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Residents urge lower taxes and spotlight community programs; council and manager respond
Summary
During public comment, residents asked for a lower real-estate tax rate and raised concerns about council salaries; nonprofit leaders highlighted after-school programming serving about 100 children and a mentee described recovery after being shot. City Manager Bunting pledged follow-up and explained why the tax rate could not be lowered by another penny without cutting other priorities.
Four community members addressed the council during the public comment period. Brenda Marks urged the council to set the real-estate tax rate to $1.13 per $100 assessed value and called attention to recently approved council salary increases. "I'm asking y'all seriously, think of the people that own real properties and cut the rate to a dollar 13," Marks said. Erin Weaver asked council members to respond to an email circulated by a local pastor and thanked Councilwoman Campbell for a reply.
Ray Miles, representing Frontline Maintenance University, described partnership work with Hampton City Schools and an after-school program that served about 100 children. "We successfully had our pathway of greatness program... it was about a 100 kids in attendance," Miles said. A mentee, Joshua Ealy, told the council the organization helped him after he was shot seven times on Feb. 8 and that mentorship and job assistance had been critical to his recovery. City Manager Bunting praised the speakers and told Joshua an assistant city manager and the economic development director would follow up to explore partnership possibilities. On the tax request, Bunting explained it would take roughly $1.6 million to lower the rate another penny and that the city used supplemental revenue and a school reimbursement to preserve a 4% employee pay increase.
