2024 Virginia Beach Voter Guide: Mayor

THE INDEPENDENT NEWS

Ed. — The following are responses to questions posed by The Independent News to candidates for mayor. 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.

All Virginia Beach voters can vote in this election.

JOHN MOSS

Residence: Witchduck Point

Age: 70

Occupation: Retired Navy civilian

Education: U.S. Naval War College M.A., Old Dominion University M.P.A., Virginia Tech B.A and Princess Anne High School

Endorsement: Former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

Website: johnmossformayor.com

Phone: (757) 636-1534

Email: moss4mayor2024@gmail.com

Social Media: MayoralCandidateJohnMoss on Facebook, @JohnMoss on X and Johnd._Moss on Instagram

What are your specific qualifications for this office? I grew up in Virginia Beach and know the culture of our community and the value of its geographic and neighborhood diversity. I have a competitive advantage to deliver tax relief based on my detailed knowledge of the city’s budget. I have drafted revenue neutral tax budgets leveraging forty years of Navy submarine resource management and financial analysis work. Seventeen years of prior council experience has provided me the detailed knowledge of city operations and lessons learned of what not to repeat. My past voting record demonstrates my commitment to residents and my independence from the influence of special interests.

The Secretary of the Navy awarded me the Distinguished Civilian Service Award for contributions to the readiness and future combat capabilities of the Navy’s submarine forces.

What is the most important issue facing the city and how will you address it in office? Restoring the public’s trust in the competence of its city council’s leadership to navigate the economic, social, and technology turbulence that shows no signs of being tolerant of leaders not at the top of their game is the keystone issue. Trust is essential.

I shall address the trust crisis by walking the talk of the values we teach our children, sustaining my independence from special interest with a commitment to reason. I will strengthen the public’s trust by addressing the issue of reducing the financial burden of local government by making it a key focus of each decision and initiative.

What are your three main policy priorities?

• Affordability of local government: Leaning out the City’s budget to enable adopting a real estate revenue neutral tax rate for the FY 2025-2026 budget and returning a portion of the FY 2024-2025 budget surplus to reduce the personal and business property tax rate is a necessity. 
• Focus local government on its core responsibilities: Cease allocating the use of city’s borrowing capacity and taxpayers’ subsidies to fund parking garages and like investments to enable private development that should finance their own needs.  The free market, not city council, should decide the winners and losers in the private sector.
• Restore City Council’s decision-making independence from the undue influence of special interest by adopting a strict conflict of interest and disclosure ordinance, a necessary step to improve the financial health and quality of life of all Virginia Beach residents and their neighborhoods.

Should city services such as water and sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? No. Extending city water and sewer will not promote development of rural communities it will urbanize them out of existence.

Do you support the agricultural reserve program, or ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? No to both questions. Preserving agriculture below the Green Line only requires the city not to extend city water and sewer, to strictly enforce the city’s current Green Line policies, and to not rezone property south of the Green Line for residential or commercial development.  

Do you support maintaining the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? I did support in the past and I shall continue to support the Green Line in the future.  The rezoning south of the Green Line that approved the Silo at Southern Pines high density apartment complex development was a major error of judgment by a majority of city council.

The new local voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-district system? I support authorizing a referendum to capture the public’s preference for what system they want, and then taking the necessary actions consistent with state law and judicial precedents to implement their choice. 

The federal case was dismissed in federal district court. The state case has yet to be adjudicated. While I like the 10-1 system, my duty as member of the city council is to enable the public’s will to come to life. A referendum is a necessity to validate what the public will is on this issue. 

Do you support collective bargaining? No.

Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? I would secure the city council’s support to transfer the old Circuity City property owned by the Virginia Beach Development Authority to the Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation (whose mission is to provide affordable housing) to build single occupancy affordable apartments targeted to entry level retail and food service jobs. This would be the first of many such land transfers that need to happen. A good place to start is putting up real equity.

