VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Beach City Council moved Tuesday night to dedicate millions of dollars to improving four of the city’s sports facilities, and approve the creation of a dedicated fund for arts in the city.
The resolution passed via a 9-1 vote directs City Manager Patrick Duhaney to allocate $18.5 million toward the sports infrastructure as part of the city’s capital improvement program. It comes after recommendations from a study from consultant Victus Advisors.
The overall capital project (#100629) already had just over $6.9 million appropriated already, using revenues from the city’s Tourism Investment Program (TIP).
Of the $18.5 million outlined in Tuesday’s resolution, $10 million will go to the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex to build six new artificial turf fields with lights, and to resurface two existing fields.
Other funding will go toward improvements at the Princess Anne Athletic Complex, the Virginia Beach Sportsplex and Field Hockey Training Center and Pickleball Virginia Beach, the latter of which will get $2.1 million for improvements to its championship court and other short-term venue needs.
That resolution approved Tuesday also directed the city manager to establish a dedicated funding source for arts and culture in the city. That part of the resolution brought out several supporters.
The arts funding is required to come not from the city’s general fund, but from cuts to existing programs such as the city’s open space and agriculture reserve initiatives, which face cuts under Duhaney’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget.
Councilwoman Barbara Henley, the lone no vote, said she didn’t want to see cuts to those existing programs, and that council could utilize the general fund.
“I’m one of those people from the past who voted for some very important projects that are now going to have their money taken away in order to do this very good thing,” Henley said. “And that’s my problem with this. I certainly am in support of establishing a dedicated funding source for arts, but I do not that believe the money to do that should be taken from other very worthy programs.”
“I would much prefer that we utilize the funding that’s now in the general fund supporting arts as part of the funding for this,” Henley added.
Councilwoman Amelia Ross-Hammond though called the cuts “modest.”
“That dedicated funding has been there for a long time. It’s time for some change. We’re not saying we’re taking a whole lot out of these dedicated funding, but a modest. Which would make a big difference to all you artists out there…”
This came after council got a briefing Tuesday afternoon on the city’s proposed $2.6 billion fiscal year 2024-25 operating budget and capital improvement budget.
Highlights include a proposed two-cent real estate tax decrease (to 97 cents per $100 assessed value), new fire (17 full-time) and EMS (4 full-time) positions and keeping the city’s curbside recycling program with a rate increase of $3.05 per household.
There are also several cuts due to council’s request to cut that tax rate and other factors such as lower, slowed general tax revenue growth compared to what was seen in recent years.
Overall, a homeowner with a median home value of just over $388,000 will see an $18.62 monthly increase in their tax bill and fees from waste management, sewer and water. Though the 2-cent decrease lowers the burden by about $6.50 per month.
The budget presented Tuesday however is still preliminary. Council will hold public hearings on the budget in April and a vote won’t come until May 14.
WAVY will have a deeper look at the budget coming up. You can watch the presentation on the budget here and read it here.
