Use Online Tools to Set Your Own City Budget

What changes would you make to the City’s proposed budget if you were the city manager? City Manager Patrick Duhaney presented his proposed FY 2026-27 budget to City Council on March 25. What changes would you make if it were up to you?  

Give it a try! Residents can use the online interactive tool Balancing Act to tinker with the budget and suggest changes by raising or lowering individual taxes or individual spending items.  

The Balancing Act tool includes actual figures from the proposed FY 2026-27 budget and allows users to adjust spending and the way that money is brought it. The spending section allows you to increase or decrease the amount of money that is spent on certain items in categories and sub-categories. The revenue section allows you to increase or decrease the amount of money coming from different sources. You will see the total amount of money from that source as well as the current tax rate, if applicable.

Remember to keep an eye on the deficit and surplus. An indicator displays how much money you need to adjust in the revenue and spending categories to balance your budget. Users can add comments to the individual choices, and when completed, have the option to send the budget and comments to City officials.   

The full proposed resource management plan — consisting of the executive summary, operating budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) — is available for residents to view at public libraries, the Clerk’s Office in City Hall and online at VirginiaBeach.gov/ProposedBudget. In addition, answers to City Council questions about the budget are answered by Budget and Management Services and posted weekly.

The proposed budget will not be finalized until May 12. Before that, departments will answer questions on their departmental budgets from City Council, and residents are encouraged to provide input.  

Caption: Graphic illustrating Budget Timeline: 1. November: Five-Year Forecast, 2. February: Real Estate Assessment & School Budget, 3. March: Proposed Budget Presented, 4. April: Department Reports & Public Hearings, 5. May: Budget Finalized, 6. Aug.-Sept.: Planning, 7. Sept.-Oct.: Department Requests

Share Your Thoughts at Two Public Hearings and Online  

Residents are encouraged to provide feedback about the proposed budget through April. Several options are available. If you have a specific budget question, send it to budget@vbgov.com. 

The City Council will hold two public hearings in April to gather resident input on the budget. Both meetings will be held at 6 p.m. and allow for in-person and virtual audiences. 

• Wednesday, April 15 – Virginia Beach Convention Center – April 15 WebEx

• Tuesday, April 21 – Council Chamber, City Hall, Bldg. 1 – April 21 WebEx

Residents wishing to make comments during the hearings must register with the City Clerk’s Office by calling 757-385-4303 prior to 5 p.m. on the day of the hearing. If participating virtually, please also register via WebEx.

Input related to the budget also may be submitted via SpeakUpVB.com, now through 11:59 p.m. on May 5.

All input will be provided to City Council. 

Next Steps in the FY 2026-27 Budget Process 

• April: City Council will ask questions of City departments on their departmental budgets during workshops on April 7, April 14, April 21 and April 28. Two public hearings on April 15 and April 21 provide residents an opportunity to comment on the proposed budget. 

• May: The reconciliation workshop is May 5, a week before the state-mandated deadline of May 15 for the budget to be adopted. This workshop is for the City Council to finalize the budget, and City Council votes to adopt it on May 12.  

Learn more by visiting Budget.VirginiaBeach.gov. Watch the City Council meetings and be prepared to provide your input on the proposed budget in April. Subscribe now to get updates on the City’s budget process and how you can provide your input before major decisions are made.

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SpeakUpVB.com
Demographic data is requested to ensure input is received from a wide range of Virginia Beach residents. Users are encouraged to create a SpeakUpVB.com profile to provide input on multiple projects without having to re-enter personal information. Users who already have a profile may be prompted to reset their password, because the site has been recently refreshed. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about SpeakUpVB.com for more information.