Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 9, 1993 TAG: 9306090133
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Musser said he waited until a few hours before Tuesday's filing deadline to enter the race because he wanted to see whether other candidates would challenge Marsha Fielder, the Democratic Party nominee.
When none did, he got into the race.
"I thought there was a need for competition for this important post," Musser said.
Republican Jerome Howard is retiring as commissioner of revenue after 28 years in the job.
Musser, a Democrat whose relations with party leaders have been strained since he was beaten for the mayoral nomination a year ago, will leave the party and run as an independent.
Tuesday afternoon, he filed the necessary documents, along with the signatures of 125 registered voters, to get on the ballot for the November election.
Musser said he expects a "close, tough" contest with Fielder, who has worked in the Roanoke County commissioner of revenue office for 13 years.
Fielder, who lives in the city, said Musser's entry into the contest won't change her campaign strategy.
"I will continue the positive campaign I waged to get the nomination. That will not change," she said.
Musser won't have to resign from council to run, but he will have to give up his council seat if he wins in November. His council term ends June 30, 1994.
He said he waited to see whether the GOP would field a candidate or whether David Anderson, a Democrat who lost a nomination fight to Fielder by 23 votes, would run as an independent. Anderson didn't.
"I did not want to get into a three-way race," Musser said.
Musser, 63, said he has the background and experience for the post. He cited his 34 years in finance and management at General Electric's plant in Salem before retiring several years ago.
He also pointed to his experience and interest in computers and his 11 years as a council member.
Musser said he has long been interested in the commissioner's job, noting that he ran against Howard in 1969, and considered running if the GOP incumbent had retired four years ago.
"This is not something that I just got interested in lately," he said.
Even though he is retired, Musser said he has the energy and enthusiasm needed for the job. He said he has the time to devote to the full-time position.
"It's not that I am looking for a job or need a job, but it's something that I feel I can do, and want to do," he said.
Musser, who threatened to run against Mayor David Bowers as an independent last year after he lost the fight for the Democratic nomination, said he will leave it up to Democratic leaders to decide whether they will force him out of the party.
"I have a letter of resignation in my computer if they want it," he said.
The Rev. Carl Tinsley, chairman of the city Democratic Committee, said the committee will have to make that decision.
"I'm not going to ask him to resign. I'm going to leave that up to the committee's membership," Tinsley said.
When former Councilman James Trout ran as an independent against some Democratic candidates for council several years ago, he was not ousted from the party, Tinsley said. Trout came back to be on the party ticket.
"You ought to have the same policy for everyone," Tinsley said.
Fielder, 32, expects to have the backing of most Democratic leaders and officeholders. Bowers and Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr. have said they will support her.
Bowers stayed out of the nomination fight between Anderson and Fielder because, he said, both had supported him in the past.
Most party leaders supported Anderson.
Musser said he wants voters to understand that the commissioner is a state post with no control over the city's daily operations.
The commissioner of revenue processes business, personal property and real estate taxes and applications for business, professional and occupational licenses. The commissioner also administers the real-estate tax freeze for elderly homeowners.
City Council makes the decisions on tax rates and fees. The commissioner oversees the computer operations and paperwork for processing the taxes. The city treasurer collects the money.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB