VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — After Election Day, a new face is preparing to join the Virginia Beach City Council.
Councilwoman-elect Janet Byrnes, who will represent District 4, says the experiences that brought her to public office will help shape how she approaches the job, from listening to residents to addressing public safety.
Byrnes is a mother of three, a military spouse and a former Virginia Beach police officer. She said her campaign came with sacrifices at home, including her husband deploying while she was running for office.
“This was a tough journey for me,” Byrnes said. “You know, my husband, he ended up deploying during my campaign.”
Byrnes also brings years of experience in law enforcement to City Hall. She said her career as an officer ended earlier than expected after she was injured in the line of duty.
“Unfortunately, I had to retire early,” Byrnes said. “I got injured on duty and I felt as though that I had more to give to my community and I wanted to continue to serve my community.”
That desire to continue serving eventually led her to seek a seat on City Council.
As she prepares to represent District 4, Byrnes said she does not want to make decisions about the community without hearing from the people who live there.
“I really just want to try to get the community involved and let their voices be heard,” Byrnes said.
Public safety and the Oceanfront curfew
Public safety is among the issues Byrnes expects to tackle on the council. She believes her background as a police officer will give her a different perspective when those discussions come before city leaders.
“I think that I can give a different perspective just because I have that background as a police officer,” Byrnes said. “You know, we do need to make sure that our city is safe, and Virginia Beach is a safe city..”
But Byrnes said her law enforcement background does not mean she agrees with every public safety decision the city has made.
She pointed to the Oceanfront curfew as one example, saying she believes she would have approached the issue differently.
“At that time, the council did what they thought was best,” Byrnes said. “Like I said, I would have done or said something differently. I believe that it kind of hurt our businesses at the Oceanfront, and I believe that I would’ve made a different decision when it came to that.”
As a council member, Byrnes will face decisions affecting both District 4 and Virginia Beach as a whole.
“You have to look at what we can do for the community, how I could be able to advocate for District 4, and figure out how Virginia Beach as a totality could be a better place,” Byrnes said.
Byrnes said she wants residents to view representation as a partnership and plans to lean on feedback from constituents as she takes office.
“I am here to be their voice. I am here to work for them, but I want my constituents to work with me so that we can be able to do this together,” Byrnes said.
Byrnes is expected to be sworn into office in January.
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