Residents urge council to hold line on real-estate tax as public hearing draws senior and homeowner opposition

Dozens of residents addressed the City Council on April 8 during the public hearing on the proposed real-estate tax rate for the fiscal year 2025-26, with many urging council to keep the rate unchanged in light of rising assessments and household expenses.

Brennan Waters, a homeowner who identified himself at the microphone, told council, "I want to encourage the city council to hold the line on the real estate tax rate. We need relief." Several speakers described steep increases in their assessments and tax bills over the last four years and said those increases outpaced fixed incomes or retirement benefits.

Other speakers emphasized specific hardships: Lee DeMoor said his tax bill rose roughly 30% over four years; Bill Warren, a retired longtime city employee, described a county-assessment increase that, in his calculation, would push his monthly cost substantially higher. Donna Ivins and Sally Anne Harris, both long-time Chesapeake residents, said assessments and tax bills were forcing concerns about affordability and home retention.

Several speakers asked council to consider targeted relief measures for seniors and long-term residents, and asked the council to scrutinize spending and prioritization before approving any tax-rate increase. Jeff Morgenthaler urged council to pair growth with a fuller plan for schools, roads and services that new development will require.

City staff clarified that the public hearing was for comment only; the manager told the public that council would continue budget deliberations in the coming weeks and that a tax-rate decision would be taken when the budget is adopted in the first May meeting.

Ending: The public hearing drew varied testimony but a consistent theme of concern about rising property tax bills. Council members and staff said they would continue budget deliberations and return for additional work sessions before deciding the tax rate.