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Norfolk City Council passes FY2022 budget with higher starting pay for police, Ocean View Tourism Development Fund

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk City Council Tuesday night approved its fiscal year 2022 budget, which features pay raises for teachers, new police officers and some other emergency responders, a tourism development fund for Ocean View, and more.

As proposed in March, the $1.5-billion budget does not raise taxes or fees.


The budget begins July 1 and its operating fund is a 4.5% increase over last year’s budget. While the city’s projected revenues are still significantly less than pre-coronavirus pandemic days, the city said “the budget makes major investments in City Council’s priorities and begins rebuilding capacity for effective delivery of important services.”

The new starting pay for Norfolk police officers will now be at $50,800 per year beginning at the start of the fiscal year, compared to its current rate of about $43,500 a year. As of March, that new rate is the highest police officer pay in Hampton Roads.

Norfolk police posted on Twitter Tuesday night advertising the newly-approved starting pay.

As 10 On Your Side reported Monday, the budget now includes the formation of the Ocean View Tourism Development Fund, which would start out with $150,000.

The tourism development fund will be used for attracting new tourism-related business to the Ocean View area.

City Council also approved giving $129.6 million to schools this year, which includes a significant increase in funding.

With an $8.6-million increase in funding for Norfolk Public Schools, the division hopes to give:

Per a city news release, here’s what else the city budget includes:

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