Chesapeake manager presents budget; chiefs outline firefighter and police staffing shortfalls as city considers advertising 2¢ tax increase

City Manager Price told the Chesapeake City Council at a March 18 work session that next week he will present a proposed FY26 core budget at the existing tax rate and that the city will advertise a proposed 2¢ real-estate tax rate increase to give council options for additional public safety spending.

The announcement set the stage for detailed presentations from Fire Chief Golisano and Police Chief Celeski, who described chronic staffing shortages, equipment gaps and specific program requests. Price said the advertised 2¢ increase would not be binding if council does not adopt it: “If I don't advertise a tax rate increase, I'm taking that choice away from you,” he told council members.

Council members discussed options including pausing or delaying capital projects, using one‑time surplus dollars and prioritizing which public-safety items to fund immediately.

Chief Golisano said the fire department has a mix of urgent operational and capital needs. He highlighted three items already in the manager’s proposed core budget: continuation of the public‑safety pay plan, advanced health screenings for firefighters, and adding positions to close the department’s documented minimum‑staffing gap. “We identified 2 firefighters that had cancer,” he said, describing results from a prior federal screening grant that also diagnosed 14 firefighters with cardiac…