VIRGINIA BEACH --   To drill or not to drill, that is the question being debated in Va. Beach.

Mayor Meyera Oberdorf on Thursday told the Lynnhaven Business Association that the city needs to be careful in the offshore drilling debate.

"Virginia Beach has 38 miles of shoreline.  I just want to make sure while it’s done, it preserves our opportunity to enjoy our beaches,” she said.

Video: Va. Beach mayor candidates debate offshore drilling

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Oberndorf, who’s been mayor for 20 years, wasn’t as gung-ho as the three rivals for her job.  They talked about how drilling could help the economy.

"I support off-shore drilling and I want royalties to come back to the states to help us pay for transportation and roads,” stated Scott Taylor.

John Moss said, "The science is clear. The business case is clear. Norway has some pretty pristine shorelines and they have a lot of oil exploration.  I think it’s jut a lot of emotions over facts. So I’m a strong, unapologetic supporter of it.

Wil Sessoms supports the idea, too.

"During the exploration, there is a tremendous amount of jobs that are well paid, along with infrastructure that has to be produced to do the exploration. I think Mr. Moss hit the nail on the head as far as a business model.  It certainly should be explored.”

The candidates also tackled the issues of real estate taxes, light rail and public-private partnerships.