3976 Jousting Arch, Phone: 323-9175, spoke in SUPPORT ofproposed School budget Kate Lucas, 2719 Seashore Cove, Phone: 215-6736, spoke in SUPPORT of proposed School budget Georgia Allen, 4649 Merrimac Lane, Phone: 405-6440, did not respond Terry McMahon, 1405 Ashley Drive, Phone: 651-8600, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed tax increases Gary Medlin, 1028 Hillview Boulevard, Phone: 361-5826, spoke concerning environmental issues and requested funding be set aside to purchase electric vehicles George Bryant, 2320 Dodd Drive, Phone: 434-0825, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed tax increases Dianna Howard, 1057 Debaca Court, Phone: 567-9021, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed budget Tammie Mullin-Rice, 1010 Barnacle Court, Phone: 630-7097, requested funding for Seatack Recreation Center Nicole DelGaudio, 3705 Dupont Circle,Phone:856-261-8871,spoke in SUPPORT ofproposed School budget Barbara Besal, 1652 Dearborn Drive, Phone: 646-1837, spoke in SUPPORT ofproposed School budget Vic Nicholls, 1124 Mill Lake Quarter, Chesapeake, Phone: 410-0008,spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed tax increases Patricia Thebert, 3512 Stanford Street, Phone: 927-8615, spoke in SUPPORT of employee pay increases Max Gonano, 3000 Clark Drive, Phone: 642-3776, spoke in SUPPORT of employee pay increases Brian Luciano, 910 Haledan Road, Chesapeake, Phone: 545-5660, spoke in SUPPORT of employee pay increases Nick Jones, 1884 Burwillow Drive, Phone: 336-327-1899, spoke in SUPPORT of employee pay increases Vanessa Fegyo, 2676 Christopher Farm Drive, Phone: 931-675-9062, requested SUPPORT for proposed legislation to make surviving spouse of veterans exempt from paying real estate property tax Christina Valentine, 2305 Nettleford Way, Phone: 581-0664, requested SUPPORT for proposed legislation to make surviving spouse of veterans exempt from paying real estate property tax Tracy Smigel, 916 B Street, Phone: 717-0760, spoke in SUPPORT of employee pay increases April 19, 2023 4 PUBLIC HEARING ITEM#74138 (Continued) Barbara Messner, P. O. Box 514, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed budget Elaine Fekete, 3012 Sand Bend Road, Phone: 435-6965, spoke in SUPPORT of a revenue neutral budget Terry Green, 1058 Raina Drive, Norfolk, Phone: 409-0845, spoke in SUPPORT of employee pay increases Curt Clarke, 1000 Carissa Court, Phone: 910-546-0186, requested funding for Seatack Recreation Center John Watt, 2057 Pungo Ridge Court, Phone: 380-0227, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed budget increases Donnie Gregory, 529 Brooklyn Court, Phone: 701-7121, requested funding for Seatack Recreation Center Kristen Fenty, 1620 Tether Keep, Phone: 315-222-6255, requested SUPPORT for proposed legislation to make surviving spouse of veterans exempt from paying real estate property tax William Duke, 2032 Grey Fox Lane, Phone: 581-0178, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed budget Stephen Johnston, 2316 Enchanted Forrest, Phone: 468-1474, spoke in OPPOSITION to proposed budget Susan Potter, 613 Nicklaus Court, Phone: 335-3909, did not respond Johnathan Rose, 2304 Fenwick Way, Phone: 739-5100, did not respond There being no additional speakers,Mayor Dyer CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING *John Moss, 4109 Richardson Road, Phone: 636-1534, emailed written comments and requested they be included in the record. By direction of Mayor Dyer, Mr. Moss's correspondence is attached hereto and made a part of the record. April 19, 2023 John D. Moss Shared Thoughts on the City Manager's Proposed FY 2023-2024 Operating Budget and CIP Open Letter to the Mayor and City Council Mr. John D. Moss 4109 Richardson Road Virginia Beach, VA City Council District 9 Johndmoss4109Ca gmail.com 757-636-1534 Wednesday,April 19, 2023 Delivered by email to City Clerk for the City Council of Virginia Beach, VA Open letter to Mayor and Members of City Council: I will be conducting my weekly Virginia Beach LiberTea weekly Wednesday night broadcast during your public hearing. The public hearing tonight is distinct from the public hearing on Tuesday, April 25th required by state law to increase the default, lowered real estate tax rate of 90.77 cents to 99 cents for an increase of 8.23 cents or 9%.Therefore, I submitting this open letter, which I will share on social media. This correspondence captures my thoughts on the City Manager's recommended budget. This open letter is in lieu of any individual meetings with you. I respect the productive use of your respective and my time. I have publicly published with greater detail on my thoughts on City Manager's proposed budget, which I will not repeat here. Details are shared in my VB LiberTEA weekly Facebook live special broadcast, at April monthly meeting of the NIMMO Republican Women's Club, and at the Tidewater Libertarian Party, which are readily available to you. Additionally, the John Moss Facebook page contains many posts on the CM's recommended budget for next year. First, the most disheartening feedback I have received during my community discussions on the City Manager's proposed 9% increase in the real estate tax rate, is that your fellow residents feel it is futile to participate in tonight's public hearing. The former conclude you will not listen to or act on their feedback. In fact, folks I speak with express disbelief with the proposed tax rate increase knowing their own personal financial situations. They do not understand how the City Manager is so indifferent to the inflation tax on families and their financial struggles as to recommend a 9% increase in the real estate tax rate. Meaningful tax relief, not increased tax bills is what Beach residents need. Second, I have watched your respective interaction/comments during the informal sessions on the budget. As of this submission, I have not observed any materiel commitment to the conclusion of the necessity of adopting a 90-cent real estate tax rate. I have heard the false choice rhetoric in defense of increasing city spending by lowering the personal living standards of families. Acknowledgement of the latter never significantly surfaces. Third, all but one of you have been unwilling to publicly