Name: Rosemary Wilson
Race: Virginia Beach City Council, Beach District
Website: Rosemary Wilson for Virginia Beach City Council
Biography: Rosemary Wilson is a Virginia Beach leader who gets real results. She is a champion of education as a former teacher, and delivered funding for full-day kindergarten, lower class sizes and higher teacher salaries.
A graduate of Bayside High School and a summa cum laude graduate of Old Dominion University, Rosemary is an advocate for fair housing initiatives, preservation of our historic and natural resources and economic development that brings good jobs to Virginia Beach.
She was part of the team that protected NAS Oceana from closure, saving many thousands of jobs, and protect our shores from dangerous drilling offshore. She also funded the Dewberry study and supported record levels of funding to address sea level rise and flooding.
Rosemary founded Virginia Beach’s swim program which gives lifesaving swimming lessons to children to prevent drownings. It was named best new program by the Virginia Society of Recreation and Parks and Rosemary was awarded Volunteer of the Year.
She is one of the main advocates of protecting Rudee Loop as a free and open city park at no cost to taxpayers and has a plan for more public parking at the Beach.
Rosemary has two daughters. Kari earned an MBA from Northwestern University and Sarah earned a master of public policy from Columbia University. Rosemary is the proud owner of her 8-year old dog Charlie, a Cavalier King Charles who is crazy smart.
Why should residents elect you to City Council?
This election is about serving all citizens, and in the past year, the Beach Council seat has had a lot of turmoil. My experience as a former teacher, School Board Vice-Chair and City Councilwoman can provide stability and leadership that has been lacking as of late. My experience with education and economic development will help make our beaches friendlier to local citizens and create more open space, more parking and more enjoyment for Virginia Beach families.
What is the most pressing issue facing your community, and how will you address the issue?
Our most pressing issue is leadership. We are seeking to hire a new city manager and I will support one who will not only do an exceptional job but also be open and transparent with the public and engage everyone with professionalism and good will. We also need to make sure we protect education and public safety and keep Virginia Beach moving forward.
What are your community’s biggest infrastructure needs, and how do you plan to fulfill them?
By far, flooding is our biggest infrastructure need, and we’ve committed record funding in the budget to address these issues. Sea level rise is a reality for coastal cities like ours, and we must make the investments to keep our neighborhoods free from recurrent flooding.
Do you believe there are any policy, legislative, or community changes that should be made to prevent tragedies like the mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center?
I supported an increase in mental health funding at the state level, because FBI statistics cite over a 70% connection between mass shootings and mental health. Our Police Chief has said that no new law would’ve prevented the horrible tragedy on May 31, but I am concerned about guns getting in the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others and would look at ways to make sure the mentally ill get the treatment they need and I favor background checks to keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them.