Latest news with #VirginiaBeachCityCharter
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach council votes to put election system question on November ballot
VIRGINIA BEACH — Voters in Virginia Beach will have the opportunity to cast a vote for the method in which they want to elect their City Council members. Seven of 11 council members voted Tuesday in favor of a charter change referendum on the election system to be placed on the November ballot. The referendum question would ask voters whether they want to keep the current single-member district system or if they support a voting system with some at-large seats on council. Mayor Bobby Dyer, Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson, Michael Berlucchi, Stacy Cummings, Cal 'Cash' Green, Barbara Henley and Amelia Ross-Hammond voted in support of the referendum. David 'Hutch' Hutcheson, Worth Remick, Jennifer Rouse and Joash Schulman voted against it. Ross-Hammond, who had not yet revealed how she would vote and has served on council twice since she was first elected in 2012, defended her support of the referendum before she voted. 'I may be the only African American up here who actually was elected with the all-large system,' Ross-Hammond said. 'A lot of that is based on the word of character.' Related Articles She was most recently elected through the new district-based system. 'As I've listened to so many people of so many races, of so many colors, of all economic backgrounds… I believe that research will show us, if we do this, we will hear from our people,' she said. The vote came after more than a dozen people spoke in favor of the 10-1 system and disparaged some council members for their potential vote in favor of the referendum. Some of the speakers said support of the referendum could undermine progress that has been made to diversify representation on the City Council. 'Vote against the referendum; we don't need one,' said Georgia Allen, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the change of the city's election system to district-based voting. The 10-1 system was implemented in 2022 after a federal judge deemed the at-large system illegal because it diluted minority voting power. That year, voters elected the most diverse council in city history. Councilman Green decried criticism of his support of the referendum. 'I'm not afraid to stand up for what's right,' Green said. 'Let me lead the people of District 7, not according to some politics, but because of what's right.' Councilwoman Rouse gave several reasons why she couldn't get behind a referendum including mistrust of its intentions. 'It's opening wounds,' Rouse said. 'I don't believe that the referendum is in good faith.' The referendum question placed on the ballot would ask: 'Should the method of city council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a modified 7-3-1 system to a 10-1 system?' The 10-1 system is how voters currently elect City Council members. The mayor is elected at large by residents from across the city, but the 10 council members are elected only by residents in their district. The referendum could open the door to a modified 7-3-1 system, in which three council members would serve in at-large seats and all residents could vote for them. Under that system, the remaining seven members would be elected by residents only in their district. A 2023 public survey found broad support for the 10-1 system, but several well-connected business and community associations have thrown their support behind a modified election system with at-large seats. The referendum aims to address a conflict between the charter and the city's 2023 redistricting ordinance, in which the city adopted its 10-1 voting system. If it passes — if the majority of voters want the city charter changed to reflect the 10-1 system — it will be delivered to Virginia Beach's General Assembly delegation for introduction in the 2026 session. If approved by state lawmakers, the charter change would then require the governor's signature. Previous efforts to enshrine the 10-1 system into law have been held up because of legal challenges. The governor vetoed a charter amendment request last year, citing a pending lawsuit. That same lawsuit challenging the validity of the city's district voting system is moving forward in court. It's unclear if the referendum or its results will have an effect on the lawsuit. The city will soon file a petition with the Circuit Court asking it to order the referendum be placed on the November ballot, according to Christopher Boynton, deputy city attorney. Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125,
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach city council requests residents' input on voting system change into charter
Virginia Beach city staff has been preparing a resolution for residents' feedback on adopting the 10-1 voting system into the city's charter, under direction of the Virginia Beach City Council on April 1. The resolution will be ahead of a city council vote where on May 6, councilmembers will vote on if 'the method of City Council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a 'modified 7-3-1' system to a '10-1' system?' According to the city of Virginia Beach, a yes vote is in support of the 10-1 system, which was used in the 2022 and 2024 City Council elections. A no vote is in support of the 7-3-1 system, which was used in 2021 and is outlined in the current city charter. VB city council put the issue to vote in November 2024, where the idea to put the 10-1 system in the charter was voted down due to its failure to at least a three-fourths majority. Previous coverage: VB council votes down putting 10-1 voting system into charter During November's vote, councilwoman Jennifer Rouse said she supported the 10-1 system because people in her district (District 10) had never seen anyone campaign in that area before the system's introduction. 'People were able to garner votes just from certain pockets of the city, which then meant many neighborhoods and communities were underrepresented because candidates didn't go and speak to those residents to learn about their issues and then to represent them,' said Rouse. Mayor Bobby Dyer, who stood in support of the 7-3-1 system since being elected in 2004, told 10 on your side in November the 10-1 system had 'a bunch of ambiguity out there' and that it 'would benefit the public to hear both sides of the equation.' Previous coverage: VB council expected to vote on 10-1 voting system The city of Virginia Beach provided ways to give your feedback ahead of the May 6 vote: Provide thoughts, comments and concerns via SpeakUp VB until 11:59 p.m. on May 3, 2025, using any of the following options: Email Leave a voicemail by calling 1-855-925-2801. Enter Project Code 11338 Text referendum to 73224 Attend the April 15, 2025, public hearing at 6 p.m. in City Council Chamber, 2401 Courthouse Drive. Speak virtually during the April 15, 2025, public hearing. Sign up with the City Clerk's Office by calling 757-385-4303. Email City Council at . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should Virginia Beach have at-large council members? Election system may be put to a vote
