City Council Approves, Adopts 2024 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Priorities

Each year, Newport News City Council analyzes and adopts both specific legislative proposals and general policy positions as a part of our legislative program. Once approved, the document is distributed to the city’s General Assembly delegation to consider during the legislative session.

The city’s 2024 State Legislative Priorities for the Virginia General Assembly include:

Code Change Requests:

1. Allow localities to impose an additional service charge for the improvement or maintenance of private dams and associated impoundments  
2. Allow the City of Newport News, by ordinance, to impose taxes or assessments on the property owner for the purpose of maintaining a private dam or lake
3. Workers’ Compensation Act – Remove the limiting date of July 1, 2014, from Virginia Code Section 65.2-605.1 (Prompt payment; limitation on claims)  

Budget Amendment Requests:

1. Support for the Coastal Virginia STEM Learning Ecosystem Hub – $1.5 million in each year of the biennium
2. Gap funding of $900,000 in the first year of the biennium for court expansion needed to meet demand for jury trials
3. Increase the Port Host Communities Revitalization Grant Fund by $1.5 million in each year of the biennium  

Policy Positions:

1. Preserve local authority to regulate short-term rentals 
2. Support increase in maximum threshold for nonjudicial sale of tax delinquent real properties of minimal size and value 
3. Maintain local revenue streams such as Machinery & Tools and BPOL taxes
4. Support funding for the Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant Program
5. Support additional resources for school construction and modernization
6. Oppose unfunded mandates
7. Support economic development and redevelopment incentive programs
8. Support public safety and community violence intervention
9. Support increased funding for road maintenance for port host cities