NORFOLK, VA – Our budget supports city residents and reflects your dreams, aspirations and values – so please share your thoughts and priorities as we work to shape city spending for the coming year.
Tell us what you want to see in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget. We have options for online or in-person participation, and, as always, you may attend City Council meetings or contact your council representative directly.
First off, a new, fun way to share your priorities – the Budget Bracket Challenge. Ever completed a basketball bracket during March Madness? Then you already know how to play! For each random pairing, choose the program to which you would give additional funding, if it were available. The selected program moves automatically to the next bracket until only one program remains.
Want to try your hand at balancing the budget as we work this year to close an $8.2 million budget gap? Check out Balancing Act, an online program that allows you to add or subtract funding from budget areas, as well as raise or lower revenues.
If you would like to share your priorities in person, plan to attend one of our public budget hearings. The first, on April 10, covers the operating and capital budgets as well as the HUD annual plan. A public hearing scheduled for May 7 will cover real estate reassessments.
To stay informed about budget discussions and development, be sure to attend or tune in to several City Council work sessions and meetings. City Manager Doug Smith will present his proposed budget to City Council on March 26. Council members will discuss the budget during work sessions on April 2, April 9, April 23 and May 7.
City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget on May 14.
City Council discussions air live online at Norfolk.gov and on Norfolk TV Channel 48. You may also find council discussions on the city’s YouTube channel or sign up for a podcast. We will share updates and reminders via city social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor and Instagram, our website, Norfolk.gov, and our city newsletter, Your Norfolk. Your Life.
Finally, we want to make sure all this information is at your fingertips: find links to all of our budget information by heading to Norfolk.gov and clicking on Budget Toolkit.
Video Message from Budget Director Greg Patrick
Online Budget Tools:
City Council Contact and Meeting Information
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Important Dates
March 26: City Manager’s Budget Proposal
April 2: City Council Budget Work Session
April 9: City Council Budget Work Session
April 10: Public Hearing - Operating, CIP, Annual Plan
April 23: City Council Budget Work Session
May 7: City Council Budget Work Session AND Public Hearing on Real Estate Assessments
May 9: City Council Budget Work Session (If necessary)
May 14: Budget Adoption