Council Member· 2014-07-01–2026-12-31 (Ward 3; elected May 2014 per norfolk.gov/2932/Mamie-B-Johnson so first-office day is July 1 2014; current term 'January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2026'; Nov-elected council terms commence Jan 1 and end December 31 (Va. Code § 24.2-222.1, LIS text read); May-elected terms began July 1 (Va. Code § 24.2-222(B), LIS text read))
Mamie B. Johnson
Norfolk
No biography on file yet.
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Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 3
- Total speaking time
- 3:55
- Avg per meeting
- 1:18
- Segments
- 48
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The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Johnson said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
Short-term rental regulation
Airbnb data cited suggests Norfolk collects about $3.4 million a year in STR taxes — roughly $17 million over 4.5 years.
Automated License Plate Readers (Flock) Controversy
Speakers cited roughly half a million dollars flowing to Flock annually in place of community programs.
Faith-based and nonprofit affordable housing
Penalty revenue is secondary; the goal is avoiding multimillion-dollar costs of replacing lost affordable housing.
Public Art
Roughly $1.8 million in grant funding added to the FY2027 budget at no local cost.
Friends of Norfolk Tree Commission formation
Keep Norfolk Beautiful Engagement
A fundraiser on November 18 aims to cover the cost of two trees.
School Safety for Walkers and Bikers
Dockside Social waterfront entertainment venue
Parking Enforcement Near NSU
Residents estimate about $1,000 a day in lost citation revenue during the 15-week fall semester.
New zoning initiatives: Airport district, Riverview windows, signs, and industrial overlay
Could increase commercial activity and property values in industrial corridors; unknown direct fiscal impact.
Local Sales Tax Referendum for School Construction
Roughly $8 million set aside for maintenance across 47 school buildings in the CIP.
Youth Programming and Community Investment
Summer camps provide affordable childcare options for working families through trained city staff.
Resilience Green Infrastructure Plan
Residents report flood-damaged cars, homes, higher insurance premiums and towing costs.
Madison School Site
Potential $4.5 million annually in tax revenue; each vacant school parcel costs nearly $1 million a year to maintain and secure.
Wards Corner Economic Development
Oakwood Flea Market Conditions
Budget process transparency
East Side rec center/library and capital investment equity
$72 million earmarked for MacArthur Center versus zero dedicated Military Circle redevelopment dollars in the current plan.
Flood mitigation non-federal match fund
$24.9M in grant funds with a matching city commitment added to the FY 2026 budget.
Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center
Decisions during term (188)
Recorded while Johnson was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Approval of July 22, 2026, and April 22, 2026, meeting minutes
Quorum requirement reduced from 50% to 30%
Meeting start time changed to 6:00 PM
Consent agenda: dugout design review and Premier Property Rentals short-term rental
Dutch Bros Coffee drive-through conditional use permit
Faith-based and nonprofit affordable housing text amendment
Data center zoning text amendment
Marijuana business zoning text amendment
Slover Library banquet hall, live entertainment, and alcohol permits
Hotel alcohol sales at 2630 Almeda Avenue
Short-term rental at 1024 Hillside Avenue
Short-term rental homestay at 8001 Simons Drive
Church Street Area Plan initiation
Initiation of clerical zoning corrections
Resilience Quotient text amendment initiation
Motion for closed session
Adoption of Minutes of Previous Meeting
Resolution Certifying Closed Meeting
Ordinance No. 50522 — Amtrak Lease Sixth Amendment, 280 Park Avenue
Ordinance No. 50523 — T. Smith, CPA, PLLC Lease, 226 E. Main Street
Voting record (143)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
Motion for a closed session was approved at 4:34 p.m for purposes which are set out in Clauses 1, 3 & 3 of subsection (A) of Section 2.2-3711 of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, as amended: (1
Motion for closed session
Councilman Smigiel moved to amend Attachment C of the proposed Ordinance by revising the distance requirement of "more than 300 linear feet" from the buffer requirement provision to "more than 150 fee
An Ordinance to Amend and Reordain Table 3.1.2 and Section 3.9 of the Norfolk Zoning Ordinance so as to Create the Short-Term Rental Limitation Overlay (STRL-O) District.
Smigiel Amendment to Reduce STR Buffer from 300 to 150 Feet
She said if it applies to Willoughby it should be considered for Ocean View too, but voted no on the amendment.