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Do you stand for a moment of silence and please remain standing?

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For the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag.

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Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

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Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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The Vice Mayor will be participating remotely in today's meeting, and Ms. Hassek, please read the resolution.

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Resolution approving participation through electronic communication means by Vice Mayor Thomas in the August 6, 2026 Norfolk City Council meeting due to a personal matter.

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Adopt the resolution. Mr. Clanton.

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Hi.

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Mrs. Doyle.

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Hi.

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Mrs. Johnson.

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Hi.

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Mr. McGee.

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Aye.

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Mr. Page.

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Aye.

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Mr. Smeagol.

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Aye.

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Dr. Alexander.

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Aye.

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Clerk, please read.

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Call the roll.

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Mr. Clanton.

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Present.

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Mrs. Doyle.

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Here.

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Mrs. Johnson.

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Here.

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Mr. McGee.

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Here.

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Mr. Page.

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Here.

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Mr. Smeagol.

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Here.

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Mr. Thomas.

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Here.

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Dr. Alexander.

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Here.

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Good evening and welcome to the Norfolk City Council.

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So, meeting tonight will take up a regular agenda item to address the council.

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You should have registers to speak with the clerk prior to 3 p.m.

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When your name is called, please come to the podium, state your name, home address,

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and limit your comments to three minutes.

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Before we begin, Madam Clerk, will you please read the speaker's rules governing tonight's

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meeting?

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City Council rules permit each speaker three minutes to speak tonight.

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As you approach the council, you will notice a timer on the lectern.

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At the beginning of the three minutes, the green light will activate.

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Two and a half minutes into your remarks, you will notice a yellow light

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indicating that you have 30 seconds to finish your comments.

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At the end of three minutes, you will see a red light, hear a beep,

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we ask that you conclude your comments at that time.

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All comments should be made in a manner that respects the seriousness of the forum

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and should not be made in a profane, disruptive, sarcastic, or demeaning fashion.

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All remarks should be directed to the City Council as a body rather than any particular

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member of Council, staff, or the audience.

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Comments should be germane to the item.

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A speaker who fails to comply with the basic rules of decorum will be deemed out of order

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and not allowed to conclude his or her comments.

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Thank you.

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Have several speakers.

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Mr. James Ferrell?

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Mr. Mayor?

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Good evening.

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Mr. Mayor.

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Council.

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Six-way Redgate Avenue.

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My name is Jim Thewer.

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I've had children in public schools from oh four to sixteen.

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And the budget for the schools has grown every year,

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and performance has gotten worse every year.

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On gradeschools.org, I checked it today.

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We have no middle school rated better than three out of ten.

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No high school rated better than four out of ten.

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And that's not a function of physical plans.

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That's a function of operations.

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The enrollment in public schools has declined 27 percent from 06 to 25.

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Physical plant was not adjusted in tandem with that reduction.

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The schools in their April report expect the enrollment to decline further through 28-29.

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But the school board has been dilatory in adjusting its physical plant to reflect the population that it has.

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But now they want to be rewarded for their effectiveness with more money.

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That's not the answer.

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The answer is to demand proper management of the funds that they are already provided.

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Similarly, the city needs to spend smarter.

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It doesn't need to raise taxes to get more money to take this item off the budget

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and then spend that money on something else.

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The city needs proper management of its resources.

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abuses. A general sales tax falls predominantly on the residents, not the visitors. And we

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are already sufficiently taxed. Thank you very much.

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Melissa Corrigan.

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Melissa will be followed by Grayson Player.

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Good evening.

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Good evening.

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I stand before you today because I survived the dredges of our society through foster

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care and countless abuses because of public school. My refuge was school. Education

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was the only thing that gave me an escape and an opportunity.

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Playing political and financial games with our children's education,

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using taxpayer funds like a shell game,

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moving back and forth between education and general funds,

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obscuring the tracks to taxpayers footing the bill,

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and then daring to come back to us with your handout for more

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is a real-time demonstration of ineptitude

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and a lack of vision embodied in the City Council

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and the Associated School Board.

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You come to us asking for educational facility funds and we have an educational facility at home.

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In 2023, the surplus at the end of the school year was $13 million due to staffing shortages.

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Rodney Jordan proposed, I was in the room, a bonus to every teacher who worked under those conditions.

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I watched every other school board member vote against that proposal.

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Then the money was turned over to the city.

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Then the city bought a mall, a mall that we still own,

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a mall that is only 27 years old, made to last a century or more, and you want more money from us.

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The city of Norfolk owns more commercial property than any surrounding city, most of it revenue-generating.

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Could you present a report to the people of Norfolk on why raising taxes and not using the facilities we already own,

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the funds we already generate, is a better solution for our children?

