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Newport News council outlines FY26 budget review steps, proposes baseline cuts and vacancy review
Summary
Councilmembers described a refined FY26 operating budget process at the May 13 work session, including a vacant-positions review, a budget baseline target of a 3% reduction, and consideration of a 5% operating overhead reduction (excluding salaries) pending federal funding changes.
City councilmembers discussed planning steps for the fiscal year 2026 operating budget at the May 13 Newport News work session, outlining a process that will review vacant positions, revisit support for the Peninsula Airport Commission and test baseline reductions across departments.
Council members said they will begin with a vacant position review to determine which openings can be closed and which should remain. They proposed building the FY26 budget on a baseline that assumes at least a 3% reduction across departments and discussed a possible 5% reduction in operating overhead (excluding salaries) if federal funding cuts require it. Council also said they will explore reductions in overhead and start a so-called "zero-based" review process next year.
The mayor noted the group had agreed to a timeline and thanked staff for coordination; councilmembers emphasized continuing work on the budget in coming weeks and asked staff to communicate expectations to departments. No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the work session on the FY26 budget process; the comments were presented as guidance for preparing the upcoming budget cycle.
