How Newport News is run
Who runs Newport News, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Newport News's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Newport News
A city manager appointed by the council runs the city day to day as chief executive and administrative officer. The seven-member council, including the mayor, sets policy, enacts laws and adopts the annual budget and tax rates.
What they are paid
Newport News city staff
7,536 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 649, Fire 441, Human Services 417, Waterworks 352, Sheriff 237. FY2026-27. Total authorized positions in all funds, including 3,884 in the School Operating Fund. The General Fund has 2,794. City of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
Virginia has no statewide public pay database. The city's line-item budget lists budgeted salary totals by position title, not pay for each employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Newport News in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $126M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance of at least 7.5% of actual general fund revenues. The audit reports 19.0%. The city meets this target. City of Newport News · Nov 26, 2025
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026-27.
Comes from
- General property taxes$390M · 57%
- Other local taxes (sales, meals, lodging, utility and others)$133M · 20%
- State categorical aid$41.5M · 6%
- Miscellaneous revenue$28.8M · 4%
- Recovered costs$19.5M · 3%
- Use of money and property$18M · 3%
- Non-revenue receipts (transfers in)$15.6M · 2%
- Other$33.2M · 5%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Nondepartmental and contingencies$136M · 20%
- Public safety (police and fire)$135M · 20%
- Schools (city contribution)$128M · 19%
- Health and welfare$51.5M · 8%
- Debt service$46.9M · 7%
- Corrections and detention (sheriff, juvenile services)$39.2M · 6%
- Parks, recreation and culture$30.9M · 5%
- Information technology$16.1M · 2%
- Other$95.1M · 14%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Virginia cities have no overlapping county or school district taxes. The city's rate also pays for Newport News Public Schools through the city budget.
100¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Newport News
- City of Newport News (general rate)1.18 · 100%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)1.18
FY2026-27 real estate tax rate for a property in Newport News (an independent city). City of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
See what a Newport News home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Newport News is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityNewport News Police DepartmentCity of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
- FireThe cityNewport News Fire DepartmentCity of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityNewport News Fire DepartmentCity of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityPolice Department dispatch operations (police, fire and paramedics)City of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
- WaterThe cityNewport News Waterworks (city Department of Public Utilities)Also serves surrounding localities.City of Newport News · Nov 26, 2025
- Trash and recyclingThe cityCity of Newport News (Solid Waste Fund)City of Newport News · Nov 26, 2025
- StormwaterThe cityCity of Newport News (Stormwater Fund)City of Newport News · Nov 26, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Newport NewsCity of Newport News · Nov 26, 2025
- LibrariesThe cityNewport News Public Library SystemCity of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
- SchoolsSeparate districtNewport News Public Schools (elected School Board, funded through the city)City of Newport News · Nov 26, 2025
- Public transitAnother agencyHampton Roads TransitCity of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | HamptonVA | Newport NewsVA | NorfolkVA | ChesapeakeVA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 137,315 | 183,230 | 231,013 | 255,332 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $292,272 | $320,923 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | $43,000 | $47,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| General fund per resident | $5,161 | $3,708 | $5,378 | $3,594 |
| Debt per resident | $2,547 | $2,466 | $5,801 | $2,768 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $922 | $2,245 | $1,035 | $594 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 16.6 | 41.1 | 22.2 | 15.7 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how).
What Newport News publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2027 adopted budget, line-item book and budget ordinances are posted on the City Operating Budget page. City of Newport News · Jul 1, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe City Manager's page and budget pages do not post an employment agreement. The line-item budget shows the budgeted salary. City of Newport News
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineThe council meeting portal links to archived videos and archived agendas and minutes. City of Newport News
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe line-item budget lists mayor ($51,000), vice mayor ($47,000) and council member salaries. City of Newport News · Mar 24, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe line-item budget lists budgeted salary totals by position title. No list of pay by employee was found. City of Newport News · Mar 24, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Council and mayor pay nearly doubled in FY2026, to $47,000 and $51,000. How does that compare with peer Virginia cities?
- Unassigned reserves were $125.7M (19.0% of revenue) at June 30, 2025, well above the 7.5% policy. What is the plan for the amount above the policy?
- The employees' retirement fund was 72.6% funded with a $411.4M net pension liability. When does the city expect to reach full funding?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The City Manager submits a recommended budget in late March (March 24, 2026 for FY2027). Council holds work sessions and budget public hearings in April and May and must approve the budget by June 15. Council adopted the FY2027 budget on May 12, 2026. See who is running for council
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