THE INDEPENDENT NEWS
COURTHOUSE — The City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 3, voted to ask the Circuit Court to authorize a special election that will fill the vacant District 1 seat after former Councilmember Rocky Holcomb resigned to become sheriff of Virginia Beach.
Holcomb resigned his seat on Friday, Sept. 29, to succeed Sheriff Ken Stolle upon his retirement.
The City Council seeks a special election in District 1 that would be held on Tuesday, Jan. 9, a date elections officials can support at a cost of $185,425, according to a summary of the request.
The council does not plan to appoint an interim representative in District 1 – and the council also will not seek an early special election for the office of sheriff, meaning Holcomb would serve at least until after the result of a special election in November 2024.
The remainder of the District 1 term expires at the end of 2024, meaning it is among the offices expected to be on the ballot next year.
Holcomb, a former member of the House of Delegates, was appointed to council in August 2021 following the resignation of Jessica Abbott and won a 2022 special election for the seat in the new District 1.
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Why isn’t the City of Virginia Beach also holding special elections for the new districts 3, 5 and 7? Those districts did not have an election by only the voters in each district in 2022. The three individuals, Berlucchi, Wilson and Wooten, were all last elected by the voters at-large throughout the City to represent Rose Hall, At-Large and Centerville. The new districts 3, 5 and 7 do not correspond at all with Rose Hall, At-Large and Centerville. These individuals were never appointed, nor elected, yet the City website continues to portray these 3 as representing the new districts. Isn’t this fraud?