Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170051
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-18 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Just a little more than two years ago, then-Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick's new job as director of the New Century Council led him - Democrat, native Roanoker, member of a prominent political family, leading vote-getter in the most recent councilmanic elections - to resign with more than two years remaining in his term.
John Edwards was appointed by council to succeed Fitzpatrick, and a few months later won election to a full four-year term.
Now, Vice Mayor Edwards - Democrat, native Roanoker, member of a prominent political family, leading vote-getter in the most recent councilmanic elections - has a new job, as Roanoke's state senator, that will require him to leave council with more than two years remaining in his term.
Soon, council must again appoint someone to succeed a departing vice mayor until an election can be held in the spring. At this point, though, the parallels may start breaking down.
Fitzpatrick's departure, in 1993, left council with a 4-2 Democratic majority - making it possible to appoint a Democrat who in a few months would be a candidate for outright election. This year, Edwards will leave council with a 3-3 tie between Democrats and Republicans. So, rather than name a prospective candidate for outright election in May, council might appoint a nonpartisan caretaker who would be expected not to stay beyond July 1.
Such a decision certainly would be understandable. If council does choose a caretaker, one of the more compelling possibilities is lawyer and retired Circuit Court Judge Jack Coulter.
If, on the other hand, council decides not to make political aspiration a disqualifier, how about Nelson Harris?
Though barely 30, Harris already has proved his worth as an excellent School Board chairman, a nonpartisan post, and also as a partisan (Democratic) candidate for council. The Baptist minister's push to up the numbers of nurses in schools remains memorable, for example. And his 1994 council campaign was more than creditable. He finished fourth, by only 900 votes, in a strong five-person contest for three seats.
Harris has the intelligence and compassion to engage the most basic issues, such as education and poverty, that confront Roanoke.
By virtue of his showing in the 1994 election, he also can claim at least a bit of an electoral mandate to fill Edwards' seat - more of a mandate, anyway, than any other Roanoker. Council's gain would be the School Board's loss, but City Hall could use his services.
by CNB