VB city charter takes center stage in Richmond
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A debate on amending Virginia Beach’s city charter has taken center stage in our state’s capital.
Monday, lawmakers raised concerns about legislation dealing with the city’s election system.
There’s a plan to amend the Virginia Beach city charter on how council members and school board members are elected.
Virginia Beach Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler introduced a legislative bill to do that, but she said there’s been some push-back.
Convirs-Fowler introduced House Bill 416 to amend the city charter to reflect the city’s new single-member districts, a ward-based election system, and the mayor elected by all of Virginia Beach.
Cozy Bailey said he represents 90 branches of the NAACP in Virginia. Bailey also released the following remarks concerning the voting district:
House Bill 416 amends the Virginia Beach Charter of the transition of the City Council from at large to single member and mayor. The new structure is sometimes referred to as 10-1, indicating the magisterial districts and the mayor. Virginia NAACP advocates for fair and equal representation across localities, and we believe this structure better serves all residents of Virginia Beach.
The NAACP envisions an inclusive community based on liberation, where all persons can exercise their human and civil rights without discrimination. In our democratic republic, the franchise of voting is a preeminent civil right. Voting rights have been a central part of this country’s civil rights movement from the very beginning. And, of course, the heart of democracy is that every person has an equal voice in the government. The supporting infrastructure, the laws, and ordinances in place must be flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of the people as well as the changing demographics. In the case of Virginia Beach, 81% of the population determined that a change in the voting structure was required to maintain equal, equitable, and fair representation. In other words, the prevailing charter no longer represented the will of the people. That, in essence, is what HB 416 is about.
I want to make it clear that while the NAACP stands in solidarity with the people of Virginia Beach, the implications of not passing HB 416 transcend that singular community. Voting rights are the bedrock of a democratic republic. The resilience of this form of government is that periodically, a review is necessary to determine if there are impediments to this and other basic civil rights. In Virginia Beach, 81% of the residents said there is time for change. It is incumbent on the legislature and this and future administrations to keep a listening ear throughout the Commonwealth and be responsive to the will and the needs of the people. To recognize the need for modifying and updating the laws and statutes that form the basis for our government to reflect equality, equity, and fairness to all people.
Virginia NAACP President Rev. Cozy Bailey
“The Virginia NAACP advocates for fair representation across all localities, and we believe this best serves the residents of Virginia Beach,” Bailey said.
State Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach), who once served on City Council, introduced similar legislation that unanimously passed the State Senate.
“We already had an election in 2022, and a special election … and we have never had a more diverse City Council as we did follow that election,” Rouse said. “… All this charter change is supposed to do is catch up with the court’s already federally mandated orders.”
In the House of Delegates, two-thirds of the 100 members must support the bill to amend the charter, but Virginia Beach Del. Barry Knight is opposed to it for now.
“if it is not unanimous from the locality on a charter change, we typically do not move forward,” Knight said, “and typically with litigation, we let it work its way out.”
Knight pointed out that a lawsuit has been filed against Virginia Beach’s new 10-1 election plan, and Knight claims the southern part of Virginia Beach does not support the plan nor did Council member Barbara Henly who represents that area, and she was the lone vote against (10-1) the plan.
City of Virginia Beach responds to lawsuit regarding 10-1 district voting system
10 On Your Side asked Convirs-Fowler about that.
“The trouble with the lawsuit is, if we can’t pass anything that has current litigation, and if that’s true,” Convirs-Fowler said, “then I would say to that, we are opening the door to an attitude if you want to file litigation it will stop any legislation from moving forward.”
Let’s say the House of Delegates doesn’t support 10-1 plan. If that happens, which plan would be used in the new City Council and School Board elections in Virginia Beach?
“If somehow a two-thirds vote does not happen,” Convirs-Fowler said, “there will still be a 10-1 election system because the federal court has already mandated that.”
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