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Virginia Beach waste-management employees urge pay boosts, staffing to reduce safety risks
Summary
Multiple city waste-management employees told City Council at a public hearing that low pay and understaffing are driving departures, creating safety risks and forcing employees into roles they say require more training.
At a special Virginia Beach City Council public hearing on April 16, 2025, several waste-management employees urged the council to increase entry-level pay and add staff to reduce on-the-job safety risks.
Alfred McClenny, a waste-management employee, told the council that “there was no mention of the lag in compensation for public works, especially waste management during the market survey discussion.” He said hiring and retention have been poor: “From ’23 to ’25, we hired 75 employees. That same span, we lost 69.”
Stacy Lewis, who identified herself as a two-year city employee, said crews are overworked and understaffed. “We need, like, 22 trucks to be able to do the rear loader side of the trash removal,”…
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