Bobby Dyer has been the mayor of Virginia Beach since November, but his office on the second floor of City Hall is still looking a little spare.
Of course, it has been a busy, odd time for a City Council that has not quite settled on its lineup yet.
After the election, there were three recounts in tight races, a court case involving the residency of David Nygaard that led to him leaving office, and then Shannon Kane resigned her Rose Hall seat this month. So there are two vacant seats. Amid budget season.
On Tuesday, April 9, Dyer met with reporters who awaited the release of names on the short list of people seeking appointment to the vacant Beach District seat. Despite the unusual recent events in the city, Dyer said he is still enjoying his work as mayor, including attending various events in the community.
There was time enough to check out the walls, mostly empty. There were nails left over from the last guy and only a bit of decoration to speak of. Dyer pointed out a new framed poster. Does he need more art?
Not just yet. Dyer said he plans to put up accomplishments for the city as they come.
“I have to build my legacy,” he said.
“What’s your legacy going to be?” asked Alissa Skelton, who covers city government for The Virginian-Pilot.
“That’s up to you guys,” the mayor replied.
Lots of folks want to replace Republican Frank Wagner, who is retiring from the General Assembly, in the 7th Senate District. Two primaries are coming up in June, according to records provided by the Virginia Beach Voter Registration and Elections office.
Three Democrats will face off: Susan B. Hippen, Kim Howard and state Del. Cheryl Turpin, a teacher who is in her first term representing the 85th House District. Hippen is a retired Navy master chief, and Howard is a retired Navy commander.
Virginia Beach School Board Member Carolyn Weems and Jennifer Kiggans, a nurse practitioner, seek the Republican nomination to succeed Wagner.
Leigh Henderson and John “Clay” Atkinson will face each other in a GOP primary in June to become the party nominee in the special election to replace longtime former City Treasurer John Atkinson, who retired late last year.
Leigh Henderson is the acting city treasurer who was sworn into the office in December. Clay Atkinson, who announced in January that he would run for the job, works in real estate and is John Atkinson’s son.
This is the debut of Political Notebook, which will gather odds and ends from local government and politics. That may include — only as space allows — endorsements, candidate and fundraising events and campaign finance notes.
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