Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 24, 1995 TAG: 9502240062
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-11 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The Ordinance Committee, which has looked into possible charter changes, will recommend at council's March 7 meeting against dropping the number of council seats from eight to four. It will make no recommendation on the powers of the town manager.
The prevailing attitude on the committee, as capsuled by Councilwoman Alma Holston, was ``If it's not broken, don't fix it.''
But neither decision was unanimous when the Ordinance Committee met Wednesday. Councilman Roy D'Ardenne said he favored a change which would cut the number of council members in half and allow the mayor to vote on all issues. The mayor now votes only in case of a tie.
``I find no difficulty in eight council members. To me, it gives broad representation,'' Mayor Andy Graham said. ``I can see with less people that deliberations would be made faster. ... But it's not supposed to be easy when we come on council.''
D'Ardenne noted that governing bodies in Roanoke and many nearby communities get by with fewer than eight council members. ``Why is it that the town of Pulaski needs eight people plus a mayor?'' he asked.
Other council members attending the meeting were committee Chairman Junior Black, Bettye Steger and Eddie Hale. Steger said council has more important matters than charter changes to consider, and Hale said he had no strong opinion on the size of council.
D'Ardenne said the other three council members should have a chance to express their opinions on the matter. Graham said they would, when the committee recommendation comes before the full council.
Council has had eight members as far back as anyone serving on it can remember. The number originally represented two members from each of four wards and when Pulaski dropped the ward system in the 1950s, the number stayed the same.
When D'Ardenne ran successfully for a council seat in 1992, he campaigned in favor of reducing the size of council and allowing the mayor to vote. A Model Cities Charter put together by the International City/County Management Association and studied by the Ordinance Committee also recommends that a mayor have the same voting privileges as council members.
The model charter also recommends giving the town manager the power to appoint and remove all town employees, including department heads. Pulaski reserves that power for council, although the charter says ``all department heads, even though appointed by council, are subject to the manager's authority.''
Hale argued for allowing the manager to hire and fire, but he got no second on his motion to bring that recommendation to council.
At council's last meeting, held Tuesday, members authorized spending up to $10,000 to bring in entertainers for the second annual Depot Day celebration.
Roscoe Cox, executive director of the town's new Board of Economic Development, will also seek business and industry contributions toward the entertainment lineup.
by CNB