Jerry Wilson, staff lead on legislative matters, briefed Newport News City Council on Oct. 28 about the city’s proposed state legislative priorities for the next General Assembly. Wilson said the session will be a difficult biennial budget year and that the city’s package reflects that environment, combining specific code-change requests with policy statements and funding asks.

Why it matters: the package proposes changes that would give the city new local options and funding tools or protect local operations. Several items would require state action and, if adopted, would change Newport News’ toolkit for addressing local problems such as vacant properties, traffic-camera enforcement and funding for school construction.

Key requests and policy items described by staff:
- Traffic-camera review: a narrow code change request would authorize localities to hire and train technicians to review traffic‑camera footage and determine violations — freeing sworn officers from that task. Wilson said Portsmouth may partner on this item.
- Land‑value tax option: the city requests authority to use a land‑value taxation option, which taxes land and improvements at different rates to encourage development of vacant land. Staff described this as an optional tool, not a mandate.
- Charter changes and discussion items: the package contains two recommended charter-change requests and two additional items for council discussion: (1) a locally administered recall-election process different from the state circuit‑court‑based process; (2) creation of a citizen compensation committee to recommend council salaries (the charter language would permit council to set salaries not to exceed the committee’s recommendation); and for discussion only, (3) allowing partisan labels on local ballots and (4) permitting ranked‑choice voting and possibly adding seats to council and the elected school board (including options such as super‑wards).
- Funding and program asks: staff will again seek Safer Communities grants ($2.5 million per year in the biennium) and support increased state investment in housing (Virginia Housing Trust Fund) and other priorities including municipal water-system protections, an excise tax option on vaping products, school construction financing (an option for a 1% sales-tax referendum to fund school modernization), military infrastructure funding, and transit and public-safety supports.
- Other proposals: staff discussed impromptu-event legislation to allow overlay districts and targeted temporary public-safety responses for sudden large gatherings at popular public venues.

Council discussion: council members discussed the recall proposal at length, with several expressing concern that a locally administered recall could be misused and preferring the existing state process. Several members supported study of partisan ballots, ranked‑choice voting and changes to council/school‑board composition but emphasized more discussion and public outreach before seeking code or charter changes.

Next steps: Wilson said staff will return with a published legislative package and seek council direction before finalizing formal requests to the General Assembly; council will take formal votes on the package at a later meeting.