Let’s start a series on the economic future of Virginia Beach and ask: What is the economic future of Virginia Beach? Are we pretty secure with our military and other current economic activity or are we entering a potentially troubling if not, precarious, time? Read the rest of this entry »

The long journey throughout the last 12 years from the first questions about the old Pavilion to the current decision to proceed with a headquarters hotel for a convention center has been an especially devious journey. The trek began in the late 1990s and has included a number of decision points all of which puts the Virginia Beach City Council in a position, by spending more citizens money, to build the headquarters hotel for the convention center.

A summary of the journey illustrates how devious the City Council of Virginia Beach has been over the years. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Virginia Beach City Council is preparing the groundwork to convince all the tightfisted citizens and taxpayers of Virginia Beach for the need of the next real estate tax revenue grab. On Nov. 14^th, city staff presented the five-year forecast to our city council and again blames the forecasted deficit on the insufficient real estate tax revenue and proposes real estate tax rate increases to fix the problem. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Virginia Beach City Council’s self-serving nonsense: “…budget deficits are primarily caused by reduced real estate tax revenues.”

Our Virginia Beach City Council continues with the same nonsense put forward years ago. In response to a citizen’s complaint about having to pay a trash pick-up fee while council is planning to spend huge amounts of our tax dollars on major projects – headquarters hotel, Dome Site and light rail – Mr. Hansen (Deputy City Manager) replied, “As we have seen a few of these type citizen objections I wanted to provide you an assessment of the real estate tax burden impact using this specific citizen’s circumstances. Please recall that our recent budget deficits are primarily caused by reduced real estate tax revenues.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Virginian-Pilot on Tuesday reported that the cost of the Laskin Road project in Virginia Beach increased by $12.5 million or about 45% over the original estimate. Deputy city manager, Dave Hansen, said that the additional cost is tied to an increase in the “footprint“ of the project. Mr. Hansen said that infrastructure projects are planned over three or four years, but engineers initially designed this project in a few months. Read the rest of this entry »

For a number of years, our Virginia Beach city Council has encouraged citizens to get involved and participate in various meetings to help determine future development of our city. Council continues to invite citizens to share their thoughts with promises that all citizens are important to council. Council promises that citizens comments and requests will be given serious consideration for inclusion in the final plans for redevelopment.

Is that promise a Grand Illusion? Let’s review the last several years. Read the rest of this entry »

“Can anybody here count to six?” That is a question asked by Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms according to the Virginian-Pilot as the mayor climbed aboard the Norfolk light rail Tide a few weeks ago. Apparently, our mayor is ready to ignore the resounding NO vote that Virginia Beach citizens spoke in the referendum several years ago. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Virginia Beach city Council is poised to demonstrate that they, our Mayor and council members, are ready to engage in more reckless spending or demonstrate that they hold the taxpayers in contempt.

Reckless or contempt, not a good choice. Read the rest of this entry »

Of course, medical care as presented in Obamacare has nothing to do with transportation in light rail. The similarity between Sessomslightrail and Obamacare  is the process by which these projects have been dumped on the American people. Read the rest of this entry »

Council, have you started planning for the future considering the planned, long term reduction of Navy presence and reduced military expenditures in Virginia Beach? When the Navy begins its long- planned drawdown, which will take place over a number of years, what will be the economic impact on Virginia Beach and especially on the real estate taxes and fees demanded from the taxpayers to pick up the difference? Read the rest of this entry »