The City of Williamsburg and York County are each holding public forums this fall ahead of significant local decisions. Williamsburg will host four events Sept. 26 to open the community engagement phase of its Comprehensive Plan Update, while York County and the York County School Division will hold three sessions in late September and early October to brief residents on a proposed 1% local sales tax for school construction and major renovation projects set for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot.
The Williamsburg comprehensive plan community forums, running 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 26, are timed to coincide with the Williamsburg Farmers Market, the Williamsburg Pancake Festival and BurgQuest; a fourth event will take place at City Square Park, 412 N. Boundary St. The events are intended to give residents, workers and visitors a chance to meet city staff and planning consultants, learn about the update process and share priorities. Virginia law requires localities to review their comprehensive plans at least every five years; the city’s current plan was adopted in September 2021.
York County’s school tax forums are scheduled for Sept. 24 at Queens Lake Middle School, Sept. 29 at Tabb High School and Oct. 5 at York High School, all beginning at 6 p.m. Voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize an additional local sales tax of up to 1%, with revenue restricted by state law to school construction and major renovation projects. The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to place the measure on the ballot after an independent, third-party facilities study found significant construction and facility needs across the school division.
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If approved by voters and later enacted by the Board of Supervisors, a step requiring a separate vote, a full 1% levy is projected to raise approximately $12 million per year for eligible school capital projects. The tax would expire no later than July 21, 2046, and could not be used for teacher salaries, instructional programs or operating expenses. School division officials said they are not taking a position on the referendum. If the measure fails, county officials have said other funding options, including possible real estate tax changes, could be explored.
The Comprehensive Plan guides land use policy and provides the foundation for zoning regulations, infrastructure decisions and public services. The city has hired planning firm Wallace, Roberts & Todd under a contract not to exceed $575,000; the full update is expected to take 18 to 24 months. Also Sept. 26, the city will launch a website at williamsburgva.gov/compplan and open applications for a 21-member advisory committee that will provide support throughout the process. Applications will also be available at the Municipal Building, 401 Lafayette St.
In other news:
Bruce Hornsby’s talks about the way it was In a feature for Classic Rock, writer Bill DeMain traces how Williamsburg native Bruce Hornsby drew on childhood memories of racial attitudes in his hometown to write The Way It Is, the 1986 song that became an unlikely No. 1 hit. Hornsby describes Williamsburg as the direct inspiration for the song’s themes, recalling the provincial attitudes he encountered growing up there in the 1960s, and says the song’s message retains relevance in current American life.
True-story drama Effie to screen at Kimball Theatre Oct. 17 Virginia Black Film Festival founder Bryan G. Thompson will screen his film Effie at Williamsburg’s Kimball Theatre on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m., according to a press release. Based on a true story set in rural Georgia, the film follows a Black woman convicted of killing her husband through a deeply inequitable judicial process. A live Q&A with Thompson and writer/executive producer Ted Knight follows the screening. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
William and Mary student troupe discusses staging of Mirror Doll The Flat Hat profiles TBD Theatre Troupe, William & Mary’s student-written, student-produced and student-performed theater group, through interviews with the cast and crew of their play Mirror Doll. The piece, reported by Ella Provisero and Piper Gilly and produced by Sophie Frank, offers an inside look at what it took to bring the original production to the stage.
Phi Beta Kappa marks 250 years with roots at William and Mary The American Scholar’s autumn 2026 issue, introduced by editor Sudip Bose, celebrates the 250th anniversary of Phi Beta Kappa, founded by five students at the College of William and Mary in 1776. Among the features is Augustine Sedgewick’s account of the first women inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, at the University of Vermont in 1875, and the circumstances that made Vermont a pioneer in recognizing the academic achievements of women and Black Americans.
Mason School of Business dean steps down this fall Todd Mooradian is stepping down as Dean of William & Mary’s Mason School of Business this fall after four years leading the school and nearly 30 years as a professor, Provost Peggy Agouris announced in a campus message. Ron Hess, Vice Dean for Academic Programs, will serve as interim dean during a national search for Mooradian’s successor. Under Mooradian, the school launched new AI and accounting initiatives and earned a No. 1 national ranking in military-friendly graduate education.
Early voting begins in Williamsburg Early voting for City of Williamsburg residents opened September 18, 2026, ahead of the November 3 General and Special Election, according to the Williamsburg Voter Registrar’s office. Voters can cast ballots at the City Municipal Building on weekdays from 8am-4:30pm, plus select Sundays and Saturdays. The absentee ballot deadline is October 23, 2026, and registration for new voters closes the same day.
Sierra Club roundtable brings Peninsula localities together on clean energy The Sierra Club York River Group convened its seventh annual online roundtable on climate solutions Sept. 16, with sustainability managers and representatives from York County, Williamsburg, Newport News, James City County, Hampton and Gloucester reporting on their latest clean energy initiatives. State Delegate Mark Downey provided opening remarks, and a Hampton Roads Planning District Commission representative updated participants on the region’s first Climate Action Plan, submitted to the EPA in November 2025.