THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 12, 1994 TAG: 9410120470
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Six months after voters called for change, the City Council seems prepared to transform itself.
A majority of members indicated Tuesday that they will support a ward system when asked to vote Oct. 25.
The council is expected to approve a system with seven members elected from equal-sized districts and four others elected at-large. The new structure would take effect in 1998 if approved by the General Assembly.
Two council members who spoke against the change, W.D. Sessoms Jr. and John A. Baum, said they don't think last May's ballot victory for reapportionment accurately represents public opinion. They said they weren't sure people knew exactly what they were voting for.
If residents were confused or upset enough about the May vote, they could have circulated a petition to put another proposal on the November ballot, Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf said.
The Council of Civic Organizations collected 28,000 signatures earlier this year to guarantee reapportionment a spot on the May ballot.
Baum said the new system would shortchange rural residents who are now guaranteed two members of council.
Currently, the 11 members of council are elected by all city voters, even though the seven borough council members must live in the districts they represent.
Under a ward system, those council members would be elected solely by voters in their district.
Oberndorf, Councilman Robert K. Dean and Councilwomen Nancy K. Parker, Louisa M. Strayhorn and Barbara H. Henley said Tuesday that they will support reapportionment. Councilman John D. Moss, the sponsor of the amendment to change the City Charter, was not at the meeting.
Strayhorn and Henley said they would vote for wards because the public did. But neither believes the new structure is a good idea.
A ward system would encourage council members to think only about their geographic districts, not about the entire city, Henley said.
``If I were a ward council person, I would be voting `No' (on reapportionment) because it is not in the best interest of my district,'' said Henley, who represents the Pungo Borough, one of the rural districts that would be combined with other sections to create a ward. by CNB