THE INDEPENDENT NEWS
Ed. — The following are responses to questions posed by The Independent News to candidates for the District 1 seat on the Virginia Beach City Council. Answers to our questions in this series generally are not edited, aside from obvious punctuation issues, spacing and formatting, or for clarity. The Sunday, Sept. 22, voter guide edition is still available on some of our secondary racks until Election Day.
Only voters who live within District 1 vote in this election.
DAVID “HUTCH’ HUTCHESON
Residence: Woodstock
Age: 57
Occupation: Retired Virginia Beach fire chief and operations manager for Greenbrier Florist
Education: Masters of Homeland Security from the Naval Postgraduate School
Endorsements: Virginia Beach Professional Fire & EMS, Local 2924 of the International Association of Firefighters, Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association and the International Teamsters Union
Website: hutchforcouncil.com
Phone: (757) 651-7641
Email: davidhutcheson24@gmail.com
Social Media: hutchforcouncilvb on Facebook
What are your specific qualifications for this office? I am seeking re-election to continue serving our city’s residents and visitors. With my background in emergency services and business management, I am committed to representing Kempsville’s interests and leading collaborative solutions for a vibrant Virginia Beach.
My 30+ years with the Virginia Beach Fire Department, starting as a volunteer firefighter in Kempsville in 1987 and rising to Fire Chief, have prepared me well. I’ve managed critical incidents like the Mayfair Mews jet crash and the municipal center shooting, handled major storms, and led significant events including the Patriotic Festival and pandemic vaccination efforts. Managing a $65 million Fire Department budget has given me valuable insights into city budgeting. These experiences have built strong relationships and deepened my understanding of our district’s needs and city departments.
What is the most important issue facing the city and how will you address it in office? Since I was elected in January, I have worked hard to get to know the needs of the District 1 constituents, city residents, and business leaders. The primary concern is safety in the form of traffic calming, flood management, and affordable housing.
If re-elected to a full term, I will work closely with city staff to address these issues, focusing on improving roadway safety, managing stormwater, and ensuring adequate affordable housing. My top priority is the safety and well-being of every citizen and visitor. I am committed to enhancing flood management, traffic solutions, and affordable housing, with the goal of keeping Virginia Beach among America’s top cities.
What are your three main policy priorities?
- Public Safety: I am dedicated to maintaining and advancing public safety excellence across all sectors of public safety, including Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, E911, Police, and Sheriffs. Virginia Beach’s public safety departments hold national recognition for their exceptional standards. Advocating for their staffing and requirements remains a top priority to ensure they remain at the pinnacle of their respective disciplines.
- Fiscal Responsibility: During my first budget process on council I spearheaded a 2 cent reduction in property tax relief to offset some of the increase in the property assessment. I also spearheaded 20 additional firefighter recruits that will offset mandatory overtime which currently stands at 4.5 million dollars a year.
- Affordable Housing: It’s crucial that our city remains accessible and affordable for everyone, creating a thriving community. I will continue to collaborate with stakeholders, council and citizens to ensure that we work towards obtaining affordable housing.
Should city services such as water and sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? When addressing issues in other districts, I will prioritize constituents’ and councilmembers’ perspectives in their district accordingly. Given Councilwoman Henley’s as well as her constituents’ concerns in her district, I advocate cautious service extensions pending further data review. I anticipate reciprocal respect from fellow council members for District One’s preferences, ensuring decisions prioritize community interests and well-being.
Do you support the agricultural reserve program, or ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? I view the 2019 compromise as a favorable middle ground from the program’s 1995 inception. This compromise reallocates millions towards flood management in the Southern watershed, addressing persistent flooding threats. Moreover, this approach ensures the continued preservation of agricultural vitality within the county.
Do you support maintaining the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? It’s crucial that our city remains accessible and affordable for everyone, creating a thriving community. We can’t be a true community if city workers can’t afford to live here. First, we must explore all possible solutions. Next, we should identify where affordable housing can be developed, focusing on existing mixed-use options. I rely on my council colleagues, especially Barbara Henley, to lead on this topic. It is a sensitive topic where citizen voices must be heard or else we may make the wrong decision that may impact the city for future generations.
The new local voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-district system? Yes, I think the 10-1 district system provides true representation for Virginia Beach and all its citizens. Since the new system was put in place in 2022, representation on council has become more diverse-it looks and feels like how our city is growing. The backgrounds of the new council members bring a fresh perspective of how our city should be governed by the voices from a wide range of communities. The idea that I or other council members cannot effectively address both our respective districts and the broader needs of the entire city is overly simplistic.
