Amanda Newins is a candidate for Chesapeake City Council. Her name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 8, 2022.
10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
See who is on your ballot by viewing the candidate lists on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Name: Amanda Newins
Race: Chesapeake City Council
Website: Amanda Newins for City Council
Biography: Amanda Newins is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Hampton Roads, graduating from Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. She began attending Kempsville Christian Church as a child, where she still attends as a lifelong member.
From her first job in fast food, she embraced hard work and responsibility to afford to attend college at James Madison University. While working towards her degrees in mathematics and justice studies at JMU, Newins funded her education working as a 911 dispatcher, fueling her passion in public service.
Her determination to succeed landed her a public safety scholarship to attend law school at Regent University. Newins went on to serve the city of Chesapeake as a prosecutor under the Honorable Nancy G. Parr. During her time as a prosecutor, she worked diligently to achieve justice for victims as she tackled a variety of felony and misdemeanor offenses. Now, she practices civil litigation, criminal and traffic law, and estate planning at Chesapeake small business, Shannon & Associates, PC.
Newins’ professional career has earned her the distinction as a top lawyer by Coastal Virginia Magazine, and she was recognized by the Virginia State Bar for her significant service to the profession. She is also featured on the cover and published in the Virginia Lawyer’s Magazine.
In addition to her chosen profession in the practice of law, Newins’ heart for service is evident while serving on boards such as the Chesapeake Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber; Women’s Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber-Chesapeake; Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer’s Conference; Chesapeake Bar Association; Portsmouth Humane Society; and ABBA List.
Newins enjoys volunteering in her community with Buffalow Family and Friends, serving food and toiletries to her neighbors throughout Chesapeake. Newins and her husband, Brandon, have two fur children, Tucker and Charlie, and the two enjoy opening their home to shelter pets, and serving as volunteers and fosters with several local shelters.
Why should residents elect you to City Council?
My sole motivation for serving on the city council is to represent our residents and make our community better. I bring a fresh perspective, diverse experience, and an unparalleled passion for service to the council. My love of my community comes from a record of volunteerism with many local nonprofit organizations, as well as my chosen profession in the practice of law.
I am our public safety’s choice through my trusted relationships as a former prosecutor and endorsed by the Chesapeake Public Safety Alliance, Chesapeake Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9, and the Professional Firefighters of Chesapeake.
What are the top three priorities you would tackle if elected?
- A safe place for our families
- Promoting new and current business growth
- Enhancing our quality of life with tax reductions and enriching needed services — parks, recreation centers, recycling, and trash collection
What is the most pressing economic issue facing your community, and how would you address it?
The most pressing economic issue facing our community is taxes. We can lower our taxes with responsible spending and by increasing the city’s revenue. By attracting new businesses and providing an environment for businesses to thrive here in Chesapeake, we can increase our tax base and decrease the tax burden on our citizens. I support providing incentives and an incubation period for new businesses in Chesapeake to flourish, as businesses are the backbone of our economy.
What are your community’s biggest infrastructure needs, and how do you plan to fulfill them?
One of our biggest infrastructure needs is the connectivity and accessibility of our community. We can fulfill our infrastructure connectivity needs by linking our communities and economy through transportation and communication networks. For instance, by improving and adding sidewalks and bike lanes on major roadways and travel routes we stimulate streets and communities both socially and economically.
How is gun violence impacting your community, and how do you plan to address gun violence?
As an attorney and a victim of gun violence, I’ve seen firsthand the struggles that come with violence in our community. As a former prosecutor, I worked closely with our public safety and know how important it is that we fully fund and provide our public safety with the resources and training they need to do their jobs — keeping us safe.
For example, resources like ShotSpotter proactively combat gun violence by promptly notifying law enforcement of the precise location of gun fire. We must provide competitive pay and resources and technology to recruit and retain our qualified law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers in Chesapeake.
By having long-term assignments of officers and public safety personnel to specific neighborhoods or areas, we can enhance and facilitate a stronger relationship and mutual accountability between our public safety and our community as we work together to keep our community safe.