For the first time in Virginia Beach's history, most registered voters are likely to cast ballots for mayor and the City Council, introducing new energy into what had been a predictable process.
As candidate forums draw out distinctions on traffic solutions, tax relief, city spending, growth and development, differences in style and substance are becoming clear.
Longtime Beach leaders - people who have helped build the city's reputation as a desirable place to live and visit - are being challenged, some for the first time, by fresh faces who show energy and creativity and impatience with the status quo.
As campaign rhetoric from national and state races threatens to drown out conversations on the serious money and planning issues facing Virginia Beach, forums taped this week and scheduled to be broadcast next month on WVEC Channel 13 offer a glimpse of the personalities who will guide the city for the next four years.
The mayor's race
Mayor Meyera Oberndorf, who this year celebrated 20 years in the job, and her chief challenger, former Vice Mayor Will Sessoms, occupy a political middle ground rooted in optimism about the possibilities and pride in the city's successes: a vibrant Town Center, enviable schools, safe neighborhoods and a developing Oceanfront.
Oberndorf, the city's tireless cheerleader, has a grandmotherly style that seems soft and slow for the times, but rarely controversial and unquestionably appealing to voters. She has a grasp of the grass roots that comes only with decades spent in civic league meetings. And she is the favorite of municipal employees, evidence of her loyalty.
If Oberndorf spends much of her time defending the city's achievements and current management, Sessons spends his time offering incremental and specific changes to improve both. Sessoms, a bank president, backed the mayor in her previous races but now says Virginia's largest city needs more than a ceremonial leader who shows up everywhere with a smile and a handshake.
During the forum, Sessoms offered a surprise with his call for an affordable housing component in every new residential development. He wants money set aside to buy land for parks and open space and favors no-risk development partnerships where there is a clear benefit for taxpayer. He imagines a day that Virginia Beach is a haven for technology and energy research.
Both Oberndorf and Sessoms flinched at challenger John Moss' dark portrayal of Virginia Beach as a spendthrift government hostile to businesses and families. Moss, a former councilman and co-founder of the Virginia Beach Taxpayer Alliance, prescribes the most drastic changes: dramatic cuts in the property, meals, business and machinery and tools taxes. He didn't say anything Thursday night about the draconian cuts in public services that would be the natural result.
By far the city's toughest critic, when asked, "What is Virginia Beach doing best to manage growth?" Moss responded, "I don't conclude we're doing anything well."
The fourth candidate, Scott Taylor, an ex-Navy SEAL and real estate broker, echoed several of Moss' plans to cut taxes and criticized spending public money on the 31st Street development. He advocated a referendum for light rail, which he favors. increased networking with the Navy, more frequent bus service. Taylor, though smart and confident, has the least experience of any of the candidates; more worrisome, he also has a first-timer's superficial grasp of the city's problems and their solutions.
Unseating a popular mayor is hard enough when there's only one challenger. Those who want Oberndorf's job will have to make a strong case that they're a better alternative for a city facing a $68 million hole in next year's budget. What would they cut? How hard are they willing to push for improvements in bus service and light rail? How would they grow and diversify the city's businesses? What would they do to foster work force housing?
City Council races
In a Wednesday forum, Rosemary Wilson, a former teacher and School Board member who serves at large, exhibited her superior knowledge and experience, speaking with authority and conviction about preserving neighborhoods and open space. Among her four challengers, two have not attended recent candidate forums. The other two - Lawrence Teator, a political newcomer whose priority is unclogging traffic, and Georgia Allen, NAACP branch president - will have to make a better case for unseating Wilson.
Councilman Harry Diezel, the city's former fire chief, has represented Kempsville since 2002 and knows every nook and cranny of the city. He's a popular, no-nonsense guy and a favorite of the rank and file. When city leaders discussed creating a new tax-increment financing district, for example, Diezel's response was, "What's Plan B?"
He faces two challengers, and one makes an interesting case for election.
