THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 4, 1994 TAG: 9411040740
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONY WHARTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
City Councilman Robert T. Nance didn't have any answers Thursday to his letters requesting a criminal investigation of the city housing authority, but he certainly got the mayor's attention.
Mayor William E. Ward didn't find out about the letters until late afternoon, after reporters and many city officials knew.
``I've been totally out of the loop,'' Ward said. ``It's a unilateral decision, and unilateral decisions about public policy issues of this magnitude tend to undermine the overall effectiveness of the operation.
``The council needs to come to some kind of consensus about decisions of this kind.''
Ward, elected mayor in 1992, is a leading Democrat on the council, which is officially nonpartisan but has become partisan since Republicans gained control. Nance and Vice Mayor Arthur Dwyer, both Republicans, have often clashed with Ward and stripped away some of his authority.
Thursday, Nance had City Attorney Ronald S. Hallman draft the letters and volunteered the assistance of Hallman and City Manager James Rein to investigators. In the letters, he noted that copies would go to council members.
``There may be a legitimate reason to request an investigation,'' Ward said. ``But in my opinion it's a premature move.'' by CNB