North Tidewater News

City Council will be engaging in thorough discussions on next year's operating and capital budgets. According to the article, "Budget discussion topics include: Property taxes, as well as programs that exempt all or some or all real estate from taxes," said a city official. The discussions will cover various aspects such as personal property taxes, public works funds, compensation adjustments, benefits/health insurance, operating budget requests, and capital budget requests.

The budget workshop will take place at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, where Council members will utilize innovative methods like dots and electronic polling to determine preliminary priorities. The meeting is open to the public and will be recorded for future viewing.

In addition to the budget discussions, the evening session at City Hall will feature a Spotlight program to honor Special Olympics volunteers, followed by an update on crime statistics and trends from the Police Department. The presentation will shed light on the department's strategies to combat crime effectively.

Regarding short-term rentals, there are five use permits on the agenda for properties in various locations. The Council has postponed the votes to finalize guidelines that regulate the density of short-term rental units in neighborhoods. The guidelines aim to streamline the process for homeowners to list their properties as short-term rentals, ensuring compliance with agreed-upon standards.

The evening meetings at Council Chambers in City Hall will be open to the public and broadcast live on the city channel. Residents will also have the opportunity to share their views on budget priorities during I Value workshops scheduled for the following week.