Do you support collective bargaining? Yes. The research is clear that collective bargaining increases workplace safety, community safety, and efficiency in the workplace. City Council has touted for years that our city is the best in the state for workers and employers, but that is no longer true. From my vantage point of being a rank-and-file Firefighter to leading the entire Fire department as Chief – I do know that Collective Bargaining will raise morale, let city employees know they are listened to, and provide a meaningful way to address employee’s workplace concerns, safety, efficiencies and effectiveness.
Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? We must explore all possible solutions. We should identify where affordable housing can be developed, focusing on existing mixed-use options. Aging shopping centers offer a chance to introduce mixed-use housing. I’ve been collaborating with developers on 3 projects in District 1, including converting an early 1970s shopping center into mixed-use condos and apartments. This will provide affordable housing and reduce runoff into the Elizabeth River by decreasing the asphalt footprint. Council should continually review and update policies that impact the cost and feasibility of building and living in VB.
RYAN GILLIAM
Residence: Brigadoon
Age: 45
Occupation: Defense Contractor
Military Service/Education: United States Marine Corps; B.S. Aviation Management, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Endorsements: Attorney General Jason Miyares and state Sens. Bill DeSteph and Christie Craig
Website: voteryangilliam.com
Phone: (757) 319-1982
Email: ryan@voteryangilliam.com
Social Media: VoteRyanGilliam on Facebook
What are your specific qualification for this office? I was raised in Va. Beach from infancy, graduating from Princess Anne High School. I am a blue collar Husband and Father of three daughters who understands the challenges facing everyday hard working people just like me. I want City Council to reflect that in its representatives. I know what it means to live on a tight budget and I believe we need more on Council who can deeply understand that. I am President of the Brigadoon Civic League, a member of the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations, the Charter Leader of Boy Scout Troop 362, and a Life Member of both the United States Naval Institute and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 392.
What is the most important issue facing the City and how will you address it? To me, the most important issue facing the city is fiscal responsibility. Home assessments have increased substantially for the past few years by as much as 40 percent. The taxes associated with that growth have disproportionately affect us as Citizens. We need elected leaders who will prioritize fiscal responsibility and funding essential City Services while exploring new ways to generate revenue by attracting new businesses to the City, lessening the tax burden on hard working people and families.
What are your three main policy priorities?
- Reigning in wasteful spending
- Making sure that City Services, to include Public Safety and Schools are fully funded.
- The prevention of Municipal Collective Bargaining from being enacted in the City.
Should city services such as water or sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? I believe that there are areas where Water and Sewer can be extended beyond the “Green Line” in areas where it makes sense and with the Developers assisting in the cost of those extensions.
Do you support the ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? Yes, I support the ARP and yes, its funding should be maintained at a dedicated and consistent level. Agriculture is one of the main sources of Revenue for our City aside from Tourism, and the direct impact of the Military in our area.
Do you support the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? In areas located near traffic arteries that would allow repurposing or development, on a case by case basis- yes, I am in favor of exploring that. The fact is that we have a shortage of inventory in our City and we need to increase that inventory to allow the market to correct this explosion in property value. Our own employees are being priced out of the City. We must take steps to address that. I would also add that for every tree cut, four saplings are planted to replace it in order to maintain and expand our tree canopy as a City.
The new voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-1 district system? I support letting these issues be adjudicated in Court and following the Judgements that are issued.
Do you support Collective Bargaining? Absolutely not. I cannot see bringing in Collective Bargaining to a municipality under any circumstances. It brings with it an onerous burden for the taxpayers, inserts a Union apparatchik between City Departments and the leaders chosen from among the People to speak for the People. It has historically also bankrupted cities in the past. We need to meet and confer with the Departments directly and do right by our City’s workers; just not under a Collective Bargaining construct.
Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? I would refer to some of the things I have previously mentioned in this questionnaire. There are many areas in the City that could benefit from repurposing into housing areas in our City. From vacant or anemic storefronts to City Property, there exists an opportunity to address this issue. A certain number of housing units should be mandated to be for Workforce housing. It wont happen overnight but we can make meaningful impact that keeps Virginia Beach’s workers in Virginia Beach.
© 2024 Pungo Publishing Co., LLC
