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Candidate Profile: John de Triquet (Chesapeake City Council)

Adrienne Mayfield

John de Triquet is a candidate for Chesapeake City Council. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 8, 2018.

John de Triquet is a candidate for Chesapeake City Council. His name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 8, 2022.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.


See who is on your ballot by viewing the candidate lists on the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Name: John de Triquet

Race: Chesapeake City Council

Biography: John de Triquet is a pediatrician with Pediatric Specialists in Chesapeake and the current vice mayor of the city. He and his wife, Carole, have been married for 51 years and have two grown children who attended Chesapeake Public Schools.

De Triquet is a former commander in the U.S. Navy and the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal. He helped found the Child Advocacy Center of Hampton Roads and was its first medical director. he also received the Presidents Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics and was named a Health Care Hero in 2018.

Why should residents elect you to City Council? 

I currently serve as vice mayor of the city of Chesapeake, and my past record of accomplishments on city council clearly reflects my continuing commitment to the city’s families. I believe that if you want to be trusted, you have to work to earn that trust. Over the years, I have worked hard to keep my word, to earn that trust, and to get results for Chesapeake’s families.

I have never wavered from the guiding principles I brought to city council when first elected:

I currently serve as Vice Mayor of he City of Chesapeake and my past record of accomplishments on City Council clearly reflects my continuing commitment to Chesapeake’s families. I believe that if you want to be trusted, you have to work to earn that trust.  Over the years, I have worked hard to keep my word, to earn that trust, and to get results for Chesapeake’s families.
I have never wavered from the guiding principles I brought to City Council when first elected:

If privileged to be re-elected, I will hold true to those same principles of public service.

What are the three top priorities you would tackle if elected?

  1. Keep the tax burden to the essential minimum while protecting and enhancing the quality of life for Chesapeake’s families.
  2. Keep our homes, streets, and schools safe by further strengthening the Public Safety Pay Plan in order to attract and retain the best police, firefighters, and sheriff’s deputies, as well as developing ongoing community involvement and participation.
  3. Strengthen our schools by continuing to support funding for smaller classes, vocational opportunities, pay that will attract and retain the best teachers, and necessary school maintenance and construction.

What is the most pressing economic issue facing your community, and how would you address it?

Economic challenges involve two essential components:

  1. Personal economic needs of our citizens
  2. Commercial economic needs throughout our city

The economic needs of our citizens must be addressed by continuing efforts to reduce the burden of local taxes and fees. This provides an increased ability to purchase and enjoy necessities and amenities that our citizens expect and deserve.

Purchasing power adds to the economic health of our city and is a vital component of any economy. I clearly committed myself to this principle when I authored, proposed, and voted for a 4.5 cent real estate tax reduction for all citizens.

Commercial economic needs include attracting new clean and environmentally sensitive businesses, continued encouragement to maintain and bring new small businesses into the city, and continued partnering with the state to create unique economic development through the city. The “Three Oaks” business park initiative is an example.

What are your community’s biggest infrastructure needs, and how do you plan to fulfill them?

When infrastructure needs are mentioned, there is always a tendency to look at only the major roads, but infrastructure also includes residential streets, school capacity, and public utilities.

The most pressing infrastructure need is the AIW (Intercoastal Waterway) Bridge in Deep Creek, which the city has been working on for a number of years. The complex requirements of state, federal, and environmental regulations and processes have made this a very long and drawn out process, but it has been accomplished and will be done.

Community infrastructure needs are equally important.  Just this year, I am pleased to have supported the following funding:

School capacity is best maintained when the city considers the level of service policies when looking at new residential development.

Public utilities must be expanded on a case-by-case basis, consistent with the principles of the comprehensive plan. In that way, the character of the diverse communities of the city can be protected.

How is gun violence impacting your community, and how do you plan to address gun violence?

This past year, gun violence has bee on the rise in Chesapeake. The reasons for this need to be studies and addressed in order to curb and, ideally, eliminate all gun violence. A community is only as safe as our resolve to foster actions that enhance that safety. I think the following can help to improve the safety profile of our city: