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Williamsburg budget proposal draws sharp opposition from restaurants and business owners
Summary
City Manager Drew Trivet presented a $112.3M FY26 proposal including a $1.59 per 1,000 gallon water rate increase and new hospitality levies; dozens of restaurateurs and residents urged council to find cuts or other revenues rather than raise meals, lodging or admissions taxes.
City Manager Drew Trivet presented the proposed FY26 budget to Williamsburg City Council on April 10, a $112.3 million spending plan that staff said includes a $2.4 million mandatory spending increase and a roughly $77,000 projected surplus after trimming new requests. Trivet told the council most new departmental requests were denied and that the only general-staff item included was a 3% cost-of-living adjustment.
Trivet framed two structural budget problems: aging utility infrastructure and an imbalanced capital-improvement program (CIP). He said staff estimated $27,660,000 in utility work over the next decade and…
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