SABRINA D. WOOTEN

Residence: District 7

Age: 49

Occupation: Adjunct Professor at Old Dominion University and Regent University

Education: Bachelor of Political Science, Masters Degrees in Business Management and Public Administration

Endorsements: Virginia Beach Professional Fire Fighters and EMS, Moms Demand Action and UE Local 111 Leadership 

Website: wootenformayor.com

Phone: (757) 797-5625

Email: wootensabrina@gmail.com

Social Media: Sabrina Wooten, Mayoral Candidate of Virginia Beach, on Facebook; wootenformayor on Instagram, @sabrinadwooten on X, formerly Twitter, and @sabrinawooten5954 on YouTube

What are your specific qualifications for this office? As a Councilmember for the last six years I am exceptionally qualified to serve as Mayor of Virginia Beach. With a rich blend of business acumen, community advocacy, and leadership experience, I have demonstrated my commitment to the city through various roles.

Sworn into office in 2018 and re-elected in 2020, I am the first African American to serve a second term on the City Council. My extensive background includes over 25 years in business and non-profit sectors, where I excelled in leadership and administrative roles. In addition, the creation of the Ignite Business Series and LaunchVB showcases my dedication to supporting local and minority-owned businesses.

As an adjunct professor and published author, I combine academic expertise with practical experience. My ongoing pursuit of a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration further underscores my commitment to effective, informed leadership.

What is the most important issue facing the city and how will you address it in office? The top challenge facing Virginia Beach is overspending and a lack of oversight in government. As mayor of Virginia Beach, I plan to implement the following strategy:

• Yearly Assessment of Programs:
  • Implement a regular review process to assess the effectiveness and relevance of  government programs.
  • Identify and eliminate obsolete programs that no longer serve their intended purpose.
  • Cut excess spending by reallocating resources to more impactful initiatives.
• Public Engagement:
  • Conduct public surveys, town hall meetings, or online platforms to gather feedback on spending priorities.
  • Utilize feedback to prioritize funding for programs that align with community needs and preferences.
  • Increase transparency in budgeting processes to build trust and accountability.

What are your three main policy priorities? 

• Effective Use of your tax dollars:
  • Addressing overspending in government by assessing programs on a yearly basis to cut access spending and eliminate obsolete programs and projects.
  • Engage the public to obtain their feedback on how they want their tax dollars spent and implementing  relevant feedback. 
• Preserving neighborhoods:
  • Protecting neighborhoods from flooding.
  • Protecting neighborhoods from crime.
  • Addressing crumbling infrastructure.
  • Encouraging a strategy to address overdevelopment in neighborhoods.
  • Addressing gentrification.
• Affordability:
  • Creating a varied portfolio of affordable and workforce housing for city workers, public safety workers, teachers, young adults, seniors.
  • Providing an affordable lifestyle for seniors and young adults by addressing increasing taxes and expanding programs that assist with increasing costs and inflation.

Should city services such as water and sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? Extending city services like water and sewer south of Indian River Road could catalyze rural community development. Improved infrastructure supports growth, attracts businesses, and enhances quality of life. Thoughtful planning and investment in these services will foster sustainable development and economic vitality in the region.

Do you support the agricultural reserve program, or ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? Yes. ARP plays a crucial role in preserving farmland and promoting sustainable agriculture. Ensuring stable funding is essential for its continued success and the protection of our agricultural resources.

Do you support maintaining the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? The Green Line was implemented in Virginia Beach in 1979 to discourage the extension of urban facilities into the agricultural areas in the southern half of the City. The Green Line has not changed since 1979 and is reflected in all comprehensive plans in the City’s history. The Green Line is an essential tool to maintain balanced growth in the City.

During community engagement activities for the 2040 plan update many residents expressed that maintaining the Green Line in its current place was critically important to them. As Mayor of Virginia Beach, it is my responsibility to hold fast to the sentiments of residents on this pertinent issue and consider the previous policy decisions regarding the Green Line.  

The new local voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-district system? Yes, I support the current system. Research shows that 81% of residents in Virginia Beach favor the 10-1 district system. Moreover, the Virginia Beach City Council voted 9-1 to adopt the 10-1 electoral system this year.

