Name: Phillip J. “Phil” Hines

Age: 36

Website: www.PhilHines.com

Biography: Phil Hines is a lifelong Hampton Roads resident with a deep passion for Virginia Beach. Phil is married with four children and lives in Thalia Acres. He is an Old Dominion University graduate and the owner of Hines Appraisals, a small business that specializes in residential real estate appraisals. He is also a Certified Planning Commissioner and an award-winning Realtor with Creed Realty, a Virginia Beach-based company.

Phil is very involved in the community. He was appointed the Virginia Beach Circuit Court to the Board of Equalization, a real estate property assessment appeals board. He also has been appointed by City Council and serves on the Parks & Recreation Commission, Short Term Rental Task Force, and Open Space Advisory Committee. He is Vice-President of the Thalia Civic League and volunteers at Lynnhaven Baseball and Kings Grant-Thalia Basketball.

Why are you running for this office?

I’m running to protect our neighborhoods from overdevelopment, to build the iconic VB Bike Trail, and to finally pay our police, fire, and EMS professionals the best in the state of Virginia. In many ways, Virginia Beach is failing its citizens. Taxes keep rising yet police, fire, and EMS continue to rank among the lowest in starting salary in Hampton Roads. We continue to spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to fund public-private partnerships for real estate development. That has to stop. We must take care of those that protect us, and we are not. We must take care of the citizens first and take care of the many unfunded priorities we have. We can accomplish this without raising taxes. Virginia Beach does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. I’m running to be the voice of the people and to start getting things done for our citizens.

What is the top challenge facing Virginia Beach, and how would you address it?

Leadership. Our city is not in a crisis of resources, it’s in a crisis of leadership. Having a more citizen-focused council that wants to serve the people — not special interests — is how we can address our challenges. Aside from leadership, the top challenge we face is fostering a city that attracts young professionals alongside a population that is living longer.

We have to balance both needs and we can. Simply put, we must focus on private sector job creation, responsibly redeveloping Virginia Beach Boulevard, and building the VB Bike Trail to spur economic activity and create more vitality in all parts of the city. We must focus efforts on all parts of the city — not just the Oceanfront — if we want to be a magnet for young professionals looking to start their professional career in Virginia Beach.

To take care of our flooding needs, address our infrastructure challenges, and renovate/build new schools, we must be prudent in how we spend our tax dollars and focus on attracting new businesses to Virginia Beach to expand the tax base.

What is your view on preserving agricultural land while also addressing the affordable housing crisis?

I support preserving our agricultural land and the rural charm that is the southern part of our city. As a real estate appraiser, I’m acutely aware of the housing shortage we face.
We can build more condos, townhomes, and mixed-use development along Virginia Beach Boulevard and connect these communities to the future VB Bike Trail. The city has the tools to responsibly encourage redevelopment of aging strip malls and commercial properties to repurpose into housing. The key is to encourage development in the right places such that it does not affect established suburban neighborhoods.

Additionally, I support allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) with reasonable regulation. This allows for families to age in place and keep our citizens in Virginia Beach. I do not support building multi-family apartments in our established suburban neighborhoods, which is what is happening in other parts of the state and country.

How do you view Virginia Beach’s continued growth strategy? What would you change?

We are an amazing coastal city with beautiful weather and gorgeous beaches/waterways with a rich history of military heroes. We’re completely under-selling it and we make it too difficult for locals to access our beaches and waterways safely. The city should improve Shore Drive and make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Citizens should have a safe way to access the beach without driving a car from many parts of the city — and we can do it through the VB Bike Trail, an iconic 12 mile rails-to-trails project repurposing the Norfolk Southern Rail line. I would build the bike trail and encourage redevelopment along Virginia Beach Boulevard.

We have a comprehensive plan that should function as a guide, but we veer from it too much and seem to have no clear sense of development strategy. We approve developments often in the wrong places with too many exceptions, and don’t encourage development in the right places enough. To grow responsibly, we need to have a clear, focused growth plan — and then follow it.

What is your view on changing the operational model of the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center?

We need to save the aquarium. City Council and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation are currently working together to explore all options on how to move forward. We must be attentive to the countless hours dedicated volunteers have invested into the aquarium while being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers. My position is to explore all options. Ultimately, we need to deliver a first-class experience and continue to be a major draw for tourists and locals.

What is your view on taking money from individuals who will likely have business before the city?

I am the only candidate that has pledged to not accept campaign contributions from real estate developers or big business. City Council should be making decisions based upon the merits of a project, not based upon who donated to them. That being said, financial contributions are part of the political process, and that’s how some people participate. It’s up to the candidate to decide if they want to accept the money. For me, I choose to be independent of big money so that I can focus solely on the best interests of the citizens of Virginia Beach.

How will you still value constituents with whom you disagree with?

Diversity of ideas is a good thing. Focusing on finding common ground, exercising civility, and learning from others is something I’ve demonstrated in my business and public service to the city and will do so on city council.

Every citizen deserves a fair chance at being heard and to be part of the political process. Challenging the status quo and exchanging ideas through robust discussion is where real growth and innovation comes from, so I encourage civil debate and thoughtful disagreement.