Government of Virginia Beach

The government of Virginia Beach operates under a council-manager form of government, combining an elected City Council with an appointed professional City Manager who serves as the chief executive officer of the city. This system separates legislative authority from administrative management, designed to ensure professional governance and efficiency in municipal operations.

Structure

The governance framework consists of three primary components: the elected Mayor and City Council (the legislative body), the appointed City Manager (the chief administrative officer), and various city departments and agencies.

The City Council includes eleven members: the Mayor, elected at-large, and ten council members elected from ten single-member districts. Virginia Beach moved to ten single-member districts beginning with the 2024 elections, after federal voting-rights litigation over the city's former at-large method. Council members serve four-year terms with staggered elections held every two years to maintain continuity. All council meetings are open to the public, and agendas are available in advance on the city website.

The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and reports directly to the Council. The Manager is responsible for day-to-day administrative operations, budget preparation, department oversight, and implementation of Council-approved policies. The Manager serves at the Council's pleasure and can be removed by a majority vote.

The Mayor serves as the ceremonial head of the city and votes as a member of the Council on legislative matters. The Mayor is elected at-large by city voters.

Departments and Services

Virginia Beach operates numerous city departments providing essential services including public safety (Police Department, Fire Department), public works, planning and zoning, recreation, utilities (water and wastewater), and social services. The City Manager coordinates these departments and ensures alignment with Council-adopted policies.

History

In 1963, Virginia Beach consolidated the Town of Virginia Beach with Princess Anne County to form an independent city. The new city adopted the council-manager form of government at that time. The structure has evolved over decades as the city's population grew, with the current eleven-member council structure reflecting changes to better serve a metropolitan area of over 600,000 residents.