Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck delivered his final State of the City address Tuesday afternoon, reflecting on his major achievements while welcoming the beginning of a new chapter for the city.
“A mayor can’t do much alone,” Tuck told the crowd of hundreds at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. “My colleagues in the city council were a close-knit team. I think it is important to note the mutual respect we have shown for each other, and I am proud to have served with them.”
Old Point National Bank President and CEO Rob Shuford introduced Tuck as the keynote address. The capacity crowd, which earned him a standing ovation, included elected officials, business leaders, school staff and representatives of community organizations.
Tuck has been a member of the city council since 2010 and mayor since 2016. He has chosen not to stand for re-election this year to spend more time with his wife. Vice Mayor Jimmy Gray won the mayoral election and will take over in January.
Tuck said the city has seen a lot of progress over the past eight years in reducing violent crime, educating children, attracting development, growing small businesses and developing facilities that serve residents and attract more tourists. He said state statistics put Hampton and four neighboring cities among the top 13 cities in Virginia for shootings per capita in 2023, but the city dropped off that list in 2024 and isn’t even in the top 20.
“Hampton has reduced homicides by more than 60 percent and non-fatal shootings by 42 percent – a remarkable drop in one year,” he said.
He highlighted efforts the city has made to prevent violent crime and show youth a better path away from guns and gangs, including the Hopeful Hampton initiative – which aims to reduce gun violence among teens and young adults by connecting them with mentors . He added that thanks to a $4.6 million federal grant the city received last year to reduce gun violence, the city will launch five neighborhood resource centers by 2027. The centers will provide prevention and intervention services including trauma-informed care, workforce development, access to health care, mentoring, conflict resolution and education programs. Tuck said the first will open in Langley Square early next year.
On the business side, Tuck noted that the first of two light-industrial manufacturing buildings at the Phoenix Commerce Center – built on the former site of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind and Multi-disabled – will be completed by the end of the year. the second shortly afterwards. The project is expected to create 250 permanent jobs and generate $800,000 in annual revenue for the city. He also announced that a second Amazon facility opened in the city last month. The same-day delivery location opened in the former Gateway computer building. Tuck said the multimillion-dollar facility will employ a mix of about 125 full-time and part-time workers.
Tuck said Hampton has seen no slowdown in retail spending and that the city’s sales tax revenue last year was $6.5 million more than in 2016. He described Hampton as a “youth sports destination” and said the Aquaplex, which is in the opened summer 2016, fall 2022, with much fanfare, has already hosted 34 major swimming competitions and 30 high school meets. He also said residents and high school students use it extensively.
On education, he said that in 2015 just over half of schools were fully accredited. Now all 29 primary schools are fully accredited, without conditions, and the city’s graduation rate is the fifth highest in the state at 97.93%.
He also said he was proud to launch a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Hampton joins a three-year Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative that will use federal funding to address climate change and racial wealth inequality. Tuck says through that partnership, the city believes it will be able to successfully compete for federal grants for resiliency projects.
To engage the community, Tuck said he held open town hall meetings at least four times a year, regularly attended neighborhood meetings and spoke to community groups.
“It allowed me to see this city from different perspectives,” Tuck said. “We are a diverse and very passionate city. It’s not easy to leave, but it’s time.”
Looking back, Tuck said he was proud of everything the city had accomplished and that big things were in store for the city in the future.
“I know you will all work together to meet the challenges we continue to face.”
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
