Virginia Beach staff recommend up to $200,000 for voter-education campaign on November charter referendum

Tiffany Russell, the City of Virginia Beach communications director, told the City Council at a May 13 special session that her office has developed a paid-media plan of about $200,000 to educate residents about a charter-change referendum that will appear on the November 2025 ballot.

Russell said the recommended mix emphasizes YouTube pre-roll video to begin this summer, followed by direct mail timed for early September once the ballot question is finalized. "This will help us educate and inform residents on the referendum question," Russell said, and she estimated the proposed paid buy would generate about one million impressions at roughly $0.21 per view.

The plan presented to council included approximately 350,000 direct-mail pieces for an estimated $182,000; streaming and traditional radio buys; and printed brochures translated into Spanish and Tagalog for distribution at community events, libraries and recreation centers. Russell said direct mail…