VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer laid the groundwork for what he wants to come to the Resort City, while also touting the accomplishments made in the past year in his State of the City address on Wednesday.
At the top of Dyer's list is a decrease in crime, an increase in tourism dollars and several special projects planned for the future.
Crime is going down in Virginia Beach
"These are some of the lowest crime numbers we've seen in the past four years," said Dyer.
Dyer touted some of the decreases seen including:
- Violent crimes are down 6.4%
- Property crimes are down 7%
- Larcenies are down 36%
- Vehicle thefts are down 24%
According to the address, Virginia Beach also had the lowest homicide rate per 100,000 residents when compared to several cities of a similar size.
"Couple budget cycles ago we put our police on a grid system that helped with recruitment and retention," said Dyer. "We are focused on stopping crimes before they come to fruition."
Tourism generated millions of dollars
In a recent economic impact study, researchers found a combined impact of $94 million came to the city from a $4.2 million investment by the city for major festivals. This includes festivals like Beach It, Jackalope and Something in the Water (SITW).
Despite some hopeful anticipation, Virginia Beach city leaders did not confirm an exact date or a lineup for the return of SITW but said plans are well underway.
"These things take time, and they want to make sure they get the right artists in place for something like this," said Dyer.
However, other festival announcements are moving forward. Officials with Jackalope confirmed on social media the festival will return from May 31 to June 2.
"Get ready for not one, not two — but three Jackalope festivals in 2024," said festival organizers in a social media post.
Dyer said the economic impact of these festivals cannot be emphasized enough, as the city saw a net gain of $89.8 million from these events.
Commitments made for more affordable housing in Virginia Beach
One challenge Mayor Dyer acknowledged the city faces is creating more affordable housing for people in the Resort City.
The mayor said many of Virginia Beach's buildings are more than 60 years old. Dyer said he also understood how inflation and homelessness remain an ongoing issue, and pointed to new ways they want to tackle the issue.
"We have the HOPE initiative underway now, and I truly hope that it will bring hope to those in need," said Dyer.
Dyer said he plans to work with both public and private sectors in the future to give more affordable options to families and pointed to new jobs on the way.
"We have thousands of jobs coming to Virginia Beach thanks to Amazon," said Dyer. "We want to give people not only jobs but high-paying jobs that will then keep them in their homes."