Virginia Beach Weighs Sales Tax Proposal for Flood and Coastal Protection
Virginia Beach is developing its legislative agenda for the 2027 General Assembly, with a key proposal to expand the use of an existing one-percent sales tax option to fund flood resiliency and coastal storm protection, which would still require voter…
Norfolk Portsmouth Newport News, VA, October 21, 2026 —
Virginia Beach is developing its legislative agenda for the 2027 General Assembly, including a proposal to expand how an existing one-percent sales tax option could be used. The proposed use would be funding for flood resiliency and coastal storm protection.
The measure would require voter approval through a referendum. The summary of the proposal does not specify when a referendum might be held, what wording voters would see, or what steps would be needed before it could appear on a ballot.
The proposal is part of the city’s agenda under development for the 2027 General Assembly. The information provided does not identify the legislation Virginia Beach may seek from state lawmakers, the officials or organizations involved in shaping the proposal, or whether the city has formally adopted its legislative agenda.
Details about the proposed expansion are also not provided. It is not specified how the sales tax option is currently used, what changes the city is considering, how much revenue the proposal could generate, or which flood-resiliency and coastal-protection projects might receive funding. No cost estimates, project list, or implementation timeline were included.
The requirement for a referendum means the proposal would need voter approval to proceed as described. The available information does not state whether the referendum requirement is part of existing law or how the city would pursue it. It also does not provide a proposed vote date or describe any public outreach related to the measure.
For now, the stated plan is to develop the proposal as part of Virginia Beach’s legislative agenda for the 2027 session. Further particulars about the tax’s scope, potential uses, and path to voter consideration have not been provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Romelo Styles on www.wtkr.com, see more information here.
