Councilman Bob Dyer introduced a trio of proposals to make Virginia Beach more accountable to its citizens. One is the ward system. The current situation in Virginia Beach is that there are seven district seats and four at-large seats. While the holders of the district seats must live in the area, the entire city votes on them, not just the people who live in those districts.
In 1996, the citizens of Virginia Beach voted down a referendum to create a ward system. But does that mean the idea should not ever be revisited? I think not.
Dyer believes that the number of people running for office would increase if the city had wards, mainly because the cost of running campaigns would be less. I agree with this assessment, Norfolk’s own ward system notwithstanding. There are other factors which converge to make running for council in Norfolk an unattractive option for most. Virginia Beach has a healthy number of candidates willing to run; wards would only increase that number.
But an even bigger opportunity exists if the city adopts wards. As Kerry Dougherty mentions in her column today:
“District voting breaks the back of special interest groups,” Dyer told me Wednesday.
Yes. With all of the money that it takes to run, it is no wonder that special interest groups interfere with the choice of candidates. The ability of a few to control who gets to run – via control of resources – would be lessened by having wards.
Has Virginia Beach changed enough in the last ten years that the citizens would embrace a ward system? I don’t know. But it is an idea worth exploring. Kudos to Councilman Dyer for bringing it up.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I think he is onto a good idea. Also lets the average Joe have a shot at it.
What do you say… Squeaky Wheel for City Council?
Ugh, that would be ugly. I think Eileen would run against me just out of principal š
Hey – if you run, I’ll have to move to the Beach just be be able to vote. (Note that I didn’t commit to voting for you š )
It’s not a question of “if” we go to a ward system, but “when and how”. Virginia Beach’s dramatic demographic changes are going to give us a population that won’t put up with being lorded over by a WASPish aristocracy.
HMR – how will this come about? It seems that there is no will on council to persue this. Will it have to come from the people?
vjp – Yes, most likely getting a member of the General Assembly delegation to sponsor legislation for a binding referendum on it. That would cut Council out of the loop.