Hampton council advances FY2026 budget ordinances after state veto forces funding shifts

Hampton City Council held a special meeting May 7 to take public comment on the city manager's recommended FY2026 budget and to introduce a package of tax, fee and appropriation ordinances, then voted to advance those ordinances to the council's May 14 meeting for final consideration.

City Manager Mary Bunting and interim budget manager Angelique Schenck told council that the city's FY2026 plan had assumed $2,500,000 in SAFER (community violence reduction) grant funding approved by the General Assembly. Those grants were removed by a governor's line‑item veto late last week, and staff recommended shifting some of the violence‑reduction spending into the general fund to preserve three programs: a diversion program for young people, a violence‑interrupter program, and a housing‑stabilization effort connected to Riverside. "This program was vetoed or the expansion of this program was vetoed by the governor on Friday," Angelique Schenck said, describing the $2.5 million SAFER grant the budget had relied on.

To replace the lost grant revenue, staff proposed a mix of actions: move the SAFER funding items into the general fund where feasible; reduce or eliminate certain other…