VIRGINIA BEACH — Voters in Virginia Beach may have the opportunity to weigh in on the current City Council election system come November. The City Council will vote next month on whether to include a charter change referendum question on this year's ballot. The question would ask voters whether they want to keep the current single-member district system or if they support a voting system with some at-large seats on council. Public comment on the potential referendum question will be heard April 15 and the council will vote on it May 6. The 10-1 voting system is the way voters currently elect City Council members. The mayor is elected at large by residents from across the city, but each of the 10 council members are elected only by voters who live in their voting district. The referendum could open the door to a modified 7-3-1 system, in which three council members would serve in at-large seats and all residents could vote for them. Under that system, the remaining seven members would be elected by residents only in their voting district. The proposed referendum question would be: 'Should the method of city council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a modified 7-3-1 system to a 10-1 system?' It includes the following explanation: A 'yes' vote means that you support the 10-1 system, which was used in the 2022 and 2024 city council elections. In the 10-1 system, the city is divided into 10 districts and the voters of each district elect a single council member with the mayor elected at-large (city-wide). A 'no' vote means you support the 7-3-1 system described in the current city charter as modified by a general law change that occurred in 2021. In the modified 7-3-1 system, the city is divided into 7 districts and the voters of each district elect a single council member, with three other council members and the mayor elected at-large (city-wide). The question, proposed by the city attorney's office on Tuesday, aims to address a conflict between the charter and the city's 2023 redistricting ordinance, in which the city adopted its 10-1 voting system. Several council members said they won't support it. 'What are we asking for, to go back to the 7-3-1 system?' said Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse. 'We have seen progress with the single-member districts. A return to at-large is a return to what we came from.' Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office ends inmate grass mowing program over cost Norfolk City Council approves affordable housing complex near Park Place Newport News' top prosecutor has a challenger. She vows community outreach to curb crime. Hampton Roads cities keeping close watch on federal cuts as they roll out budgets Chesapeake proposes a $1.65 billion operating budget, with options for tax increase Mayor Bobby Dyer wants to hear from voters. 'I think we owe it to the public,' he said. 'It's not only the question on the ballot, it's the education about what is going on. I feel the obligation to go to the public to say, 'What do you think?'' Council member Stacy Cummings agreed. 'This is one of the most sacred rights we have is the right to vote, and the citizens have not been asked how they want to elect their council members,' Cummings said. 'Let's hear what the people have to say.' Previously, every City Council seat was at large and voters across the city could vote for every council member. The 10-1 election system was implemented in 2022 after a federal judge deemed the previous at-large system illegal because it diluted minority voting power. That year, voters elected the most diverse council in city history. The plaintiffs in that lawsuit have threatened immediate federal court legal challenge if City Council takes any steps toward using the modified charter system for future elections, according to Deputy City Attorney Christopher Boynton. A public communication plan for the referendum question could cost roughly $500,000 and would include public forums, TV advertisements and direct mail, Tiffany Russell, the city's communications director, said at the meeting. The city previously spent more than $700,000 on public education campaigns on the election system and redistricting, Russell said. 'It's a lot of money devoted to this issue that it looks like will not necessarily end after this referendum,' Rouse said. Boynton said Virginia Beach has until Aug. 15 to submit a referendum question to the Circuit Court for review and approval in order for it be placed on the November ballot. If the referendum passes — if the majority of voters want the city charter changed to reflect the 10-1 system — it will be delivered to Virginia Beach's General Assembly delegation for introduction in the 2026 session. If approved by the General Assembly, it would then require the governor's signature. Council members David 'Hutch' Hutcheson and Joash Schulman both said they won't vote for a referendum. 'I believe that revisiting this issue in this fashion sends a signal that we're looking backwards,' Schulman said. Previous efforts to enshrine the 10-1 system into law have been held up due to legal challenges. The governor vetoed a charter amendment request last year citing a pending lawsuit. The same lawsuit challenging the validity of the city's district voting system is currently moving forward in court. The plaintiffs recently filed a motion for summary judgement, Boynton said, but a hearing has not been scheduled. Boynton said Tuesday a referendum is one possibility to potentially break the stalemate in the General Assembly. Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125,
