ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 5, 1994                   TAG: 9402050167
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ENGINEER LIKELY TO JOIN GOP SLATE FOR COUNCIL

Roanoke Republicans expect to get a third candidate for City Council early next week as they try to field a full slate of four candidates in the May election.

John Parrott, a construction consultant who has served on the boards of several governmental agencies in the Roanoke Valley, is expected to announce his candidacy soon.

Parrott said Friday he is considering a bid and will have a news conference Monday.

He is a member of the Roanoke Valley Resource and chairman of the Roanoke Solid Waste Management Board. He is a former member of the Roanoke Planning Commission and the Fifth District Planning Commission.

A registered professional engineer, Parrott will be making his first try for elected office.

GOP leaders, who hope the party can gain a majority on council this year, contacted Parrott about running.

The Democrats have a 5-2 majority, but four Democrats are seeking new terms. If the GOP can win two seats, it will have a majority.

John Voit, a college instructor and personal investor, announced last month that he is a candidate for the GOP nomination.

Barbara Duerk, a member of the city Planning Commission, is expected to announce soon that she will seek the GOP nomination for a council seat.

Duerk, who has been active in the Roanoke Neighborhood Partnership, has spoken to council on several issues in recent years.

The Republicans will chose their candidates at a mass meeting Feb. 15.

Six Democrats are seeking the party's nomination in a March 1 primary for the four seats, all held by Democrats.

Democratic council members John Edwards, James Harvey and William White are running for new terms. Councilman Howard Musser is not seeking re-election.

Former Councilman James Trout, the Rev. Nelson Harris and Linda Wyatt are also in the primary contest.

Plans for a nonpartisan slate of candidates have been abandoned, partly because few people were willing to run.

A citizens' organization, calling itself Action '94, will neither field its own candidates nor endorse any candidates in the contest.

Keywords:
POLITICS 


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