In last week's forum, Andrew Jackson, a thoughtful retired Navy radioman, indicated he would bring long-needed perspective to the council, which hasn't had an African American member in a decade. Jackson has lived in Virginia Beach off and on for nearly 50 years and appears to have some ideas about improving the city. The other Kempsville candidate, Joe Flores, has worked hard for the Lake Edward neighborhood and other underserved areas but has focused narrowly on crime issues.
In Rose Hall, Reba McClanan has been on the council since 1980 - except when she challenged Oberndorf unsuccessfully in 1992. She's dedicated and has rarely had opposition. The last time, in 1996, she carried every precinct. McClanan, a billboard foe and the council's strongest advocate for beautification, touted her experience and independent voice as strengths. What that means: She votes "no" a lot - nearly always against the budget.
This time, she has a credible opponent, Glenn Davis, a young, energetic businessman with smart ideas and a vision of more orderly development, a coordinated system of mass transit and better relationships with other cities and the state.
Nov. 4 will feature a crowded ballot in Virginia Beach. The city has six weeks to get to know all the candidates, and to prepare itself to make the right decisions. Those who would serve - most of them - are out in the community making their case. It's time for the citizenry to pay attention.
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Michael Ragsdale
Please Michael. If you are going to make statements like you did below, you need to back them up. Those are the most absurd statements I believe I've heard from anyone about any candidate, in my history of following politics.
Joe Flores
I met Joe Flores and asked him one simple question to gain a perspective as to where he is coming from, and I loved his answer. I asked him, "Even though we know there are hard fiscal choices to be made and problems to be faced with the economic turmoil, do you promise not to raise taxes to fix the problems?" His response was, "Of course I won't raise taxes." Enough said :)
More of the same...
I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments below. Some people really have some great points. If you go to all the forums between the canidates, it is clear who needs to be our next Mayor of VA Beach. People are so tired of the same thing over and over again, we need a new fresh face, with new ideas, and positive energy. Quite frankly, sitting at these meetings 2 of the canidates make you want to fall asleep. Times have changed, we need an out of the box thinker, someone with vision and who looks at the big picture. We don't need someone who has been here all their life and knows nothing else. We need new ideas and new insight to move this city forward. We don't need the same thing as what we already have. I'm voting Scott Taylor for mayor and I hope my fellow citizens will join me. I have to say, I attended the televised forum, and Taylor didn't seem superficial at all. It's funny to read that because I did think there were 2 canidates with absolutely no substance, it was just fluff, there is no other way to say it. That should be the story!! Taylor for Mayor of VA Beach!!
Va.Bch Election for City Council
Im glad the virginian Pilot has a section where you can voice your opinion.After reading the article on 9/20/08 I just had to give my opinion.The piece said Harry Diezel knows every nook and crany of the Kempsville District. My questions are how has that knoweledge helped all of the citizens in Va.Bch?.What changes have been made for residents in all communities? I see the upscale changes the Pembroke area has with new hotels, resturants and shoppes.Infact on Sunday I watched the Joel Rubin Show which had all the candidates running for office present it was stated by Andrew Jackson that the City of Va.Bch has been considering a recreation center for 30 yrs. I myself hate to wait 5 minutes for anything especially a service that Im supposed to receive so 30 yrs in my book is extreme. Then Mr. Diezel said that he works closely with Social Services,which tells me that he is completely out of touch with the people he represents.Going back to the article for just a moment when it came to Pastor Flores he was given a few sentences and called Narrow minded.The reason he maybe focused on crime in his area because thats where the crimes are occurring.When Families of slain loved ones needed
diverse economy
With all the fiscal challenges being endured by the federal and state government, and the inevitable tendency for the cuts to flow downhill, this is no time for a newcomer nor for an incumbent dedicated to attending every function possible. This is a time for actual political leadership which is dedicated to acting in the public interest, not necessarily for what is most popular at the time. If we are continue to attract new jobs, if we are to improve our infrastructure, if we are to improve public services in a time of fiscal constraint, we must have a leader who understands both sides of the equation. Sessoms is the only candidate with that experience and judgment. For in tough economic times, investment in and generation of economic activity will be an essential part of controlling our destiny instead of simply suffering becasue of the mistakes of higher levels of goverment. Sessoms is the one to lead in these times.
