Suffolk delegation wins state dollars for workforce center, homeless shelter; zoning penalties strengthened

City leaders heard a recap of the 2025 Virginia General Assembly focused on items that affect Suffolk, including several direct funding wins, a new local zoning enforcement tool, and a series of bills that were vetoed by the governor.

Mindy Carlin, CEO of Access Point Public Affairs and the city’s legislative liaison, told the council the session “was by and large a successful session with respect to city priorities.” She said, “we were very pleased to be able to work with members of our delegation and others in the general assembly, to get support for our requested $750,000 in state funding to help support the city share of this partnership,” referring to the city’s partnership with Camp Community College to develop a workforce trades and innovation center focused on maritime infrastructure, logistics and warehousing.

The city also secured $500,000 in state funding to support the Western Tidewater Regional homeless shelter, Carlin said. Senator Emily Jordan announced an additional award later in the session: “We can now announce … Suffolk will receive $3,000,000, through Virginia Housing … for the phase 2 portion of Peanut Crossing … to support additional workforce housing,” Jordan said at the meeting.

Nut graf: The council was briefed on a mix of direct appropriations, policy changes and vetoed measures that together shape Suffolk’s near-term capital and operating choices — from workforce development and homelessness services to local land‑use enforcement and public‑safety technology.

Zoning enforcement and fines

Carlin summarized a successful legislative change that expands local authority to deter repeat zoning violators in Hampton Roads. “What we were able to get support for was maintaining the initial fine, for a violation at $200, but then have subsequent increases, to from 500 to a thousand for the second offense and then to 1,500 for any subsequent offense,” she said. The provision applies only to localities in Hampton Roads and is limited to non‑permitted commercial uses; the bill also allows a locality to set a remediation period when an accused violator waives trial.

Speed cameras, ALPR and vetoed bills

Carlin briefed council on deliberations over bills that would have imposed guardrails and funding changes for speed‑camera and automatic license plate reader (ALPR) programs. She said the municipality successfully secured the removal of provisions that would have reduced fines or redirected the majority of fine revenue to the state. “Ultimately, the governor decided not to sign that bill. He did veto it, so it didn’t go into effect,” Carlin said, adding that a similar ALPR bill passed the General Assembly but was also vetoed. Carlin and members of the council said they expect the measures to return in future sessions.

Cemeteries and a new register requirement

Carlin highlighted a budget increase of $750,000 for the state’s African‑American cemeteries program, bringing total biennial investment in the program to $1,000,000. She also noted legislation introduced by Senator Danica Roem that “does require localities to adopt an ordinance setting forth a register of identified cemeteries, graveyards, or other places of burial located on private property not belonging to any memorial or monumental associations.” That law has a delayed effective date of 07/01/2026, Carlin said. The city manager and staff described steps the city must take to identify eligible sites and submit applications for the increased funding.

Local government approval process: HB 2660 and the Code Commission

Carlin told council that HB 2660, a bill that shortens time frames for various local government approvals and directs the Virginia Code Commission to convene a stakeholder work group, passed and was signed by the governor. “That code commission will be submitting a report on its recommendations by November first of this year,” she said. Carlin said the city will monitor the commission’s work and any follow‑on legislation, and emphasized that some changes will affect local review deadlines and administrative processes.

Education and other budget highlights

Carlin reviewed several budget items of interest to the city: $222.9 million to fund state‑recognized school support positions; a 3% salary increase each year of the biennium for certain educators; a one‑time $1,000 payment for funded SOQ instructional positions with no required local match; and $52.8 million to increase the state percent for special education students. She also noted $25 million in FY2025 for drinking‑water grants and programs to support broadband investment and business‑ready sites.

Behavioral health, CSBs and juvenile detention

Carlin summarized budget language that requires local governments to maintain contributions to Community Service Boards (CSBs) year‑to‑year unless extreme hardship is shown, and she said roughly $8.7 million was included to hire additional CSB support coordinators. She also reported that legislation that would have consolidated juvenile detention facilities failed to advance.

What passed and what did not

Carlin and council members repeatedly stressed that some measures advanced in the legislature but were vetoed by the governor, leaving current local programs unchanged for now. Councilman Rector asked whether fine revenue from the city’s speed cameras will remain with the locality; Carlin replied, “the legislation did not … pass. It passed, but the governor vetoed it. And so everything will stay the way that it is for us.”

Next steps and council direction

Carlin said staff will continue to develop proposals to seek the cemetery funds and to track the Code Commission’s recommendations. Senator Jordan and Delegate Darius Clark — who each spoke to the council about additional bills that passed or were pursued by the delegation — urged the city to remain engaged on school construction, secondary‑road funding and workforce development.

Ending: The council voted later in the session to move a summer events presentation into the regular meeting agenda, a procedural motion that passed 8–0. Council members said they appreciated the delegation’s and liaison’s work during the session and instructed staff to monitor implementation steps and deadlines for the matters described above.