Virginia Beach City Council to get personal assistants

Some Virginia Beach City Council members who are overwhelmed by their job duties will soon be getting assistance. The City Council plans to hire aides and will hash out the details at a public meeting today.

They’re considering part-time help at about 20 hours a week with pay of $20 per hour. Funds were set aside in the new budget at the last minute for the positions.

“It’s really hard to keep up with all the emails during budget time or hot issues,” Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson said.

Some of the aides’ responsibilities could include reading and responding to emails, handling social media and maintaining calendars.

But not all members want a personal assistant. Council member Barbara Henley said this week that she thought only one new worker would be hired in the city manager’s office to assist with citizen concerns.

“I can’t imagine us having eleven temporary help,” Henley said. “My gosh, I want to do my own work.”

Wilson said she’s aware that at least a couple of members are opposed to the idea and that they can opt out, but she plans to send her aide to meetings that she can’t attend and to help her research topics.

“It just gives us some help for better constituent services,” Wilson said.

Other city councils in large Virginia localities, including Richmond, have support staff.

Virginia Beach City Council members earn $28,000 a year. Most of them have other jobs, too. Henley, who owns and operates a farm, said she can handle her council workload and an assistant would just bog her down.

“It sounds like more work for me if I’ve got to find work for these people to do,” she said.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com