Mayor’s State of the City Address

Local, Norfolk, Politics 1 Minute

I attended the State of the City address, delivered by Mayor Paul Fraim today. (I had hoped to get a copy of his remarks but they haven’t come yet. ) For the most part, the mayor portrayed a fairly rosy picture for Norfolk: homicide is down, assessments are up, investment in the city is up, the port is booming, the school system has won awards, the Drug Court has become a national model, progress has been made in reducing the homeless population. However, transportation is becoming an issue and the mayor hopes a solution is found soon.

Accompanying the mayor’s speech were various slides. One of them was an animated one, showing what light rail is going to look like. That was pretty cool.

What I really wanted to hear was the plan for reducing real estate taxes, which was hinted at yesterday. Instead, the mayor simply repeated what had been said previously: a “significant” rate reduction is coming, although he hopes that the homestead exemption proposed by Governor Tim Kaine comes to fruition. (FYI: Senator Whipple’s bill, SJ398, has been incorporated into Senator Rerras’ bill, SJ354. Delegate Brink’s bill, HJ624, is in a P&E subcommittee.) I didn’t get a chance to talk to the mayor to ask about specifics. I did speak to one council member who is supporting a 5-cent per year reduction for each of the next four years. That’s an interesting solution, and one that may have a chance of getting adopted. The city is anticipating a 15% increase in assessments this year.

Lots of folks in attendance from the city and surrounding areas. Sitting at the table with me was Henry Light, who will be challenging Johnny Joannou for the Democratic nomination for the 79th House district.

The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce sponsored this event, as it does for each of the cities, and the event certainly was a success. I think everybody had a great time.

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6 thoughts on “Mayor’s State of the City Address”

  1. Someone say 1.08 in 08? How are race relations in norfolk? The poor rides the bus and who are norfolks’s poor? Who is speaking for the rights of norfolk’s gay community? anyone wants to take a swing please go ahead the mayor and others are not or do not want to.

  2. Vivian,

    re: RE taxes: Do you know what the revenue-neutral figure for the assessment works out to? Last year Cumberland went from $.76 to a revenue-neutral $.49. Then the supervisors raised that to $.56 and claimed that we had a tax cut.

    Thoughts?

  3. It would have been $1.04 based on the $1.35 rate and an average increase of 30%. Our rate dropped 8 cents – to $1.27. And yes, it was called a “tax cut”

    Assuming that the 10% increase is accurate, the $1.27 should drop to $1.15 to be revenue neutral. I don’t see that happening, I’m afraid.

  4. If the budget process in this city was open – transparent and accountable to the people – we could find out in real dollar terms the increases in revenue from real estate taxes over the past four troubling years – good luck trying to get those numbers.

    Each member of City Council has been extended a formal invitation to participate in a city-wide Town Hall meeting, March 7th at Lafayette-Winona M.S., 7:00 pm. Real estate tax and budget policy will be the main topic for this moderated discussion. In keeping with public expectations, their attendence is enthusiastically welcomed.

    Please come and participate, and bring a neighbor. This is your city.

  6. Actually, Brian, the information is pretty easy to get. The Real Estate Assessor’s office puts out a report each year that has the taxable real estate in it.

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