City manager: General Assembly week ends with mixed results for Virginia Beach priorities

City Manager provided an end‑of‑session update on state legislation affecting Virginia Beach, telling council that a key 10‑1 election measure received an emergency clause from the governor and is now part of the city charter and state code.

"Our 10‑1 election system is now part of our charter and part of the Virginia code, and we are good to go on that front," the City Manager said, summarizing action on the item.

He said many other municipal priorities had been sent to conference committees because the House and Senate passed different versions. Those include collective bargaining proposals, prevailing‑wage legislation (differences over local government inclusion), paid family and sick leave measures, and changes tied to cannabis and gaming policy. He said the House had included a 1% sales tax option for school construction and that the Senate had placed that matter in the budget.

The manager noted HB 888 had passed both chambers and would go to the governor and that SB 388 and HB 1279 (so‑called faith‑and‑housing bills) remained in conference with a reported four‑year sunset in current drafts; staff said they continue to oppose that legislation and are tracking it.

He also said HJ28, a House joint resolution to require a transit study report, had been agreed to and would require reporting by the first day of the 2028 legislative session, pending budget support. The manager closed by reminding council that the final budget is typically reported 48 hours before a floor vote and that members should expect a late Thursday publication of budget materials during the current week.

Council asked staff to continue monitoring conference committee activity and to brief the delegation as needed; the council did not take formal action on these items during the meeting.