Superficial?
Please keep in mind that this is an editorial and is one person's OPINION. I'm not sure how it's evident that Taylor has a "superficial" grasp of the issues when he is the one immersing himself in them to better understand them from the residents who are experiencing them. Of course the current council wouldn't know this as residents without a car are unable to utilize public transportation to attend council meetings. Taylor was to the point and didn't fill his responses with rebuttals or excuses. In addition, it seems like Taylor's solutions may not be so "superficial" if Sessoms, the "chief challenger", is using some of them as his own. And why isn't there any mention in this article of Taylor's call for Sessom's to resign if he were to be elected? There are issues that Sessom's would not be able to vote on, as it would be a conflict of interest with someone who is the President of the largest bank in the area. I think that was a pivotal part of the debate and curious as to why it's not mentioned. It's about time someone cares about what the residents really want and shift the emphasis from the tourists to the people who actually LIVE and PAY TAXES here! Go Taylor!
Elections
Vote all of the bums out of office. Give someone else a chance to steal taxpayer money.
Flores, Diezel & Jackson
Flores and Jackson can battle it out in their small community, and deal with the issues that only affect a small part of the city.
In the meantime, Diezel is working city-wide to represent all of us.
Taxpayers Choice? Sure...
A vote for John Moss/VBTA = a vote for no libraries, no rec centers, no transit (which also means no Federal Highway dollars), no police, no firefighters, no rescue squads...I could go on forever. Scott Taylor: you lost my vote when you went along with the VBTA idea of a referendum on light rail.
If Pastor Joe Flores walked
If Pastor Joe Flores walked on water the Virginian Pilot headline would probablly read; "Joe Flores Can't Swim".
pilot wrong again
In the race for Va. Beach City Council, Harry Diezel is a nice guy but with no clear direction for the city.Andrew Jackson has not stood on any single issue concerning Va. Beach, whether it be crime,developement, or education.He is the most disconnected candidate out there. PASTOR JOE FLORES has been and still is, the leader for neighborhood developement,crime prevention, and the growth and education of our children.On NOV.4,PASTOR FLORES should be the clear choice,his record clearly speaks to the citizens of Va. Beach. Don"t be fooled by "good old boy " politics or "private eye" rhetoric.Vote for Change, vote Pastor Joe Flores.
John Moss - Tax Payer's Choice
Definitely EDITORIAL. Sessoms the chief competitor? He has the most signs, money, editorial page favor and has the same goals that Oberndorf does but, even more over development at taxpayer expense. Real Estate, Construction, and companies driven out of Illinois are funding him.
The Editor should note that the Tool/machine tax likely applies to printing presses. Has the editor read in the Pilot about the local population declines? That's Pilot advertising revenue leaving the area. The city of VB HAS spent taxdollars recklessly on projects and depended on property tax revenue based on an artificially inflated market. John Moss telling it like it IS should be refreshing. Thanks for painting Sessoms as more of the same though. Vote for John Moss!
hmmmm...
What exactly does Will Sessoms mean by incorporating "affordable housing" into new subdivisions? This sounds like what Norfolk and Portsmouth are doing, do we really want to copy them? I sure as heck would not buy a half million dollar home next to some section 8 apartments. Look at what James City County is doing with Ford's Colony, Two Rivers and Kingsmill. Do you think a developer would wasted thier money on fantastic tax generating projects like this if they were forced to put "affordable housing" in it? Put the "affordable housing" near the bus lines and not try to mix it all together.
Virginia Beach Elections
"Re-Elect No One"