admit that the City Manager's recommended 1 John D. Moss Shared Thoughts on the City Manager's Proposed FY 2023-2024 Operating Budget and CIP Open Letter to the Mayor and City Council real estate tax rate of 99-cents represents a rate increase of 8.23-cents or a 9.07% increase from the default legal lowered rate of 90.77 cents (see attachment: City required by state law public notice). The former constitutes at least a prima facie case that you are uncomfortable admitting even the legally obvious. Therefore, if the legally obvious cannot be admitted, there is a low probability you can accept that the City Manager's Executive Summary (pages 9-20) of his recommended budget does not support a real estate tax rate increase. Fourth, School Board Members Kathleen Brown and Vicky Manning reasoning for their respective no votes on the recommended School Board operating budget and capital improvement program reflect my own. Since you already have the benefit of those, further discussion on the School Board's request is unproductive. You clearly are comfortable with $900 a square cost estimates for a future Bayside High School, and you are clearly comfortable with supporting school CIP requests without a comprehensive statement of functional requirements validated by independently vetted empirical analysis. All the former is your prerogative thought I live to the taxpayers to judge if it meets their expectations of your fiduciary duty. There is no productive discussion to be had where there is no validated analytical baseline. I respect your belief in the School Board's needs as articulated in their recommended budget. Debating beliefs is not productive. The facts are not there and increasing tax rates on beliefs is bad public policy. Fifth, City Council by increasing taxes owed that lowers the personal living standards of residents degrades, if not, loses the public's trust. I appreciate the expectations of campaign contributors and special interest endorsements as an influence on any elected officials' decision-making. I know that you and you respectively alone are the only enabled individuals with the voters' consent to serve as the firewall to make sure families and businesses retain enough of what they earn to make ends meet today and invest to secure their future prosperity. The City Manager's recommended budget burns right through that firewall if a 90 cents real estate tax rate is not adopted. The City Manager's recommended budget reflects the fusion of your individual inputs to him or he would not have recommended it to Council as body, his boss. The fusion of your collective inputs as interpreted by the City Manager does financial harm to Beach residents and businesses. The very minimum you can do in exercising the least amount of financial muscle movements is the adoption of a 90-cents restate tax rate. Beach residents and businesses are counting on you to recognize that a super majority of your residents/employers/customers already have too much month at the end of the money.They expect you not to add to their financial burden. To your families, my appreciation for their sacrifices that enable your public service. While I may not embrace your respective political philosophies or your respective votes on every issue, I respect the people's consent granted to you to hold the office. 2 John D. Moss Shared Thoughts on the City Manager's Proposed FY 2023-2024 Operating Budget and CIP Open Letter to the Mayor and City Council I respect your willingness to serve and the honor and privilege the public has bestowed upon you. Discerning the signal hidden in the noise is never easy and knowing when silence is the signal is far more difficult. All the best with God's blessing, Sincerely, /s/ John D. Moss Attachment: City of Virginia Beach,Virginia Notice of Proposed Real Property Tax Increase 3 NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE Tax Increase Caused by Increase in Annual Assessment The City of Virginia Beach proposes to increase property tax levies. 1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year's total assessed value of real property by 9.07 percent. 2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year,when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.9077 per$100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the "lowered tax rate." 3. Effective Rate Increase: The City of Virginia Beach proposes to adopt a tax rate of$0.99 per$100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.0823 per $100, or 9.07 percent. This difference will be known as the"effective tax rate increase." Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage. 4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of the City of Virginia Beach will exceed last year's by 3.39 percent. The City Council of Virginia Beach, Virginia at its Special Formal Session on April 25, 2023 at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers in the City Hall Building (Building#1),2401 Courthouse Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456, will conduct a public hearing on the adoption of an ordinance regarding the effective rate increase. This hearing is open to the public, and all interested citizens will have an opportunity to be heard. The public hearing will be held in-person and virtually, and virtual participation shall be by the method prescribed below. Individuals desiring to provide written comments may do so by contacting the City Clerk's office at 385-4303. If you are physically disabled or visually impaired and need assistance at this meeting, please call 385-4303; hearing impaired, call TDD- 711. If you wish to make comments virtually via WebEx (by computer, smart device, or telephone) during the public hearing, please follow the two-step process provided below: o Register for the WebEx at: https://vbgov.webex.com/weblink/register/reb11290b2c25ed13eb21 e683e76896bC o Register with the City Clerk's Office by calling (757) 385-4303 or via email at ABarnes@vbgov.com prior to 5:00 p.m. on April 25, 2023. Attachment 5 ADJOURNMENT ITEM#74139 Mayor Robert M. Dyer DECLARED the City Council SPECIAL SESSION ADJOURNED at 7:20 P.M. Terri H. Chelius Chief Deputy City Clerk Amanda Barnes,MMC Robert M. Dyer City Clerk Mayor April 19, 2023