HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-04-26 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF ROANOKE
Date: May 4, 2026
Time: 9:00 A.M. I
Location: Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building
Council Chamber, Room 450
215 Church Avenue, S.W.
Roanoke,Virginia 24011
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CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL—9:08 A.M.
PRESENT: Chairrnan S. Terry McGuire, Mayor Joseph L. Cobb, Council Members
Nicolas Hagen, Vivian Sanchez-Jones, Phazhon Nash, Peter Volosin, and Evelyn
Powers.
OFFICERS PRESENT: Valmarie H. Turner, City Manager; Vanessa Bohr, Deputy
City Manager; and Laura Carini, City Attorney.
OTHERS PRESENT: H. Alan Seibert. Constituent Services and Government
Relations Officer, !Roanoke City Public Schools; Clayton Cox and Scott Binkley,
Federal Legislative Consultants.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SECRETARY: Cecelia McCoy, City Clerk, City of
Roanoke.
ABSENT: Deidre Trigg and Mary"Franny"Apel (RCPS Committee Members)
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OPENING REMARKS:
Chairman S. Terry McGuire welcomed the Committee members, as well as all present at the
meeting.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES'—May 4, 2026
Committee Member Volosin moved that the reading of the minutes be dispensed with
and approved as recorded. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Hagen,
and adopted by the following vote:
AYES: Committee Members Hagen, Sanchez-Jones, Mayor Cobb, Nash, Volosin,
Powers, and Chairman McGuire-7.
NAYS: None-0.
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(Committee Members Apel and Trigg were absent).
DISCUSSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS:
Legislative Update—Dr. H.Alan Seibert, Constituent Services and Government Relations
Officer, Roanoke City Public ISchools (RCPS)
Dr. Seibert summarized some of the RCPS Priorities from the approximately 200
education-related bills monitored during the 2026 General Assembly Session. He provided the
following 2026 Session Highlights:
• Establish RCPS as Community Builders Demonstration Site (Passed)
• Reestablish Dual Enrollment Instructor Teacher License (Passed)
• Extend Through-Year Growth Assessment Flexibility (Passed)
• Updates to School Performance and Support Framework(Passed)
• Construction Sales Tax Referendum (TBD by State Budget)
• Elected School Boards (No bill introduced thanks to previous advocacy)
Dr. Seibert's update clarifies that the pursuit of local control over a 1%sales tax referendum
remains a top, though currently unresolved, priority for both.the Board and the Council. While
standalone bills aimed at granting this authority to local jurisdictions failed to advance through
their respective legislative chambers, the initiative has found a secondary path via the Senate
Budget Bill. Because the language has been integrated into the budget rather than existing as an
independent law, its final success is now tethered to the high-stakes negotiations of the Budget
Conferees. Until these representatives reach a consensus and a formal State Budget is officially
adopted, the ability for local governments to utilize this specific tax for school construction
remains in a state of legislative limbo.
Following the presentation by Dr. Seibert, Committee Members Volosin,Nash, and
Powers engaged in a period oflactive inquiry, seeking further clarification on the points raised
regarding the Roanoke City Public Schools. Their questions reflected the committee's focus on
the specific updates and priorities shared during the briefing. Once the discussion concluded,
Chairman McGuire formally closed the segment by expressing his appreciation to Dr. Seibert for
his contribution and for keeping the committee informed on the school division's status.
Scott Binkley and Clayton Cox gave a brief presentation on Federal Affairs Update Major
Updates on the following:
• The D.C. Landscape
o Current Dilemma—DHS Shutdown
o Legislative Vehicle—Reconciliation 2.0 & 3.0
o Funding Cycle—FY27 Appropriations
o Political Outlook—Election Yar Dynamics: Gridlock& Last-Minute Deals
• New Congressional Map
o Voter status—Approved on 4/21/26
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o Roanoke City impacts— Stays in the 6th CD—Largest locality in the new 6th CD,
second only to Albemarle County
• New Virginia 6th Congressional District—Next Steps
o Maps go to the courts
o Candidate Field Finalized
• What's Next?
o Monitoring—Congressionally Directed Spending
o Legislation to Watch — AI, 21st Century Road to Housing, AG Bill, Surface
Transportation Reauthorization
o Federal Policy_HUD Changes, Federal Funding Guidelines
o Political Outlook—End of Year Deals
o Elections—Changes in Personnel
Upon the conclusion of the briefing, Mr. Binkley affirmed his commitment to the City of
Roanoke by offering his support for any upcoming needs. He emphasized that he intends to serve
as a proactive advocate, ensuring the City's interests are actively championed and supported
throughout the legislative process.
Mr. Cox informed the group that he and Mr. Binkley plan to conduct site visits for several
key infrastructure initiatives,including the In-River Kayak features,the Amtrak station,Phase I of
the Mill Mountain project, andI the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport runway extension. He
emphasized that these tours arse a priority because each site represents a significant legislative
project vital to the City of Roanoke's long-term growth and regional connectivity.By visiting these
locations firsthand,they aim to better advocate for the continued support and funding necessary to
bring these high-impact developments to completion.
Chairman McGuire suggested that staff conduct a thorough review and submit any
necessary additions ahead of the June 1 meeting. To ensure a streamlined process, he requested
that Deputy City Manager Vanessa Bohr oversee the coordination of these efforts, ensuring all
departmental input is organized and ready for the upcoming session. Chairman McGuire
announced the next meeting will be held on Monday, June 1, 2026.
There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was officially
adjourned at 9:44 a.m.
APPROVED
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ATTEST:
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Cecelia F. McCoy, CMC S.Terry McGuire
City Clerk ! Chairman
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