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Neither mismanagement of facilities nor finances is an acceptable excuse,

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just as losing a million dollars of her money to a Nigerian scammer is not an acceptable loss.

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And if you cannot use the facilities for education, as I understand zoning and other considerations may prohibit it,

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the funds generated by whatever is put in that place should be funneled into education.

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You bought it and you should use it for the children whose educational fund it came out of.

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Nobody, and I mean not a single person that has to drive 16 blocks out of the way when

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tide water floods or has to ride a bus to work, has asked for a mixed use development

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anchored by a luxury military-themed hotel.

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Not everybody that lives on that side of Lafayette.

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Not when our schools have enrollment falling off the cliff, failing test scores, and

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don't even bear full accreditation.

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If any private citizen ran their affairs like this city, we'd be bankrupt, foreclosed,

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and condemned.

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But, I suspect, it's the same reason there aren't safe sidewalks in the neighborhood

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I live in, in the Norview area, among other race-based decisions that impact the daily

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quality of life for the residents of Norfolk who are not wealthy, white, or developers.

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At the end of the day, a lack of vision, integrity, and honor is toxic to local governance.

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Hundreds of Norfolk residents woke up yesterday figuring out how to get to work because

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their cars are totaled due to floodwaters, and you come with your hand out.

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Almost 40,000 Norfolk residents live under the federal poverty limit, 25% a full quarter

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of the children who live here live under the poverty limit, and you come with your hand

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out.

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Your job is to be the hand up.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Grayson?

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Good evening, council, mayor.

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My name is Grayson Player.

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I graduated from Norview High School with honors in 2023, and I just really don't

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understand how the school can put in an entire new football field and have a

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military recruiting officer in the cafeteria every day and not all the

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students have Chromebooks to do their homework. What message does that send to

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the students? That our worth is only in military and athletics, that our

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education doesn't matter, is that the mad message the city of Norfolk wants

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to send to the kids of the future? My experience in both Maury High School and

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Norview High School were similar in many aspects. Underfunded programs I

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wanted to take part into having the military or sports shoved down my

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throw. Honestly, I don't blame the teachers for not trying either. As previously mentioned,

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the budget allowed for them to get a pay raise for the extra work they were doing to

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make up for the 40% loss of teacher hires in 2023. However, the city of Norfolk chose

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to allocate that to other places. I blame the people in charge, who made the decision

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for me and hundreds of other students that our education didn't matter, that we belonged

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in athletics and the military, and that's all they were good for. Teachers like

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Noah Wren, who was my senior year English teacher, would have to go out of their way

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to print full books for each student to read in English class from his own printer paper

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due to them not being able provided by the school, while a new football field was being

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installed at the same time. That was the dedication these teachers gave to their students

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while the money they deserved was thrown towards MacArthur Mall. This whole speech

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is to say, give money to our future. The kids in our schools right now are

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going to be in your place one day. Do you want to help their future or the future of

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our city? This isn't a matter of a one percent sales tax. This is a matter of

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covering up a mishandling of educational funds for children in our city and

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taking more money from the people's pockets. It is your job to represent the

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people, uphold your oath, and listen to the people in front of you. As a resident

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of Norfolk, I would highly appreciate some explanation as to why exactly you

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need more money from our pockets when you already took money from my

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future. Thank you. Thank you. Vicky Manugo Greco followed by James Parker.

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Hello Vicky, how are you?

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Good evening Mayor Alexander, City Council members, City Manager Roberts and staff, and all other

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stakeholders of Norfolk Public Schools here tonight. My name is Vicky Manugo Greco. My address

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is 1433 Brunswick. I'm an NPS grad, former NPS special educator, and school board advisory

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committee member, co-parent to three young adult NPS alum and an NPS volunteer

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surrogate parent for special education students. So I'm all in and I fully

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support Resolution R1 to be placed on the ballot. Since the aftermath of the

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great recession and through the upheaval of the pandemic and the

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ongoing trials of two presidential administrations that have set out to

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divest from public education, I've been giving back locally as a public

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school advocate and grassroots coalition by pushing for greater and

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and sustainable investments by our city government

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in our public school system for nearly the past 15 years.

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Starting with when I helped to co-found Norfolk Games,

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growing and investing in Norfolk schools,

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a city-wide coalition made up of parents, educators,

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business owners, community leaders, and neighbors

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that envisioned a vibrant Norfolk,

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our mid-sized waterfront city,

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with an enviable location on the central East Coast,

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awful tidying and title and flash flooding combos

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like this past Tuesday, not withstanding.

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A city noted for thriving businesses,

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is outstanding cultural and recreational opportunities,

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well-regarded institutions of higher learning,

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and highly desirable neighborhoods,

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anchored by excellent public schools across the city,

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a city with a skilled, well-prepared workforce

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and superior quality of life.

