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VIRGINIA BEACH — A bill moving through the General Assembly that would change how Virginia Beach fills its City Council vacancies is ruffling the feathers of the city’s election officials, who are calling it “unworkable” and “costly.”
“It just doesn’t work for the human beings involved,” Dave Belote, secretary of the city’s electoral board, told the City Council last week during a special session to discuss the bill.
Three members of the City Council — Sabrina Wooten, Jennifer Rouse and Chris Taylor — called the meeting because of confusion about support of the bill.
The City Council currently fills vacancies with an interim member until a special election can be held. The bill, if approved, would eliminate interim appointments when there’s a council vacancy. Instead, a special election would be held as soon as possible.
City Attorney Mark Stiles drafted the proposed charter amendment, and it was approved by the City Council in the city’s legislative agenda last fall.
In January, Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler sponsored a House bill on the proposed charter amendment. It passed unanimously in a subcommittee, but it was not added to the docket for a full committee vote Friday.
An identical bill sponsored by Sen. Aaron Rouse, a former Virginia Beach City Councilman, was approved unanimously by the state Senate on Friday. He couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday in time for publication.
The electoral board is taking issue with the wording of the bill, which says that if a special election would occur within 55 days of a primary election, it will be held on the Tuesday immediately following the primary election.
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Belote said he became aware of the bill at the end of January. He then emailed Convirs-Fowler and Rouse on behalf of the electoral board about their concerns.
“You’ve got to give enough space for a recount between elections,” Belote said at the City Council meeting.
Belote offered an alternative. He suggested special elections be held either on the third Tuesday in April or on Election Day in November.
Stiles acknowledged that the charter amendment will be difficult to execute.
“I don’t disagree with you, sir, when you say that’s incredibly unworkable,” Stiles said to Belote. “We need to fix it.”
The bill will be heard by the House this week. It requires a supermajority, or a two-thirds vote, in both chambers to pass.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com