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Lobbyists tell Virginia Beach council city is well positioned for $35 million in Senate earmarks
Summary
Becker & Polyoff told the council the city secured about $15.34 million in federal grants last year, has $12 million in finalized FY26 earmarks, and that approximately $35.6 million is pending in the Senate while the House shows roughly $4.05 million. Projects named include I‑264 interchange, stormwater work, trail phases and Demo Parkway.
Becker & Polyoff briefed the Virginia Beach City Council on federal grant and earmark activity, saying the city has a strong position in the current appropriations cycle and several locally important projects are being carried forward in congressional spending proposals.
Alonso Lopez, a senior government-relations consultant with Becker & Polyoff, opened the presentation by describing the firm’s national practice and its team supporting Virginia Beach. He told council that “in total federal grant funding just last year, $15.34 million,” and that FY26 final earmarks amounted to about $12 million.
Perry Derek, who led the appropriations update, laid out project-level detail. He said the largest finalized FY26 earmark was $10 million for the I‑264/Independence Boulevard interchange to relieve congestion and cited $1 million awards for Boat Creek Stormwater Park and for Pungo Ferry Road. He also described projects currently at the member submittal stage in Congress and summarized differences between the House and Senate slates.
“We have $35.6 million already set aside in the Senate and then $4.05 million in the House,” Lopez said, noting reconciliation will determine final amounts. On the Senate side he listed proposals including $10 million for Eastern Shore drainage improvements, funding for a stormwater operations center, Virginia Beach Trail phases two and three, $5 million for Demo Parkway and $600,000 for vehicle mitigation barriers for the police department. The House slate covers many of the same projects at different funding levels.
Lobbyists told council the reconciliation process typically produces amounts between the two chambers’ proposals and urged continued coordination with the congressional delegation and federal agencies. They flagged two pieces of federal legislation likely to affect local opportunities: a surface transportation reauthorization (noting the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act must be extended) and the annual National Defense Authorization Act, both of which could influence funding available to this region. Staff and the lobbyists also said an Office of Management rule recently issued could change how some grants are administered; they recommended the city join any federal comment process.
Council members thanked the team and pressed for help moving high‑priority local projects, with multiple members urging expedited attention to Nimmo Parkway as a public‑safety priority. Becker & Polyoff said they will continue working with the city’s delegation, bring elected officials to Washington as needed, and assist city staff in drawing down awards once appropriations are final.
