Use Online Tools to Set Your Own City Budget, Get a Taxpayer Receipt

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 2025-26 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 2025-26 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.  

Also available in the interactive tools is the Taxpayer Receipt. Answer a few questions about the property you own to receive a customized receipt with an estimate of the total amount of taxes you paid to the City of Virginia Beach, along with itemized amounts in the categories of 21st Century infrastructure, safe and healthy community, growing economic opportunities, thriving neighborhoods, innovative and sustainable government, and capital projects and reserves. 

The full budget is available for residents to view at public libraries, City Hall and online at VirginiaBeach.gov/ProposedBudget. In addition, answers to City Council questions about the budget are answered by the director of Budget and Management Services and posted weekly.

The proposed budget will not be finalized until May 13. Before that, departments will present their proposed budgets to 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 16 – Virginia Beach Convention Center – April 16 WebEx 

• Tuesday, April 22 – Council Chamber, City Hall, Bldg. 1 – April 22 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. Give your feedback in a variety of ways now through 11:59 p.m. on May 7.

• Complete survey.
• Email comments to fy25-26budget@publicinput.com.
• Leave a voicemail by calling 1-855-925-2801. Enter Project Code 11325.
  • All comments received via the survey, project email or voicemail will be provided to City Council.

Next Steps in the FY 2025-26 Budget Process 

• April:  City Council hears from individual department heads on their departmental budgets. Two public hearings provide residents an opportunity to comment on the proposed budget. 

• May: The reconciliation workshop is 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. This year the budget is scheduled to be adopted on May 13, 2025.  

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