Barbara Henley is a candidate for Virginia Beach 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 a 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: Barbara Henley
Race: Virginia Beach City Council
Biography: Barbara Henley provided 10 On Your Side with the following biographical information:
- Native of Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach
- Married to G.W. Henley; two sons, five grandchildren; one great-grandson
- Own and operate Henley Family Farm in Pungo
- Graduate of Princess Anne High School, Old Dominion University with a B.S. in elementary education and a master in urban studies
- Former teacher for Virginia Beach City Public Schools
- Virginia Beach City Councilmember from 1978 to 1990, Pungo Borough representative
- Princess Anne District representative on city council from 1994 to 2002 and 2006 to present
- Virginia Beach vice mayor from 1982 to 1984
- Author of “Glimpses of Down-Country History and Charity — Its Past and Its People”
Why should residents elect you to City Council?
For the first time, rather than the traditional districts, Virginia Beach will elect 10 ward representatives and the former Princess Anne District will become District 2. I am a native of the district. I not only live here, but also work in the district. I know the people, and I know their needs. It will take a strong representative to assure that this large, diverse district receives its rightful attention not only for the rural, agricultural area, but also the more suburban areas of the transition area and Sandbridge. I have been honored to serve both as the Pungo Borough representative and as the Princess Anne District representative. This experience provides important knowledge needed to assure attention for this district and to keep Virginia Beach strong for the future.
What are the top three priorities you would tackle if elected?
- Public safety. Our people need to feel and be safe. That means strong police, fire, and emergency services, but also safety on our streets with important traffic control and enforcement, as well as protection due to natural disasters which would include flood and stormwater control.
- Fiscal responsibility. This requires that we are prudent with expenditures both for operating costs and capital costs which impact our debt commitments. Building our tax base with good economic and job generators is essential.
- Maintaining our neighborhoods as good places to live is critical. Making sure that we provide good infrastructure, including schools, for all of our neighborhoods is our responsibility. We must assure that we protect the quality of our neighborhoods while providing for those needs which offer necessary services and economic opportunities.
What is the most pressing economic issue facing your community, and how would you address it?
Although we have made great strides, we are still dealing with effects from the pandemic. Workforce issues are still creating problems for businesses, as well as government, as we try to fill positions with good, qualified individuals.
What are your community’s biggest infrastructure needs, and how do you plan to fulfill them?
Several years ago, Virginia Beach recognized that we have to plan for sea level rise effects as well as stormwater flooding. We undertook extensive studies to provide the right course of action that we should follow. A successful bond referendum put us on course to be able to start to address those issues. Making sure that we remain committed to see the course through is critical for the future, for the safety of our people and for the viability of our economy.
How is gun violence impacting your community, and how do you plan to address gun violence?
Violence in our community is unacceptable. I am a strong supporter of the actions that we have undertaken to see that our law enforcement is properly trained and equipped; however, we cannot expect law enforcement to do it all when it comes to community safety. It will take the entire community, working together, to bring about needed change.