Newport News residents press council for property tax relief as FY2026 budget hearing continues

Newport News residents and nonprofit leaders used a continuation of the public hearing on the city manager’s recommended FY2026 operating budget in April 2025 to press the City Council for property tax relief for long-term homeowners and to thank the council for proposed support for senior services and local cultural institutions.

Speakers including Marshall Morgart and several seniors urged relief from rising property taxes, citing steep assessment increases since 2019. “At some point we gotta say, hey, how about giving the people a little bit of relief?” Marshall Morgart said, adding that his own property assessment rose “over 35%, which was from $1,800 to $2,800.” Another resident said rising property taxes could force longtime owners from their homes and asked council members to “look at those people that’s been in these homes all these periods of time and see if there’s something that we can do.”

Nonprofit leaders told the council their programs serve large numbers of older residents and benefit from city support. Bill Massey, chief executive officer of Peninsula Agency on Aging, said the agency serves older adults 60 and older and family caregivers in Newport News and that the city’s support has been important to sustaining services including Meals on Wheels, nonemergency medical transportation and in‑home care. Massey gave the demographic figures discussed to council: “There’s currently 34,765 Newport News residents over the age of 60, and 4,625 live at or below the poverty level. … 5,500 are over the 80,” he said.

Kate Helwig, executive director of Sister Cities Newport News, thanked the council for including the organization in the FY2026 community support agency grant program and described an international cycling program the group will help promote. Sarah Messer Smith, president of the board of trustees of the Virginia Living Museum, thanked council members for the museum’s inclusion in the recommended budget and outlined the museum’s volunteer base, education role and recent campus expansion.

Justin Kennedy, representing the Kennedy firm and some seniors, relayed interviews he conducted about homelessness and older homeowners who said they were “priced out” by assessments. He told council members two questions residents asked him to raise: what the city can do for homeowners who hold more than $200,000 in assets but face hardship, and how the city will reach seniors who do not use digital communications.

During the hearing the city manager and staff addressed several process questions raised by speakers. The manager noted that the city assessor’s office recently briefed council on the assessment and appeal process and said residents may review recorded briefings, meet with assessor staff by appointment or stop by to discuss their assessments. The manager also said the recommended operating budget includes a proposal to raise the threshold for certain tax‑relief eligibility so some residents who previously did not qualify could be reconsidered under the new criteria.

Speakers also raised local program and facility requests. A resident asked the council to continue considering a city pool in future capital planning; another speaker urged the city to expand non‑digital outreach so residents over 70 or 80 who do not use social media receive information about programs and exemptions.

Votes at a glance - Motion to excuse Councilman Colvin from the meeting — moved and seconded; roll call recorded six yes votes, motion carried 6–0. (Mover/second not specified in the record.) - Motion to close the continued public hearing on the FY2026 operating budget — moved and seconded; roll call recorded six yes votes, motion carried 6–0. (Mover/second not specified in the record.)

The council closed the continued public hearing after the public comment period; no final adoption vote on the FY2026 operating budget was recorded at this meeting.