Government
Newport News is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide, such as a sheriff, social services, and a court system. Newport News operates under a council-manager form of government.
Newport News city government consists of a city council with representatives from three districts serving in a legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large mayor. The city manager serves as head of the executive branch and supervises all City departments and executing policies adopted by the Council. Citizens in each of the three wards elect two council representatives each to serve a four-year term. The city council meets at City Hall twice a month and, as of July, 2010, consists of: Mayor McKinley L. Price, DDS, Vice Mayor Madeline McMillan, Herbert H. Bateman Jr., Sharon P. Scott, Dr. Patricia "Pat" Woodbury, Tina L. Vick, and Joseph C. Whitaker. The City Manager is Neil A. Morgan. For the first time in the history of Newport News there is a female majority on the city council.
Newport News also has a federal courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. A new courthouse will be constructed in the future. Additionally, Newport News has its own General District and Circuit Courts which convene downtown.
Newport News is located in the Virginia's 1st congressional district, served by U.S. Representative Rob Wittman and in the Virginia's 3rd congressional district, served by U.S. Representative Robert C. Scott.
Read more about this topic: Newport News, Virginia
Famous quotes containing the word government:
““A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“There is, in fact, no law or government at all; and it is wonderful how well things go on without them.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“Learn to shrink yourself to the size of the company you are in. Take their tone, whatever it may be, and excell in it if you can; but never pretend to give the tone. A free conversation will no more bear a dictator than a free government will.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)