Candidates, from left: Linwood Branch, Richard “RK” Kowalewitch, Cat Porterfield and Worth Remick. (Courtesy images)
Age: 67
Occupation: Owner, Days Inn at the Beach hotel
Previous office held: Virginia Beach City Council
Education: Randolph-Macon College, bachelor’s degree in psychology, 1977
What experience do you have that makes you qualified to be a City Council member?
I am a small business owner and have served Virginia Beach in many capacities, including Chair of the HR Chamber of Commerce VB Division and the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Tax, Fee, and Spending. President: Sandler Center Foundation for the Performing Arts, VB Hotel Association, Resort Retailers Association, and VB Police Foundation. Board member: Resort Advisory Commission, United Way, and Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. The Jaycees selected me as Outstanding Young Citizen (1994) and First Citizen of Virginia Beach (2007). I served on City Council from 1992-2002, supporting the Aquarium, Convention Center, Amphitheater, Open Space and Agricultural Reserve Programs, and Town Center. In 2021, Council appointed me to fill the unexpired term of Vice Mayor Jim Wood. I serve as Council liaison to the Process Improvement Committee, Bayfront Advisory Committee, Resort Advisory Commission, Atlantic Park Community Development Authority, Advertising Advisory Committee, Open Space Committee, and the Aquarium.
If elected, what would be your top priority and how would you get it done?
My top priority is and always has been to enhance the quality of life for Virginia Beach residents. We do that by staying one of the safest large cities in America. We are blessed with an exceptional police force led by a fantastic police chief, and the Council has stepped up with increased pay and incentives to attract and retain the very best. We also invest in the latest technology to make police response more rapid and make our neighborhoods and businesses as safe as possible. We also have a keen focus on economic development that creates jobs. Virginia Beach can set the stage for our economic future. Overseas data cables and offshore wind present great local job opportunities and our resort is poised to be the most successful it has ever been. I will continue to lead to bring more jobs and economic activity to our city.
___
Age: 62
Occupation: Self-employed, residential construction and building; former owner of RK’s Surf Shop for 31 years
Previous office held: None
Education: 2 years of college at Old Dominion University
What experience do you have that makes you qualified to be a City Council member?
I have been a small business owner in Virginia Beach for 30+ years. Small business is the economic engine of creating jobs. I understand the unique challenges and concerns of the resort businesses and residents unlike any other candidate, and I have fought to protect them for the past 20 years by going against the GOB—Good Old Boy network. Their philosophy is the “needs of the few—the elite—outweigh the needs of the many.” It appears current council is controlled by the GOB. I have fought for a level playing field for all businesses and citizens, against the unconstitutional election system and corruption in Virginia Beach. I’ve talked about fixing stormwater needs for 20 years. I believe in the U.S. Constitution. It’s time to stop talking and start doing. We don’t need partisan politics involved in local government. Local races are supposed to be non-partisan. Enough is enough.
If elected, what would be your top priority and how would you get it done?
Enforce laws and maintain order fairly for everyone. To have the enforcement of laws we need to have our police department fully funded, compensated and staffed. The current budget allows for the hiring of an additional 77 police officers. The City has been short over 70 police officers for over 20 years, and those positions have been funded yearly. The reality is for a city the size and population of VB, we are probably 200-300 short the budgeted amount. What has happened to the money each year, and why have those positions not been filled? We need to promote our police department so trained officers from other cities would apply to work here. There needs to be open lines of communication between City Council, the Police Chief’s office, the HR Department, and the police associations to come up with solutions to solve the unrest in our communities.
___
Age: 52
Occupation: Realtor and property manager
Previous office held: None listed
Education: Communications and journalism classes at Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, and Irvine Valley College in Irvine, Calif.; did not graduate.
What experience do you have that makes you qualified to be a City Council member?
Publishing, editing, reporting for, and managing purposeful community newspapers gave me the skill set to be an effective, attentive and collaborative community leader. Good local journalism consists of studying your community – local government, schools, and the city as a whole. I’ve pored over school and city budgets. I’ve followed capital improvement projects from concept to completion. I have fully immersed myself in all of the things that make a community work and gained a broad knowledge base regarding the workings of a city. A great local paper celebrates the victories of a community while also watchdogging local government. A great council person would do the same and use the seat to keep citizens informed and engaged while serving without fear or favor. That person should come to the seat without special interests and would therefore never have the need to abstain or state a conflict. I can do that.
If elected, what would be your top priority and how would you get it done?
Transparency, accountability, and a change in tone for city officials and our police and sheriff’s departments. It costs nothing to be nice. There is an authoritative tone in city communications that goes beyond just being formal and sends a perceived message that the city doesn’t consider our residents as collaborative partners. When you pair this tone with an apparent lack of transparency or failure to respond to residents’ complaints or questions, the trust and respect of our people get damaged. I would work to create a communications strategy for officials and city employees to introduce a collaborative and positive tone in written and spoken communications. The people of Virginia Beach deserve this. They also deserve to see how all city business is done and to have access to the people or information they need to make sound decisions.
___
Age: 62
Occupation: Industrial Real Estate Advisor
Previous office held: None listed
Education: Hampden-Sydney College, bachelor’s degree in humanities, 1982; Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, 1996
What experience do you have that makes you qualified to be a City Council member?
In the business world, it is important to listen to customers and learn their needs and concerns, and then provide solutions for those needs and concerns. This is my background in both the business world and in community service to Virginia Beach. I have the experience and skills to serve our city, to protect neighborhoods and taxpayers, make conscientious decisions, and be an independent voice representing all citizens. I understand land use, economic development and job creation, marketing, public education, and financial issues. I attended the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership which promotes respect, civility and dignity in public life. Local government needs leaders who use common sense and support the best interests of all of the citizens. I have the experience, dedication, and passion to be a consensus builder who can listen and lead with a vision of what is best for the city. I support your interests, not special interests. Our neighborhoods and taxpayers come first!
If elected, what would be your top priority and how would you get it done?
Virginia Beach citizens voted yes to the $567.5M bond referendum last November and now the hard work and smart implementation of this important work begins. We need to ensure that each of the projects and programs are vetted, planned, bid out, scheduled and more so that this is a success and not wasted money nor slow to progress. Now the real work begins. There must be oversight, by staff and Council, and accountability and best practices should be required. Periodic updates and cost control measures are also necessary. We will need expert advice at all levels advising us. There is a lot at stake — an existential issue and a lot of taxpayer money, so this is a top priority — protecting our neighborhoods. There are certainly others too, such as hiring more police, teachers, and city government staff.
Copyright © 2022, The Virginian-Pilot
Copyright © 2022, The Virginian-Pilot
About Author
