THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501250446
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
City Council members on Tuesday night cautiously approached the first official proposal to merge Elizabeth City with Pasquotank County.
They asked a lot of questions and finally decided to call on an expert from the Institute of Government in Chapel Hill to come up with answers before taking further action.
Mayor H.R. ``Rick'' Gardner, the ninth council member who votes to break ties, from the outset held out for a public hearing on the merger.
``Let's keep an open mind,'' said Gardner, an Elizabeth City builder. ``This isn't a done deal. We have to let the public know what's in this proposal.''
A commission of city and county residents has been studying the merger since 1992 and has unanimously reported in favor of the plan.
The commission's proposals include consolidation of many of the city and county government departments, including law enforcement and public services.
``The merger is not only feasible, it is advisable,'' the commission report states.
But A.C. Robinson Jr., a vice-chancellor at Elizabeth City State University and a veteran on the city council, referred to the ``different agendas'' that were held by city and county residents.
``I'm greatly concerned about the political implications of this,'' Robinson said. ``My sensitivity is involved.''
Myrtle R. Rivers and Dorothy Stallings, both community leaders who represent predominantly black constituencies on the council, generally echoed Robinson's sentiments.
Jimi Sutton, the fourth African-American on the panel, gave wary support to the plan.
``At the moment I'm for the merger, but it's a big step. Somebody has to show me some numbers before I decide,'' said Sutton, a public school teacher.
Councilman David P. Bosomworth, a retired Coast Guard officer who is the council's unofficial adviser on matters of finance, said he saw opportunities for the community ``to save some money - and without merging.''
Bosomworth suggested that might be a good preliminary course of action.
Councilman Lloyd Griffin III added more questions about how a city-county government could equitably decide on taxes on individuals who would receive different services. Only Councilman W. L. ``Pete'' Hooker remained aloof from the discussion.
``Well, are we going to go on to a public hearing or let it die here?'' asked Mayor Gardner at one point.
Finally, at the mayor's urging, each council member submitted a list of questions about the merger. Gardner told City Manager Ralph Clark to arrange for David Lawrence, an expert on mergers at the Institute of Government in Chapel Hill, to come to a future council session with some answers.
No date was set for the meeting. by CNB