Do you support collective bargaining? Yes, I do. Collective Bargaining Survey – Virginia Beach:

• Voters support collective bargaining for city employees 60.6% to 20.3%
• Voters support paying for public safety salary increases, even if it requires a tax increase, 70.3% to 17.1%. Support for tax increases for salaries of other city employees drops to 35.7%.
• Republicans support collective bargaining for city employees 50.1% to 27.2%.
• Democrats support collective bargaining for city employees 81% to 4.2%.
• Independents support collective bargaining for city employees 57.8% to 25.2%.
• Support for collective bargaining is roughly the same regardless of how long someone has lived in Virginia Beach or level of education.

Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? Affordability and housing are critical challenges in the City of Virginia Beach. As such it is imperative that the supply of housing be expanded that includes options for city employees, public safety personnel, seniors, young adults, teachers and everyday working residents. This goal will be realized by partnering with key stakeholders to offer incentives such as tax abatement programs to assist with making housing more affordable.

BOBBY DYER

Residence: Lake Christopher

Age: 74

Occupation: College Instructor, Retired Physical Therapist

Military Service/Education: U.S. Marine Corps, PhD in Organizational Leadership from Regent University

Endorsements: Republican Party of Virginia Beach, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Police Benevolent Association

Website: bobbydyerformayor.com

Phone: (757) 749-4659

Email: bob.dyer@cox.net

Social Media: MayorBobbyDyer on Facebook

What are your specific qualifications for this office? As Mayor, I have confronted challenge after challenge and each time Virginia Beach has come out stronger, safer, and economically growing. We faced the national tragedy of mass violence and protests. We faced a global pandemic that shut down the world. We now face a national challenge of high inflation that impacts us all.

We stood up to the “defund” and “reimagine” police chants and increased funding for police year after year. We reopened the beaches and saved many small businesses during Covid. And we are attracting jobs like the new Amazon center to grow our local economy. My record of leadership and accomplishment comes from working with members of Council and the community to create win-wins and I think it sets my record apart.

What is the most important issue facing the city and how will you address it in office? The biggest challenge facing all of us is affordability.  Rent, mortgages, groceries, fuel and so many standard needs in life have increased in cost nationally, and frustratingly we can’t control Washington DC from Virginia Beach.  

We can make Virginia Beach as strong and resilient as can be. We lowered the real estate tax rate, still the lowest in Hampton Roads. We attracted new jobs and worked with existing employers to expand and hire. We were ranked the 8th best city to live in with so many accolades. Virginia Beach is strong.

What are your three main policy priorities? 

• As a Marine Corps veteran, I have always made public safety Job One. We don’t want to be Chicago, Detroit or any soft-on-crime city that defunds police. I’ve been honored by the support of our police and I continue to Back the Blue. We’ve improved recruitment and retention of law enforcement with a new pay plan that rewards their sacrifices.
• We must keep Virginia Beach’s real estate tax rate as low as possible and much lower than other cities in our region. Affordability is a key issue as it is in many cities, and we must keep the cost of government down and offer tax relief.
• That relies on my third priority – job creation. As Mayor, I have worked closely with our Governor to bring economic expansion and major employers to Virginia Beach. This creates new revenue streams so that we can offer a tax relief dividend to local residents.

Should city services such as water and sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? Absolutely not.

Do you support the agricultural reserve program, or ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? I have always and will continue to support the ARP. A previous city manager proposed ending it and I opposed that. The ARP has been successful at doing exactly what it was designed to do — protect rural Virginia Beach from development — and we should be proud of that.

Do you support maintaining the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? I support maintaining current Green Line and holding firm on the city services Blue Line and do not think any constraints should be loosened.

The new local voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-district system? From the beginning, I have supported seven Council districts with three at-large Council seats and the Mayor. The 10-district system was imposed by a federal judge and unfortunately we had to play the cards we were dealt. But we hear from so many voters that having nine Councilmembers they can’t vote for or against has taken away their voices. Nine Councilmembers can override their one district Councilmember fairly easily, and voters have no recourse. I believe a compromise is possible that gives voters a bigger voice in the election of their City Council, and I am open to that discussion.

