Weigh In: Residents Can Serve on City Appointive Agencies

This is the fourth blog in a series of posts, titled “Weigh In,” that highlight the many ways in which residents can engage with the City and its leadership to provide input into policy development and decision-making.

Virginia Beach residents serve the City on about 60 advisory boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils and other groups with members who are appointed by the Virginia Beach City Council. 

These appointive agencies exist to advise the City Council on a wide range of specific topics, including beaches and waterways, agriculture, housing, historic preservation, human rights, planning, the resort, human services, stormwater and flooding mitigation, military affairs, transportation and more. Each agency has its own meeting schedule and procedures.   

Resident input and participation on these agencies are critical to maintaining a high quality of life in Virginia Beach and to ensuring that all voices are heard. The City is especially interested in giving high school students the opportunity to serve. City Council currently appoints high school students to 12 agencies.

Residents who are interested in serving on an agency are encouraged to: 

• Attend appointive agency meetings to learn about the group’s mission and operations.
• Reach out to your councilmember or the council liaison for the appointive agency you are interested in joining.
• Complete the talent bank application or student talent bank application. Some agencies have a specific application to ensure the necessary requirements are met.

Completed applications should be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk, which keeps them on file for five years. Updates may be submitted to the City Clerk as needed. 

Vacancies on appointive agencies are listed in the City Council Formal Session Agendas. During closed session meetings, council members discuss and review applications and requirements, then nominate members. Nominees are voted on during formal sessions. 

Learn more about appointive agencies and consider how you can serve your city today! 

To be notified of other public input opportunities, sign up for the City’s Be in the Know email newsletter. 

If you have questions about public engagement, please email SpeakUp@vbgov.com or call Nancy Bloom, public engagement manager, at 757-385-6279.  

The Public Engagement unit in the Communications Office creates opportunities for all residents to share their input; reaches out to stakeholders to ensure that all segments of the population are heard; and gathers, analyzes and provides community input for City leaders. 

Related Articles

• Weigh In: Resident Input Helps Drive Virginia Beach Decision-making
• Weigh In: Meetings Give Residents Chances to Learn, Provide Feedback 
• Weigh In: Surveys Gather Valuable Resident Data in Different Ways on Multiple Topics