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Gain spread the good news that public education

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is vital to the strength of our city and our economy.

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We called on our government leaders

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to prioritize public ed as an invaluable investment

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to our shared futures.

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We pushed for greater and dedicated and sustainable funding streams for NPS.

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We sent each other emails over these past 15 years, bemoaning the deficient school maintenance budget,

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especially for our schools that are the heart and community centers of under-resourced neighborhoods.

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We worked on various school committees to promote equitable educational facilities and budget planning.

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From our advocacy efforts with city leaders, we got a 4-cent real estate tax increase in 2014,

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which still needs to be looked at, needs to be reevaluated as to whether this investment

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strategy provided adequate revenue dedicated to address school construction and renovations

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and deferred school building maintenance and technology.

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And now, as we're potentially asking more folks again to consider paying one cent tax

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for each retail dollar spent, this I know.

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I'm for this measure, which could only come up before voters to consider as early

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is Friday, September 18th, the early voting start date.

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I'll end with this.

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We in the realtors and employers constantly hear the one question when a family or business

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looks at Norfolk as a place to call home.

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How good are the schools?

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Let's come together as Norfolk as a city we're proud to call home because of our

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public school system.

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Schools in demand are not just consumers of tax dollars, but producers of dollars.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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James Parker is followed by Philip Hawkins.

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Good evening, City Council.

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My name is James Parker.

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I'm the President of the Education Association of Norfolk.

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I'm also a resident of Norfolk, a teacher serving the students here in the city.

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I'm here tonight in support of this referendum to raise local sales tax to provide additional funding for our public schools.

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This investment is critical to ensure that our students have the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed.

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Our schools are the foundation of our communities.

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When we invest in public education, we invest in our children, our neighborhoods, and the

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future of Norfolk.

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Providing our schools with funding they need allows us to better have students prepare

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for skills, knowledge, and experience necessary for the future.

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Supporting this referendum is a commitment to our students, our educators, and our

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entire community.

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Strong schools create stronger communities, and investing in education is an investment

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and the benefit of us all.

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I strongly encourage our neighbors

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to support this referendum.

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Our students deserve every opportunity to succeed

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and they cannot reach their full potential

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without the resources and support they need.

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Students cannot grow unless we provide them

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with the tools they need to thrive.

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Let us come together as community

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and ensure that our students have the support,

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resources and opportunities they deserve.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Philip Hawkins is followed by Patrick Barry that

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he

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Good evening, Mayor Alexander, City Manager Roberts, members of council. I'm Philip Hawkins, Jr.

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I am a resident of the City of Norfolk. I reside at 3597 Mississippi Avenue. I'm a proud product

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of Norfolk Public Schools as well. I'm a graduate of Norfolk State University. I hold

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degrees there in business and in education. I am a proud educator of 29 years. This will

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be my 29th year serving Norfolk public schools and I am the proud assistant principal of PB

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Young Senior Elementary School as well as a civic leader in the neighborhood of Ingleside.

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Tonight I'm speaking as an individual but of course we are all connected. It is so

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important that we do find streams of funding for our schools. We know this

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has been an ongoing problem in our city. Not only this year or just five years

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ago, this has been decades in the making. I served at a school that is

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underserved that has not had the proper maintenance over decades. You know, the

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flood waters affected our school, you know, it hit us all and we're

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addressing that now and we're preparing our schools for opening. We're excited about that.

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However, we need more support. While I see that the Council has arrived at proposing

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a referendum to raise taxes, I'm kind of mixed about that outcome because I feel that the

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work that has already been done speaks to other alternatives that I would ask that

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the council, as well as the school board. The school board has already done their work.

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I was serving on the school facilities committee last year. And we know that schools are in

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the process of being closed and consolidated. They're doing what was requested to save the

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city money. Now, the committee last year, the report was delivered publicly that we

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would like to see those funds from those schools closed, reinvested in Norfolk public

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schools that are already on the table.

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So I would ask respectfully that the council consider those funds at average school costs

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to run about $1.4 million.

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And that's a small school.

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My school is considered a small school.

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But we have three schools closed in June.

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We're closing five this year at the end of next year.

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So that's a lot of money that's still on the table that the citizens would like

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our leaders to consider those funding streams. Also, there were streams of funding considered

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or promised for the casino, which is in the process of being completed, that they would

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be earmarked for Norfolk public schools. I would like to see those options considered

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again as the referendum goes forth. So I do support the referendum, give it back to

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the citizens, and let them decide if they say no, that's no. If they say yes,

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Yes, but let's look at the other options as well.

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Thank you so much.

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Thank you, Phillip.

