[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6573185,"mediaKeyId","3110523-8d70b1594b6cf98ab9bb6b46f4fa72d2","parentId",3110523,"title","Hampton public defender asks council to consider supplement to retain attorneys, cites turnover and travel burdens","audioSeconds",4546,"startMs",2248000,"endMs",6794000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3110523-8d70b1594b6cf98ab9bb6b46f4fa72d2&start=2248&end=6794","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3110523-8d70b1594b6cf98ab9bb6b46f4fa72d2/thumbnail_2248000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6573185/Hampton-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Hampton-public-defender-asks-council-to-consider-supplement-to-retain-attorneys-cites-turnover-and-travel-burdens","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573185-e3690ce739b823bc6feab618bb6f39c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933965&Signature=dmA3hy5pd1AXIB-PYethWWkT-GoC4EDMG-TRk2JuEIvCjY1TDYmu1yPIHZ8f9dPhrcO8eMu7JIUcwCzRmnl5wqUzsoA6ujzpr~joPA0jm2QcK~nVaPRvy2k9963v~tRIRcqw2PBEOQbCH8G4BgMQFhxARSsQVC3~UcuDNGh6Y0COzrTap0l2lmZuYmLJ5dRWuZAiX-ipn06WvFBT-vyyeG0kggoam2tp-RXxcSq1BnaVoehyr~2P~rSqnRLHlrWJsgvtmCpwjC5IA9oSzxLcMzksxPvTlU0fXlOoAhHX2VLvrLtqx7KiRqljfh2bwhmdgyTqiJw7QocuBzgyPailcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hampton City","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","Hampton — Matthew Johnson, director of the Hampton Public Defender’s Office, asked the City Council during a work session to consider a local supplement to the office’s state funding to improve recruitment and retention of attorneys and support staff.

Johnson told the council that about 75% of criminal defendants in Hampton are represented by the public defender’s office and said the office is experiencing turnover and recruitment challenges. “What I'm asking you to consider is a 3,000 $300,000 supplement to our office,” Johnson said in his presentation packet and remarks, adding that the supplement would be used to “recruit and retain good attorneys.”

Johnson described the office’s workload and staffing: the office is authorized for 16 attorney positions and nine support staff positions but is short several barred attorneys at the moment; he said the office was “currently down 4” attorneys in practices where some recent hires have not yet passed the Virginia bar or are not yet able to practice. He noted many positions are filled conditionally pending bar passage, and that hiring cycles tied to law‑school graduation create gaps.

Johnson said starting public‑defender salaries are set by the state compensation board at about $75,000; local supplements in neighboring jurisdictions — he said Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Newport News and others offer supplements or higher pay — create competitive hiring pressures. He argued that supplements in other localities have improved retention and recruitment, and that Hampton’s lack of supplements makes it hard to keep attorneys who otherwise could go to offices that supplement pay.

Johnson also described workload drivers beyond caseload numbers: a portion of Hampton clients are held in facilities outside the city (Riverside, Petersburg, Suffolk), and travel to meet those clients consumes substantial staff time; he said travel to out‑of‑city detention centers can require a half‑day or full‑day commitment per client visit.

Council members asked about staffing levels, diversity and oversight of supplemental funds. Johnson said the office’s staff are state positions (not city employees) and that memorandums of understanding used in other jurisdictions treat supplemented public defender offices as independent contractors, with language that permits the locality to revoke funding if terms are not met. He also acknowledged a pending employment‑related lawsuit alleging discriminatory termination; he said the matter was handled appropriately and that he could not provide additional comment on pending litigation.

City staff and several council members raised procedural and policy questions: some members asked for comparative salary data from peer localities and expressed concern about precedent — noting that other state employees who serve city residents might also seek supplements — and about the city’s oversight role if it were to provide funds.

No formal council action was taken during the work session; council members asked Johnson and staff to provide comparative compensation and turnover data for Hampton and peer jurisdictions and to return with additional information prior to any funding decision.

