THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060494
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
School Board member Charles W. Vincent accepted a $200 donation in June from a Virginia Beach architecture firm that sought in August to win a contract with the board, reports in the School Board and voter registration offices show.
The firm that made the donation, Hargrove, Brockwell & Associates Ltd., won - from a committee on which Vincent served - the recommendation for a contract to do emergency architectural work for the school system. The contract is for a year, but it is renewable up to three years. The contract is for a maximum of $150,000 annually, not to exceed $450,000 over the three years.
Vincent is one of two School Board members who served on the five-member committee with school administrators. The committee reviews the firms seeking contracts for school building projects. Vincent resigned from the committee last week.
The donation is not mentioned in indictments returned Monday against Vincent. Vincent is charged with nine counts of violating Virginia's Public Procurement Act by seeking political donations from firms looking to do business with the School Board.
Commonwealth's Attorney Robert J. Humphreys said he knew about the June donation but decided not to seek an indictment on it because of complicated election laws involved.
``We had enough to go on without clouding the issue,'' Humphreys said.
Vincent would not comment on the donation late Wednesday.
``I've got to talk to my attorney before I go any further,'' he said. ``There's nothing there. But you guys (the newspaper) have already made your decisions, so I don't know what to say.''
Dan Brockwell, vice president of Hargrove, Brockwell & Associates Ltd., confirmed that his firm contributed $200 to Vincent's campaign in June. Brockwell said the donation was not intended to sway Vincent's vote.
``We've done nothing wrong that I know of,'' Brockwell said. ``We certainly didn't make any contributions with any ideas that it would influence anything.
``We make contributions to all kinds of campaigns.''
Brockwell, his firm and one of his partners also contributed a total of $900 in April to the campaign of James R. Darden, School Board chairman.
Darden was once a consultant for the firm but stopped working for them well before he began his term on the board. He has abstained from all votes concerning the firm.
Brockwell said he contributes to the campaigns of many candidates who share his views on how the city should be governed, including Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf. Brockwell said he could not recall when donations to Oberndorf's campaign were made, or how much they were for.
``We get asked to make contributions to lots of campaigns,'' he said. ``We supported the things that he (Vincent) represented, so we made a contribution to his campaign, just like we would anyone else, if we were sympathetic with their views.''
Brockwell attributed Vincent's troubles to inexperience with politics and to heavy debts that plague candidates in all small, local elections.
``To my knowledge, the man's done nothing wrong, other than his timing's terrible,'' Brockwell said.
In the past, the school system has kept an architect on staff. But the position was removed in a cost-saving measure.
Later this month, the School Board is scheduled to consider the committee's recommendation to hire Hargrove, Brockwell & Associates. MEMO: For a related story see page B1 of The Virginian-Pilot for this date.]
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD DONATION by CNB