Georgia F. Allen

Allen, 55, is running for City Council in Virginia Beach (At-Large)

Opponents: Leona M. Shuler, Keith J. Strausbaugh, Lawrence J. Teator, Rosemary A. Wilson

Years in city: Since 1954

Education: Commonwealth College - Computer Science; Rotary Leadership Institute - Sorensen Institute Political Leadership; United Way Project Inclusion; City of Virginia Beach Neighborhood Institute

Occupation: Financial specialist, ALLTEL Communications, Virginia Beach

Family: Divorced with 2 adult children

Civic involvement: Community service Raised funds for Boy Scouts; Vets house; ACT-SO Program as a member of the Princess Anne Rotary Club and served as Community Service Director; volunteered for Junior Achievement, March of Dimes, American Cancer and Special Olympics with ALLTEL Communications; St. Luke's United Methodist Church served as Chairperson of Staff Parish Committee - volunteer to provide resources for the Christmas Box, School Boxes, and supplies to the various heavily hit hurricane victims to include Grenada. Served as Human Rights Commissioner, and recently appointed by the Governor to the Council on the Status of Women.

As a life-long resident of Virginia Beach, I bring a new perspective to city government. I will represent middle-class taxpayers and bring a common sense approach to city issues such as transportation and growth. I will make a special effort to see that development is equal -- for example, improvement of the Baker Road corridor. I will work to improve safety and security in our neighborhoods. As a community leader who has personally experienced a violent tragedy, I will work to reduce crime by providing more community policing and will work with neighborhood groups and civic leagues to reduce youth gangs. Having worked with youth for over a decade, I bring special insight to this issue. As president of the NAACP I have worked with diverse groups throughout the city to ensure inclusion and access to the decision-making processes and economic life of our city for all of its citizens.

Yes, I support a light rail system as a backbone to an integrated transportation system with improved peak time frequencies and multimodal in concept. With the ever increasing cost of gas and traffic an option to driving needs be provided to allow people without cars to get to work and provide some relief to traffic congestion. I also support transit oriented development that makes the best use of land, transportation infrastructure and mixed use development concepts.

I would delay major capital projects that are not revenue producing and reduce the number of consultants.

Reasonable financial investments in infrastructure as leverage to private development should be considered based on the merits including public benefits of the project, invest in underserved areas like the Baker Road corridor.

Attracting high paying green jobs to the city with inter-jurisdictional cooperation if possible

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