ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210054
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
For the second time in little more than a year, Mayor David Bowers has switched his position on whether Roanoke voters should have a say on changing the city's election system.
The latest flip-flop came Tuesday night during a City Council candidates forum at High Street Baptist Church.
There were gasps in the crowd of about 100 when the mayor, who voted against a referendum on modified wards one year ago, said he now favors letting voters decide the issue.
Under Roanoke's existing election system, council members are elected at large, and nobody represents a defined section of the city. A modified ward plan would create election districts, while leaving the mayor and some other members to be elected at large.
``This is a simple yes-or-no question,'' moderator Tracie McKinney said about midway through the debate, which was sponsored by the NAACP and other minority organizations. ``Are you in favor of a referendum for a ward system, yes or no?''
Bowers answered last, after all of the nine other candidates had indicated they supported a referendum.
``Yes,'' the mayor said..
``Yes? What? Whoa!'' the crowd of about 100 rumbled after Bowers delivered his answer.
Bowers said after the forum that his position on the issue ``really hadn't changed.'' On Wednesday, he did not return phone calls concerning the debate.
His reply came as a shock to some of the people at the forum, including at least one of the other candidates.
``I was surprised, and I think at least 90 percent of the people who were there were surprised,'' said Jeff Artis, a Republican seeking election to a two-year council term. ``Because when he said he was in favor of it, there were quite a few hoots from the crowd.''
Council last voted on the question on March 13, 1995, when City Councilwoman Linda Wyatt made a motion for a modified ward referendum.
Bowers on at least four occasions before that had said he'd support a referendum, and in 1992 he campaigned in support of one. Nevertheless, he voted against Wyatt's motion. Only former Vice Mayor John Edwards sided with her, and the motion failed, 5-2.
However, at Monday's council meeting, Bowers hinted he was rethinking the issue. He and the rest of council voted unanimously to schedule yet another public hearing on modified wards for April 22.
That came at the request of Vice Mayor William White, who also voted against the referendum in 1995. In asking for a new hearing, White said: ``Not one week goes by that I don't hear something from citizens on this issue.''
Both Bowers and White said Monday that they'd voted against a referendum in 1995 because few people supported it at the time.
Those statements were questioned Wednesday by both Wyatt and Edwards, who is now a state senator. Both noted the issue arose repeatedly at public hearings between July 1994 and March 1995.
At a council meeting on July 11, 1994, 10 residents from three of the city's four quadrants appealed to council for a referendum on modified wards.
A second hearing came two months later. There, four residents spoke against a referendum while three spoke in favor of it.
The question arose again when Wyatt made her motion on March 13 of last year. Before council voted it down, an unusually large crowd of about 50 applauded as seven speakers, one by one, pleaded for a referendum.
They left angry, vowing political revenge.
The Rev. Charles T. Green, president of the local NAACP, said Monday that Bowers shouldn't expect to regain support he's lost among blacks by once again changing his position on a referendum.
``Those people who voted against it will be punished, [Bowers will] be punished,'' Green said.
Artis also chalked up Bowers' recent shift to politics.
``I think the mayor has shown a propensity for playing politics,'' Artis said. ``He'll say what's convenient when his behind is in a sling. I don't think that's a cheap shot. I mean, the record is out there.''
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CITY COUNCILby CNB