3 days ago
New committee rakes in big dollars to influence Virginia Beach election referendum
VIRGINIA BEACH — A new political group backed by local business leaders and elected officials is raking in large donations in its bid to alter Virginia Beach's election system.
Every Vote Counts, a referendum committee, has raised more than $330,000 since forming June 9, according to finance reports filed with the Virginia Department of Elections. The committee is gearing up to launch a campaign to persuade Virginia Beach residents to vote 'no' to a district-only election system in November.
The committee wants a City Council with seven district-based seats and three seats elected at-large along with the mayor. A referendum question on the ballot this year will ask voters whether they prefer that alignment or the current system, which has 10 single-member districts.
'More citywide representation is good,' said former council member Linwood Branch, the mouthpiece for the group.
Virginia Beach's former all at-large election system was overhauled after a federal judge ruled it unconstitutional in 2021, finding it diluted the voting power of minority voters.
The city then shifted to the 10-1 election system, with three majority minority districts. But the city has faced lawsuits challenging the validity of the current iteration based on the way changes were adopted.
The referendum is the latest in a string of efforts to garner public feedback on how the city should elect its school board and council members. The effort already has drawn support from high-profile business leaders, pulling in a steady stream of donations — ranging from $2,500 to $25,000.
The committee is an unstructured group, according to Branch. The group's treasurer is Jack Ross, former president and COO of Dominion and Landmark Media enterprises, which used to own The Virginian-Pilot. Ross collects the funds and Davis Ad Agency is running the promotional campaign.
However, multiple business leaders and current and former elected officials are also using their connections to support the effort. Among them are former Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, developer Bruce Thompson and councilmen Stacy Cummings and Cash Green.
'It's been largely word-of-mouth,' Ross said.
Earlier this month, Bob Taylor and his brother, Joe, owners of Taylor's Do-It Centers, each made $10,000 donations to Every Vote Counts in support of an election system with some at-large representation.
'I think it's a much better blend than what we have now,' said Bob Taylor. Sessoms, his longtime friend, approached him about the committee and a donation, he said.
Sessoms did not respond to a request for comment.
Thompson, who declined to comment, is among 'many prominent supporters,' Branch said.
The Pilot also reached out to several donors who did not respond, including Virginia Beach Development Authority member and developer Taylor Franklin, CEO of Franklin Group Companies LLC., which made a $20,000 donation on June 17.
Donna Whitaker, a principal broker for Venture Realty Group, the firm behind the Atlantic Park project, contributed $10,000 on June 24. She confirmed the donation but didn't respond as to why she supported the committee.
Cummings contributed $10,000 to Every Vote Counts on July 7. He believes the current 10-1 system divides the city. Cummings has served as the District 8 representative since January.
'I'm sitting in these council meeting and invariably, in every meeting, you have people saying my district, my district, my district,' Cummings said. 'It's an impediment of growth for the city, and we're not holding people accountable.'
Seven people/businesses have donated $25,000 so far, the largest amount to the effort. They are Pramod Amin of Shamin Hotels; MEB General Contractors Inc.; Manan Shah of Pashm Global Hotel and Resort Management; Brian Holland of Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group; Robert Beasley of Harvey Lindsay, Sunsations Inc.; and Michael Sifen of Sifen Companies.
Under the city's previous election system, which was ruled illegal, residents across the city could vote for all 10 council members and the mayor. Under the current system, residents can only vote for the member who represents their district and the mayor.
One of Every Vote Counts' key arguments for more at-large representation is that it will increase accountability to voters.
'There's no better accountability then being able to vote for or against someone,' Branch said. 'I believe as a former elected official, if someone can vote for or against you, it does make a difference in your accessibility.'
The group will launch a website, next week and other promotional material to get the word out before early voting begins Sept. 19, Branch said.
Green, who has represented District 7 since January, will appear in a testimonial video.
'Under the 7-3-1, we can keep strong minority voting district and add the chance for more minority leaders to be elected city-wide,' Green said in the video, which Branch shared with The Pilot before its public launch. 'By voting no to 10-1, you're taking back the power to shape the future of our city, our schools, our neighborhoods, our quality of life.'
The referendum will pose the question: 'Should the method of city council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a modified 7-3-1 system to a 10-1 system?'
That Branch is involved in the effort should come as no surprise. He and four other residents sued the city last year, saying Virginia Beach acted illegally in 2023 when it revised the election system because the General Assembly did not authorize a change to the city charter. A judge ruled last month that the district-based election system Virginia Beach imposed to comply with federal voting rights law is void.
Circuit Judge Randall Smith stayed the order until after the referendum vote. If the city decides to pursue a 7-3-1 system, Smith would lift the stay so Virginia Beach can redraw its voting districts, which would need to be analyzed to see if they meet the federal standard, according to the court proceedings' transcript.
Virginia Beach's voting system shake-up came after a federal judge ruled in 2021 the at-large voting system violated the federal 1965 Voting Rights Act because it 'denies Hispanics, African Americans and Asians equal access to the electoral and political process.'
The same federal judge — Randall Jackson — officially reopened the case while lambasting city officials for what he described as intentionally sidestepping federal law by pursuing the referendum question. To date, Virginia Beach has spent more than $2 million defending the city in the federal lawsuit, according to the city attorney's office.
Mayor Bobby Dyer met Wednesday with Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to ensure that holding the referendum is 'above board,' Dyer said.
Miyares, who lives in Virginia Beach, previously said he believes the city can bring back several council seats that would be elected at-large.
After meeting with Dyer, his legal analysis remained unchanged.
'A modified 7-3-1 council plan would be in full compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Voting Rights Act, and all applicable civil rights laws,' a spokesperson for Miyares' wrote in an email.
Meanwhile, those in support of the 10-1 system are trying to make their voices heard, too, while decrying the opposing effort.
'This system ensures direct representation and accountability,' Sean Monteiro, chair of the Virginia Beach Democrat Committee, wrote in a newsletter this month. 'A developer-backed front group called Every Vote Counts — funded by the 'Gold Key Gang'— is working to dilute democracy and buy power. But we know better.'
Thompson is CEO of Gold Key|PHR, a hospitality and commercial real estate development firm.
State Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Democrat from Virginia Beach and a former council member, condemned what he described as the city leadership's attempts to squash a 10-district election system.
'This resistance has been led by the current mayor and several council members,' Rouse said in a July 11 release. 'Notably, the mayor has met with former council members, certain developers, and state officials in efforts to preserve a system that reinforces economic disparities, limits upward mobility and denies equal access to power.'
Rouse posted the release on social media with a message: 'I urge all Virginia Beach residents to vote 'YES' to preserve the 10-1 voting system and ensure you have the right to elect your representatives, not special interests.'
On Thursday, Virginia Beach's election system took center stage during a 'Good Trouble Lives On' event at the central library, hosted by Freedom Virginia and the NAACP.
'I suggest we go to the polls, and we vote for the referendum, and we vote 'yes,'' said Georgia Allen, one of the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125,
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