Editing Virginia Beach, Virginia (section)

==Government==
{{further|Virginia Beach City Council}} 
[[File:Virginia Beach City Hall closeup.jpg|thumb|Virginia Beach old City Hall building]]
Historically, Virginia Beach had been more conservative than other large independent cities in Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_29e378a9-6a1c-5d12-b9cf-4970e3dba79b.html?outputType=amp|title=Report: Virginia Beach one of the most conservative cities|last=Beck|first=Jillian|date=August 8, 2014|website=[[The Virginian-Pilot]]|access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/03/virginia-elections-path-to-majority-general-assembly/|title=Path to power in Virginia's elections runs through a handful of suburbs|last=Schneider|first=Gregory|date=November 3, 2023|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 19, 2024}}</ref> It consistently backed Republican Party presidential candidates from 1968 to 2016, and in all but two elections from 1952 to 2016. However, the Republican edge in the city has diminished in recent years. [[John McCain]] and [[Donald Trump]] only managed to win a plurality of the city's votes in 2008 and 2016, winning the city despite losing statewide. In [[2020 United States presidential election in Virginia|2020]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 November General|url=https://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2020%20November%20General/Site/Presidential.html|access-date=November 14, 2020|website=results.elections.virginia.gov|archive-date=January 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102102719/https://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2020%20November%20General/Site/Presidential.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Joe Biden]] became the first Democrat to carry Virginia Beach since 1964, and only the third to do so since Virginia Beach became an independent city. Biden became the first presidential candidate to win at least 51% of the vote in Virginia Beach since President [[George W. Bush]] in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/government/elections/2020-results/vp-nw-virginia-beach-presidential-race-1108-20201107-asbat5wjpnbspaynt43tumczcq-story.html|title=Virginia Beach voted for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since 1964, here's why|last=Skelton|first=Alissa|date=November 7, 2020|website=[[The Virginian-Pilot]]|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/bidens-wins-in-chesterfield-virginia-beach-extend-democrats-dominance-in-population-centers/article_bf968a8e-db48-58bd-a46c-0a689cec9aea.html|title=Biden wins in Chesterfield, Virginia Beach extend Democrats dominance in population centers|last=Cain|first=Andrew|date=November 7, 2020|website=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref> In 2024, the city stayed in the Democratic column and supported [[Kamala Harris]], though at a slightly narrower margin than 2020.<ref>https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/</ref>
{{PresHead|place=Virginia Beach, Virginia|source=<ref>{{cite web | url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS | title = United States presidential election results | publisher = David Leip | year = 2016}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|109,375|115,412|3,984|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|105,087|117,393|5,081|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|98,224|91,032|13,763|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|99,291|94,299|3,051|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|100,319|98,885|2,045|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|103,752|70,666|1,269|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|83,674|62,268|3,829|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|63,741|52,142|10,060|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|68,936|44,294|24,555|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|76,481|33,780|757|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|72,571|24,703|320|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|47,936|24,895|6,404|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|34,593|25,824|3,101|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|38,074|10,373|1,286|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|16,316|10,101|11,325|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|10,529|12,892|21|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|986|1,301|34|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|1,355|1,111|77|Virginia}}
{{PresFoot|1952|Republican|1,310|881|0|Virginia}}
Virginia Beach was chartered as a municipal corporation by the General Assembly of Virginia on January 1, 1963. The city currently operates under the [[Council–manager government|council–manager form of government]].<ref name = "City Government Form"/> Like all incorporated cities in Virginia, it is an [[independent city (United States)|independent city]] and does not fall under the jurisdiction of a [[county (United States)|county]] government.

The city's legislative body consists of an eleven-member [[city council]]. The [[city manager]] is appointed by the council and acts as the chief executive officer. Through his staff, he implements policies established by the council.<ref name = "City Council"/>

Members of the city council normally serve four-year terms and are elected on a staggered basis in non-partisan elections. Beginning in 2008, general elections are held the first Tuesday in November in even-numbered years. In previous years, elections were held the first Tuesday in May in even-numbered years. All registered voters are eligible to vote for all council members. Three council members and the [[mayor]] serve on an [[at-large]] basis. All others are elected by district (and must live in the district they represent): Bayside, Beach, Centerville, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, and Rose Hall.<ref name="City Government Form">{{cite web|date=September 30, 2007|title=Virginia Beach City Manager: Form of Government|url=http://vbgov.com/vgn.aspx?vgnextchannel=f046b4d03baed010VgnVCM1000006310640aRCRD|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102081518/http://vbgov.com/vgn.aspx?vgnextchannel=f046b4d03baed010VgnVCM1000006310640aRCRD|archive-date=January 2, 2007|access-date=March 7, 2008|publisher=Virginia Beach City Manager}}</ref>

The mayor is elected to a four-year term through direct election. The mayor presides over city council meetings and serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson of the city. A vice mayor is also elected by the city council at the first meeting following a council election.<ref name="City Council">{{cite web|date=September 30, 2007|title=Virginia Beach City Council: About Us|url=http://vbgov.com/vgn.aspx?vgnextchannel=f046b4d03baed010VgnVCM1000006310640aRCRD|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102081518/http://vbgov.com/vgn.aspx?vgnextchannel=f046b4d03baed010VgnVCM1000006310640aRCRD|archive-date=January 2, 2007|access-date=March 7, 2008|publisher=Virginia Beach City Council}}</ref>

Citizens of Virginia Beach also elect five constitutional officers, and candidates for these offices are permitted to run with an affiliated political party. Three of these offices deal substantially with public safety and justice: the [[Sheriffs in the United States|sheriff]], [[commonwealth's attorney]], and the [[Court clerk|clerk]] of the [[Virginia Circuit Court|circuit court]]. The two other offices are concerned with fiscal policy: the [[city treasurer]] and the commissioner of the revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://treasurer.virginiabeach.gov/|title=Welcome to the Office of the City Treasurer|website=Virginiabeach.gov|access-date=July 9, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cor.virginiabeach.gov/|title=The Office of the Commissioner of Revenue|website=Virginiabeach.gov|access-date=July 9, 2023}}</ref> The city provides law enforcement through the [[Virginia Beach Police Department]] and emergency services through the [[Virginia Beach Fire Department]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://police.virginiabeach.gov|title=Virginia Beach Police Department|website=City of Virginia Beach|access-date=February 8, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fire.virginiabeach.gov|title=Virginia Beach Fire Department|website=City of Virginia Beach|access-date=February 8, 2024}}</ref>

Virginia Beach is located entirely in {{ushr|Virginia|2}}, served by Republican [[Jen Kiggans]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vpap.org/offices/us-representative-2/district/|title=District Profile: US Representative District 2 Hampton Roads|website=vpap.org|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref>

Virginia Beach is one of the few cities in the state with laws that prohibit profanity in public spaces. The law was repealed by the [[Virginia General Assembly|State Legislature]] in early 2020. It is considered a [[Misdemeanor|Class 3 misdemeanor]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=June |date=April 2, 2020 |title=VA Beach No Cursing Law |url=https://virginiabeach.com/news/va-beach-no-cursing-law/ |access-date=September 12, 2024 |website=Virginia Beach |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Virginia Beach's No Cursing Law |url=https://www.vabeach.com/virginia-beach-articles/virginia-beachs-no-cursing-law/ |access-date=September 12, 2024 |website=Virginia Beach, VA |language=en-US}}</ref>