Williamsburg council previews 2026 General Assembly agenda, emphasizes local zoning authority

City staff presented a draft legislative agenda to the Williamsburg City Council on Oct. 6 and asked the council to provide direction so staff can finalize the city’s priorities for the 2026 Virginia General Assembly.

The draft asks the General Assembly not to erode local zoning authority; requests state funding for the Williamsburg segment of the Virginia Capital Trail; seeks support for passenger-rail service planning now expected to include a temporary direct bus during Long Bridge construction; proposes restoring certain circuit-court clerk fees taken by the state after the 2008 recession; and requests three charter amendments and expanded parking-enforcement authority tied to visitor counts. Staff asked the council to limit its top legislative priorities to three or four items to maximize influence during the 60-day session beginning Jan. 14, 2026.

“Every year to limit our zoning, local zoning authority, in the name of all kinds of good causes. So we think it's very important, that local land issues remain local,” staff member Michelle DeWitt told the council. DeWitt said staff had consulted local partners including Colonial Williamsburg, William & Mary, Visit Williamsburg, the Chamber of Commerce, Peninsula Community College, York County and James City County, and regional organizations such as the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and the Virginia Municipal League.

Why it matters: the items the city pursues in Richmond affect local land-use control, transportation funding, and the city’s ability to enforce parking and rental standards. DeWitt told council that the city will seek pre-filing of local bills after the Nov. 4 elections so sponsors can enter the queue before the Nov. 17 pre-filing deadline where possible.

Key discussion points

- Local zoning authority: DeWitt described this as a recurring carryover priority and urged council to direct staff to oppose any state measures that would reduce local control over land-use decisions. Councilmembers noted past proposals related to accessory dwelling units and short-term rentals as examples within the broad zoning category.

- Virginia Capital Trail extension: Staff requested state support for the planned multiuse trail through Williamsburg linking toward Fort Monroe and connecting regionally via ferry crossings to Surry and Virginia Beach.

- Passenger rail and interim service: DeWitt said plans for a third Amtrak train serving Williamsburg were affected by construction of the Long Bridge in the Washington, D.C., area. “It turns out that we are going to get a bus to do this, and they tell us it will be a direct bus,” she said, adding the city is expected to retain two existing trains and receive a direct bus with Wi-Fi during construction. Council asked staff to confirm whether any existing train service would be reduced; DeWitt said staff would follow up.

- Clerk of the Circuit Court fees: The draft agenda supports a request from the James City County clerk (a shared position) to seek reinstatement of excess fees the state redirected after the 2008 recession to help fund clerk operations.

- Charter amendments and budget authority: The council reviewed three proposed charter amendments on the Thursday agenda: align local elections with a state-required November date, formally clarify the city manager’s existing authority to move funds within the approved budget, and add parking-enforcement authority for localities meeting a visitation threshold. DeWitt said staff intends to pre-file the charter bills after the Nov. 4 election so they can be placed in the 2026 legislative queue.

- Parking enforcement threshold: Staff described an approach that would add cities with annual visitation above 2,000,000 to the list of localities eligible to authorize private parking-enforcement vendors (current statutory authority applies automatically to localities with populations of 40,000 or more). DeWitt said the proposed statutory language would be framed broadly so it could apply to cities that meet the visitation threshold without naming individual localities.

- School funding and partnership with WJCC: Mayor Ponds and other councilmembers raised K–12 funding and partnership with the Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) schools. DeWitt noted a previously filed proposal that would allow localities to add up to a 1¢ sales-tax option to fund school construction has been discussed in prior sessions and earlier vetoed by the governor; staff said they will reach out to WJCC to coordinate.

Next steps and procedural matters

Council did not take a formal vote on the legislative priorities at the Oct. 6 work session. DeWitt asked for council direction to continue collecting input from partner agencies, residents and legislative liaisons; staff will return to the council in November for formal adoption. DeWitt emphasized timeline constraints: the city must wait for the Nov. 4 election to confirm delegates and intends to seek pre-filing for its bills where appropriate before the Nov. 17 pre-filing deadline.

Quotes and attribution in this article are taken from the work session transcript and are attributed to the speakers listed below. The council and staff repeatedly distinguished discussion from formal action: the meeting recorded council questions and staff clarifications but no formal votes on the legislative agenda were taken at the Oct. 6 work session.