Ending: Johnson closed by asking the council to consider the supplement as a tool to stabilize staffing and improve legal representation; council members said they would review additional data and discuss the request during the budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hampton City - City Council Work Session - Apr 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public defender Matthew Johnson asked the City Council during a work session to consider a local supplement for the public defender’s office to help recruit and retain attorneys and support staff. He cited high workloads, travel to out‑of‑city jails and salary disparities with neighboring jurisdictions.","taxTitle","Hampton City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5062,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6573190,"Hampton City Schools present $358 million FY2026 budget, propose 4% pay increase and added school security",1675,74000,1749000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3110523-8d70b1594b6cf98ab9bb6b46f4fa72d2&start=74&end=1749","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3110523-8d70b1594b6cf98ab9bb6b46f4fa72d2/thumbnail_74000.jpg","/articles/6573190/Hampton-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Hampton-City-Schools-present-358-million-FY2026-budget-propose-4-pay-increase-and-added-school-security","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573190-124a641a29a9b9e9e180274bf95fbd85/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933965&Signature=GlVoV7BgTThHfwnQ7nviGS~n11Wd3fYVesTC43tIx4pnqmFDWliO-86NQyYi4blCgorzQb12i0KHf3xXnDlBbYyft436CjH91fNshuF2w1kCrXD88lMytYVkXNcQzrFOaWK8drOpHYrFEuxxes7wcwPfA~z~Tz3aGeyjmqYD31QFlkjGzAAmKxLc0DlqX44KwbXjEL~6yJ-HoGASYl9bke13glyjSLZkwb6tVNDkW4H2Yb0SY1N1GymVWkeYXBiTF4N5ImYRdG8uTrcbP2pRUazhtq2vnn6xySX0yVaP73jrUwQAJ9wL08bq0nZ9uNHlvquZZKLeHgtl3D6Xo3O~cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hampton — Hampton City Schools officials on Thursday presented a board‑approved fiscal year 2026 budget to the Hampton City Council work session that would total about $358,000,000 across all funds and would include a 4% compensation increase for all teachers and staff.

The proposal, presented by Chair Mason, Superintendent Dr. Raymond Haynes and Chief Financial Officer Bernadette Branch, would keep employee health care premiums unchanged while adding the equivalent of 56.7 positions—including 19 school security officers for elementary and pre‑K buildings, 15 special‑education staff, six Academy of Hampton coaches and other instructional and non‑instructional roles.

The board emphasized the budget’s priorities as competitive compensation, school security, and tutoring/remediation. “We are proud to present you not only a balanced budget, but 1 that aligns with the school division's mission and priorities and feedback from our community,” Chair Mason said.

CFO Bernadette Branch presented the revenue mix and major expenditures, saying the school operating fund (Fund 50) is projected at roughly $307,000,000 for FY2026 and that the school division’s total budget across all funds is projected at $358,000,000. The division’s largest revenue source is state funding — projected at about $200,300,000 and based on the governor’s amendments to the 2024–26 biennial state budget — followed by estimated local support of approximately $99,000,000 (subject to City Council approval).

Branch described the state’s local composite index (LCI) used in the standards‑of‑quality funding formula and said the division projects a March 31 average daily membership of 18,353 for 2026. Branch said instructional spending accounts for about 68% of Fund 50 and that salaries and fringe benefits make up roughly 80% of the budget.

Compensation and staffing highlights:
- A division‑wide 4% compensation increase for teachers and staff, effective July 1, 2025; Branch estimated the cost at about $8,400,000.
- A recommended additional investment of $2,000,000 targeted at teacher salaries to raise starting pay; Branch said a new teacher with zero years’ experience would have a starting salary of $56,750 under the proposal.
- Maintenance of a 30‑step teacher salary scale and targeted wage adjustments for trades and co‑curricular supplements (Branch said the co‑curricular supplement pool increases by about $242,000).
- Net addition of 56.7 positions (detailed position list available on the Hampton City Schools budget information page).

Capital and program highlights included completion or renovation plans for media centers division‑wide and middle‑school science classrooms by the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, renovated running tracks, upgraded school marquees, and the renovation of Bastet Elementary School. Recent projects already completed include a new transportation facility on Aluminum Avenue, a new science wing at Kecoughtan High School, renovated Cooper Elementary School, and improvements to school auditoriums and athletic facilities.

Branch said some special and one‑time federal pandemic funds have ended (reducing related federal revenue), and that certain one‑time savings of about $14,700,000 were repurposed inside the budget to fund new initiatives.

Superintendent Dr. Raymond Haynes told council the budget presentation reflects the board’s priorities and community feedback and that the division is “still awaiting a final budget from Richmond.” He added the division will monitor final state actions and return to the school board and city council if additional revenue or adjustments are needed.

Council members asked questions about enrollment trends, health‑care premium stability and indirect cost recoveries. Vice Mayor Brown praised the division’s stewardship and asked how the division maintained no health‑care premium increases while funding raises; Branch said the division transitioned to a self‑insured program and negotiated multiyear contracts with a third‑party consultant that produced savings.

The presentation was informational to the council; the school board has already approved the budget and the city council will later consider its own appropriation and the local funding contribution that supports Fund 50. No council vote on the school budget was taken during the session.

The school team requested council review and reminded members that the final local support amount is “estimated” and contingent on council action and any changes from the state budget process.

Ending: School staff said next steps are continued monitoring of the state budget process and follow‑up presentations as final state figures and the city’s local contribution are determined.","Hampton City Schools leaders presented a board‑approved $358 million FY2026 budget at a City Council work session, highlighting a 4% compensation increase, 56.7 new positions including 19 school security officers, and multiple capital renovations. The budget is subject to final state actions and the city’s local contribution.","actionData","errors"]

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Hampton public defender asks council to consider supplement to retain attorneys, cites turnover and travel burdens

Hampton City Schools present $358 million FY2026 budget, propose 4% pay increase and added school security