NEWPORT NEWS — South District City Council candidates’ opinions vary on the Brooks Crossing development, where the city first built a new South Precinct police station, and is getting ready to open a grocery store, Jim’s Local Market, in the hopes of revitalizing the area.
Nicole AllmondJoy has criticized the city for building a police station before a grocery store – an opinion incumbent Tina Vick, her Ivy Avenue neighbor, used to share, but has since changed her mind.
“What are they supposed to do? Eat the police station? People need groceries,” AllmondJoy said.
Hakima Muhammad, another challenger, agreed with the city’s decision to build a police station first, to help attract other development.
“When people invest in something, they need to know their investment is going to be secure,” Muhammad said. “It lets people know that if something happens, we are there to assist and to help.”
AllmondJoy is glad the Brooks development will include a grocery store, but is concerned the development could raise rents in the surrounding community – something she said she saw in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The candidates’ opinions also are mixed on whether the City Council should ask the General Assembly for stricter gun laws to help reduce crime in the district. Vick voted in favor of a motion to seek stricter gun laws last year, but her colleagues voted it down.
Muhammad said she would always support stricter gun laws, while AllmondJoy said she was against them.
All three said they would like to see the city expand its Summer Training and Enrichment Program (STEP) to help reduce youth and gang violence.
AllmondJoy is skeptical of the city’s plans to attract development to the Southeast waterfront, which is largely occupied by Section 8 apartment complexes and the abandoned Chase Bag manufacturing plant.
She held up a copy of a 2007 plan at a recent forum.
“Many of the citizens want to know what are you trying to do with the waterfront property? Are you trying to kick us out? Is that why we didn’t have a grocery store before now? Almost two years?” AllmondJoy said.
Muhammad said she would like to see the waterfront developed, but only funded by the city if it would “help the city budget.”
Vick would also like to see waterfront development, but Brooks Crossing is the priority right now, she said.
“We have not made the highest and best use of what’s there (at the waterfront),” Vick said.
Councilwomen Pat Woodbury, Sharon Scott and Saundra Cherry have criticized City Manager Jim Bourey for leaving the council out of several important decisions.
In a recent Daily Press interview, Vick defended Bourey, even though he “sometimes puts the cart before the horse.”
“When I kept yelling about summer jobs for youth, it became political,” Vick said. “When (Bourey) came, he said, ‘I don’t care whose idea it is, it’s a good idea, and we’re going to do it.’ He doesn’t play politics. If something is a good idea, he’s going to push it forward. I’m a supporter of his.”
Vick defended the city’s policy of closed-door annual evaluations of the city manager and other officials, and the city’s closed-door decision to approve a $2 million settlement in a wrongful conviction case – a move open government advocates questioned.
“Our city attorney is really good,” Vick said. “As a body, we don’t try to hide anything. We follow the rules.”
AllmondJoy opposed both.
“The $2 million settlement not in open session was a slap in the face to the citizens of Newport News, because it’s their money,” AllmondJoy said. “We need to let the citizens know. I’ll make sure it’s on record.”
Clift can be reached by phone at 757-247-7870.
Tina Vick
Age: 54
Occupation: Owner/principal broker at Tina L. Vick Realty & Development LLC
Education: B.S. in Communications, Virginia Commonwealth University; Alpha College of Real Estate
Family: One daughter, one son
Prior elected offices: Has served on City Council since 2008
Community involvement: Founder, Girls Camp; Peninsula Council for Workforce Development; director, New Orleans Marine Institute
Nicole AllmondJoy
Age: 44
Occupation: Homemaker
Education: Attended University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; graduated from Robbins and Lloyd Career Training Institute’s School of Real Estate
Family: Husband Sheldon Allmond; two sons
Prior elected offices: None
Community involvement: Runs several workshops that help former felons find jobs, help mothers who have lost children, reduce bullying, and other causes.
Hakima Muhammad
Age: 62
Occupation: Executive director of Eastern Virginia Adult Care
Education: B.A. in General Studies with Special Education emphasis, Hampton University; M.A. in School Counseling, Hampton University; Specialist in Education from Hampton University
Family: Husband Frank Muhammad; three daughters, two sons.
Prior elected offices: None
Community involvement: Founder of Sister to Sister Inc., member of Southeast CARE Coalition, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
