ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 16, 1997 TAG: 9704160063
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Sherman Holland says he'll run because his boss isn't running the office as well as it could be run.
The Democratic nomination for Roanoke Commissioner of Revenue may be anything but a cakewalk for incumbent Marsha Compton Fielder.
The first-term Democrat, who swept into office in 1993 after beating a Democrat in a party nomination battle, is being challenged by a Democrat from her own office.
Sherman Holland, 43, a 16-year veteran of the Commissioner of Revenue's Office, filed to run for the office last week.
They will square off in a June 10 primary that Fielder requested over the objections of the city's other constitutional officers, who wanted all candidates to be nominated by party convention.
There are signs that the primary has caused a split among traditional Democratic constituencies: blacks and the old-time Democratic "courthouse crowd," who support Holland; and women, labor, teachers and gays - backing Fielder.
Holland, who is expected to formally announce his candidacy next week, has raised $6,959 and hired a professional campaign manager to run his election bid.
His manager, Todd Siegel, has set up shop in an office donated by lawyer Onzlee Ware, the Sixth District Democratic chairman. Siegel is a former aide to Del. Jay DeBoer, D-Petersburg, and a veteran of Democrat Roscoe Reynolds' successful campaign for Virgil Goode's old seat in the state Senate.
"Just say No to Marsha" campaign stickers have started appearing on car bumpers. Some leading city Democrats such as Mayor David Bowers are sitting on the fence, declining to back either side.
Holland is leveling the kind of criticism of his boss that rarely comes from an employee who wants to keep his job.
"If [Fielder] was doing the kind of job she was supposed to be doing, I wouldn't be challenging her in the first place," Holland says. "I know how it should be run, and I know how it's being run, and I hear the calls from [complaining] taxpayers every day."
"It's his right to run, and I intend to run a very positive campaign," Fielder said. "I intend to talk about issues, about what I promised people I'd do in 1993 - promises I've kept - and what I intend to do heretofore."
Holland said integrity, experience and trust will be his campaign themes.
Fielder caused a stir last year when she barred municipal auditors from her office, delaying an examination of how efficiently she administers assessments for personal property taxes on cars and trucks.
Eventually, she lost her argument that her state-authorized office was exempt from review by city auditors. She allowed them back in, but it's unclear whether their analysis will be finished before the primary election.
"I think there are a lot of Roanokers who don't trust the current administration, particularly since the auditors were kicked out of the office," Holland said. "You can't really verify whether she's running the office properly or not."
Holland also says plenty of taxpayers are fighting mad about their tax bills, particularly personal property bills. "They have just cause to be," he adds.
"Many people paid more in personal property taxes in 1996 than they did on the same vehicle in 1995. Obviously, the valuation is increasing, rather than decreasing," when it should be going the other way, Holland says.
Fielder admits some older cars' assessments have climbed. The reason, she says, is that her predecessor wasn't assessing older vehicles at their full worth as the law requires. She's been trying to gradually raise those assessments to what she says is their proper book value.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Hollandby CNB