THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408190205
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
On July 30, 1619, the first representative legislative assembly of English colonies in America was convened at Jamestown from 11 settlements in Virginia. The principles of democratic representation of this first assembly are contained in the balanced/district system for representative government in Virginia Beach approved by a majority of those who voted on May 3, 1994.
I will not detail the ridiculous disparities in the present seven-four system of City Council election which render it totally unsuitable for governing a city of 420,000 residents. You know these disparities. I will only state that the huge population changes annotated by the 1990 census resulted in the creation of a committee to study the existing system and to recommend appropriate changes.
The makeup of that committee is edifying: Thomas A. Barton from the business community, Cyndy Bourquard from the League of Women Voters, Dr. Ronald E. Proctor from the Afro-American community, Crisanto O. Romero from the Filipino-American community, William A. Schlimgen from the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, Herbert B. Taylor from the Council of Civic Organizations, Albert W. Balko and John Moss from city government, E. Richard Cockrell Jr. from the agricultural community, Dr. Timothy O'Rourke, government organization expert from the Uni-ver-si-ty of Virginia, Donald H. Clark, chairman of the committee and a respected legal counsel, and Robert P. Mat-thias from city staff.
This representative committee, with one dissenting vote, recommended the replacement of the seven-four system of City Council election with what is termed ``the Bal-anced/Dis-trict System'' with ``seven equal population boroughs, each electing its own councilperson, plus four councilpersons including the mayor elected at-large.''
This is exactly the same system for which 22,759 petition signatures were obtained to place it on the May ballot in advisory ref-er-en-dum.
It is exactly the same system that the Council of Civic Organizations, the League of Women Voters, The Citizens Action Coalition and the Great Neck Association of Civic Leagues have been pro-moting for three years.
It is exactly the same system the voters approved on May 3.
In 1619, for the first time in the new world, the will of the English-speaking colonists was recognized as a governing factor in their society. Today, now, the will of the people of Virginia Beach as expressed in petitions and at the polls should be the governing factor in a new electoral system for this great city.
Let the ``will of the people'' rather than the ``will of special interests'' prevail. City Council should vote to request a city charter change by the General Assembly which reflects the people's will.
Leslie K. Fenlon,
President, Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations by CNB