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Patrick Berry,

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followed by Carl Poole.

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Good evening, Mayor Alexander.

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Good evening.

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And members of the Norfolk City Council.

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I'm Patrick Berry, and I serve as the Vice President of the Education Association of

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Norfolk, representing the educators and school employees who work every day in

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our public schools.

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schools. I am here tonight in support of Resolution R01 to place a proposed 1% sales tax referendum

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before the voters of the City of Norfolk. This vote tonight is not about raising taxes.

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It's an investment. An investment in our children, our workforce, our neighborhoods, and Norfolk's

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future. Every day educators and students walk into buildings that were never designed

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to meet the needs of a 21st century education.

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We ask our students to dream big,

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while too many of them learn in aging facilities

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that require significant repairs and modernization.

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Our educators do extraordinary work,

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but they cannot fix leaky roofs, outdated infrastructure,

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or buildings that have reached the end

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of their useful lives.

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This referendum would create a dedicated funding source

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for school construction and major renovation,

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State law also limits these funds to capital projects.

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They cannot be used for any other purpose.

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Norfolk is not alone in considering this opportunity.

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Following action by the General Assembly this year,

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communities across the Commonwealth are asking their residents

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whether they want to make this investment in public education.

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This is more, much more than about buildings.

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It is about the students who learn in them,

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the educators who teach in them,

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and the neighborhoods that are strengthened by them.

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As educators, we know that school facilities matter.

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They influence student learning, staff morale,

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recruitment, retention, and the pride people have

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in their neighborhood schools.

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One of the reasons I support this referendum

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is because a sales tax spreads the responsibility broadly.

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I don't live in Norfolk, but I work here.

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I shop here, and I gladly contribute

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to the community through the purchases I make.

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visitors, commuters, and shoppers like me all help share in this investment rather

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than placing the burden solely on Norfolk house homeowners. Tonight I urge you to

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vote to place this referendum on the November ballot and trust the people of

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Norfolk to make this decision. Thank you for your time and for your

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commitment to Norfolk students. Thank you. Carl Poole.

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Good evening Mayor

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Alexander. Good evening City Council. My name is Carl Poole and I'm an

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I'm speaking tonight in full support of Resolution R1 to put a 1% sales tax referendum on the ballot.

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I'm confident that the people of Norfolk will vote for it.

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We see the condition of our school facilities.

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We know that these funds are urgently needed.

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Not only to replace schools like Morey High School,

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but for the school boards to advance a broader plan to construct and modernize additional schools over the next decade.

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given voters the chance to approve this dedicated funding stream for capital

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projects is a vital step forward but also want to bring a strategic perspective

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on how these upcoming capital improvements overlap with our city's

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values and long-term commitments. Back in July of 2020 our school board reached

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a consensus that several schools several Norfolk schools named after

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Confederate officers should be renamed. During these discussions one board

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member rightly pointed out that the most practical and fiscally responsible time to handle this

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major renaming with all the costs associated with new signage, athletic branding and facilities

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updates is when the school is already undergoing a major overhaul or reconstruction or replacement.

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That former school board member now serves on this council. When the school was being

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rebuilt to receive a ground-up transformation. Those updates naturally integrate into an

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overall capital budget rather than requiring separate standalone expenses down the road.

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As we talked tonight about generating revenue specifically for dedicated to major construction

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and school modernization, we are creating those exact conditions for that timeline

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to align. Now, I know that official decisions regarding school names rest directly with

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the school board. But I'm taking this conversation to them as well. But as the body that allocates

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major capital funding shapes our city's financial priorities and collaborates closely with the

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school division, City Council plays a critical leadership role in ensuring that our investments

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deliver both a structural excellence and a community alignment. By advancing this

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referendum, you're not just funding bricks and mortar. You're giving our city the resources

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to build modern, welcoming schools that reflect the values of our community for generations

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to come. I urge this council to pass Resolution R1 unanimously tonight, and I look forward

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to seeing all the voters support our schools on the ballot box. Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

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I'll read the resolution first.

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Read the resolution.

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The resolution initiating a referendum election pursuant to Virginia Code section 58.1 draft

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635.1 on the question of whether the city shall add an additional local general retail

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sales tax not to exceed 1% to provide revenue solely for capital projects for the new construction

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or major renovation of schools serving this city. Adopt the resolution. Mr. Clanton.

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Aye.

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Mrs. Doyle.

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Aye.

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Mr. Johnson.

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Aye.

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Mr. McGee.

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Aye.

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Mr. Page.

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Aye.

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Mr. Smeagol.

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Aye.

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Mr. Thomas.

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Dr. Alexander.

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I do want to recognize our superintendent, Dr. Jeff Rose, and members of the school

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board for being here.