Do you support collective bargaining? I’m from New Jersey, and I saw first-hand the results of forced unionization, strikes, turmoil, and the anger and hostility generated and encouraged in disputes with organized labor. I truly believe Virginia Beach can be a city with great employees earning fair wages with great working conditions without giving negotiating authority to a union boss and attorneys from a national union. No one can accurately assess the cost of doing so, and a decision like this can’t be undone. I voted no on collective bargaining.

Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? The military told us that housing challenges are a major priority and could impact basing decisions in the future. I was Chair of Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, and the military is highly concerned about the cost of housing, as all citizens are. 

My plan is twofold: Convert aging shopping center to mixed use housing, and lower the regulatory cost of residential construction that drives up new home prices.

CHRIS TAYLOR

Residence: Kings Grant/Little Neck

Age: 40

Occupation: City Councilman

Education: Bachelor of Arts-Business Management Virginia Wesleyan University

Website: christaylorforvb.com

Phone: (757) 752-9144

Email: kingdomhoriz@gmail

Social Media: ChrisTaylorforvb on Instagram

What are your specific qualifications for this office? I am qualified to vote in Virginia for and hold the office of mayor. I am a resident of Virginia Beach and have been for at least one year immediately preceding the election.

My work and life experiences include working in retail, multi-family apartments, senior housing, the hotel and hospitality industry, sports marketing, business development and management, coaching, founding a small business, and most recently winning the 2022 City Council seat for District 8 in the City of Virginia Beach.

What is the most important issue facing the city and how will you address it in office? The financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Without effective oversight, the issues of flooding, public safety, and education will not be addressed in a manner that produces the best outcomes for citizens.

As mayor, I will work together with both City Council and the City Manager to identify cost-saving solutions for the citizens of Virginia Beach. I will set clear policy goals related to the budget and our need to better manage real estate assessments. I will propose legislation that sends food and beverage and amusement taxes back to the districts they originate in.

What are your three main policy priorities? These are the policy priorities I want to address. As a leader, I understand that it is my job to focus on what is most important to the people, such as small business and responsible economic development.

• Prioritizing our youth and actively promoting mental health initiatives that address the most pressing issues within our youth community.
• Education: Support for pre-school and after-school programming while also working with parents to identify additional resources to better aid their children. School modernization is also of great concern. We must work together with the school board to responsibly and affordably build or renovate our schools.
• Public Safety: Work to support police, fire, and EMT across the city while advocating for increased funding to hire, train, and retain top talent for these departments.

Should city services such as water and sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? After serving on City Council for the last 21 months, visiting the area south of Indian River Road, and speaking with residents and business owners in the area, I do not agree with extending city services further south to promote the development of rural communities.

Do you support the agricultural reserve program, or ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? I do support the ARP program. I believe the program should be evaluated to see if program goals have been achieved. If so, I would be open to reviewing the policy to ensure efficiencies are present. Reviewing the current dedications could open up more opportunities for the community. 

Do you support maintaining the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? I do support maintaining the Green Line. I am open to a more robust discussion about the transition area. We need to collaborate with local stakeholders to design a long-term development strategy for the ITA. Councilwoman Henley should be involved in that discussion. Ignoring the district council member with over 35 plus years of experience and knowledge of the area is not a wise decision.

There is a limited amount of land in the ITA, and we must be good stewards of the natural resource.

The new local voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-district system? I support the 10:1 district system. I also support the Richmond delegation and the Governor listening to the locality and citizens of our Virginia Beach. Politics should take a back seat to voting rights and civil rights. 

Our city charter must be aligned with the voting system supported by our citizens.

Do you support collective bargaining? I currently do not support collective bargaining for the City of Virginia Beach. I support increasing our workers compensation and addressing decade-long concerns related to workplace safety.

I support ensuring all CDL drivers in public works and public utilities receive top compensation for their work.

I led the effort on City Council to support a new market salary survey for our employees. We should be in the top three in terms of worker compensation, benefits, and safety. We need to listen to our fire chief and provide the necessary safety measures and equipment to ensure our public safety employees are protected.

Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? One idea is to work with Housing and Neighborhood Preservation along with staff and the Housing Advisory Board to identify vacant land already owned by the city that could be developed for affordable housing. This could be in partnership with a local or regional development company that desires to assist Virginia Beach with building more attainable housing.

RICHARD W. “R.K.” KOWALEWITCH

Residence: Near Old Beach at the Oceanfront

Age: 64

Occupation: Self-Employed – Construction

Phone: (757) 831-6143

Email: rk8@cox.net

Social Media: RKforVBMayor on Facebook

What are your specific qualifications for this office? I am uniquely qualified to be Mayor because I owned and operated a retail business in the resort area for 31 years. I also have building experience, mostly in residential endeavors, and I am OSHA certified. I’ve lived in VB for 34 years. I love this City, I love the beach, and I have a unique understanding of a wide range of businesses from retail, construction, development, amusement and restaurant unlike any other candidate. Upon deeply studying the City Charter & Va. Code regarding local elections, I have a better understanding of the law then City officials and the current City Council who are now knowingly and unlawfully conducting local elections.

What is the most important issue facing the city and how will you address it in office? The most important issue currently is to follow proper procedures to fix defects in the City Charter, which is the Constitution of VB & to stop violations of election law.  

The only way to change the Charter legally is by charter election/referendum, then City Council submits the results of the referendum to the Virginia General Assembly.  The General Assembly then has to approve the Charter change by a two-thirds vote by both the House of Delegates and Senate and then the governor must sign it.  (See Va. Code § 15.2-200 – Required procedure for obtaining new charter or amendment.)

What are your three main policy priorities?

• To follow proper procedures to fix defects in the City Charter.  An example is: Charter §3.01:1 states VB has a 7-3-1 at large voting system. The voting system was changed knowingly and illegally by City officials in 2022 to a 10-1 district system. Officials claim there is a court order. That court order was cacated. Va. Code §15.2-200 was not followed to legally amend the charter.
• To stop violations of election law. An example is: In the 2024 mayor’s race, there are 2 ineligible candidates. These two candidates violated Charter §3.02:2 and Virginia Constitution Article VII Section 8 and Va. Code §15.2-1535. These candidates should not be on the November ballot.
• Worst economy in 50 years. We cannot tax our citizens out of our city. We need to run a leaner government in these hard times. Citizens’ needs should be addressed first; not needs of special interests.

Should city services such as water and sewer be extended south of Indian River Road to promote development of rural communities? No. The Green Line needs to be observed. There are already flooding problems in the rural areas of the city caused by development now.

Do you support the agricultural reserve program, or ARP? Should its dedicated funding be maintained at a consistent level? The Agricultural Reserve Program needs to be audited and tweaked.

Do you support maintaining the Green Line or should the city loosen constraints to allow more development? The Green Line needs to be observed. I do not support loosening constraints to allow more development past the Green Line. I do not feel the City should be changing existing neighborhood single-family zoning to multi-use without 100 percent consent of the neighborhood. If there is an opportunity in a new development area, we can then have a conversation.

The new local voting system has seen challenges in court. Do you support maintaining the 10-district system? I am one of the parties that has filed a federal lawsuit against the City regarding the illegal implementation of the 10-1 District system. I am not against the 10-1 District system. I just want the City to follow the legal procedures and laws to make a change to our City Charter on the voting system. I would support what the citizens vote in a charter election/referendum to change the city charter legally. Remember, the Charter takes precedence over General Law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The City cannot write an ordinance to usurp the City Charter.

Do you support collective bargaining? My understanding is collective bargaining results in higher costs for the city. That money could be used to help fund better wages/benefits. There should be open lines of communications between employees and city officials to negotiate without collective bargaining.

Please give one idea you would implement to provide more affordable housing in Virginia Beach? Unfortunately, in a free market economy, the market dictates what the price of houses will be. 

We need to explore providing some incentives for police, firefighters, and teachers. They are a key part of the economic structure in a free enterprise system. I am for whatever will make this city better and fair for all businesses and citizens. The citizens and businesses are already paying high taxes and fees. 

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