THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 6, 1995 TAG: 9501050170
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
When the Virginia General Assembly convenes on Jan. 11, one of the issues the Virginia Beach delegation has been asked to present is a revision to the city's charter to provide for a change in the way the Virginia Beach City Council is elected.
The change calls for going from the present system, in which all City Council members are elected at-large, seven from boroughs which are as divergent in population as 150-to-1, to the balanced/district system, which provides for seven equal-population boroughs, each electing its own councilperson, plus four councilpersons, including the mayor, elected at-large.
The effort to change the electoral system has run the gamut of a petition drive to place it on the ballot, a vote by the electorate in which it received a 53 percent majority, plus a vote by City Council to send it to the General Assembly for a city charter change.
Six of the nine General Assembly districts in Virginia Beach gave majority approval to the issue in the balloting last May 3. The Virginia Beach General Assembly delegates are then extremely fortunate to have voter guidance on the issue.
The districts which have voters' approval are:
Frank Wagner's 21st House District, 56 percent approval.
Leo Wardrup's 83rd House District, 55 percent approval.
Bob McDonnell's 84th House District, 56 percent approval.
Bob Tata's 85th House District, 57 percent approval.
Clarence Holland's 7th Senate District, 54 percent approval.
Mark Earley's 14th Senate District, 60 percent approval.
The districts where a majority of the voters on May 3 voted against the issue are:
Glenn Croshaw's 81st House District, 53 percent against.
Bob Purkey's 82nd House District, 53 percent against.
Ken Stolle's 8th Senate District, 51 percent against.
The total vote on May 3 was 21,103 for to 18,922 against.
It is often very difficult for representatives of the people to know where their constituents stand on an issue. However, on this issue they are very fortunate to have a ``poll'' tailor-made for them. In a democracy, the finality of the ballot box is the governing factor; and although this referendum was advisory, this principle should apply to the city's General Assembly delegation on this issue.
Maurice B. Jackson
Chairman,
Reapportionment Committee
Council of Civic Organizations
Virginia Beach by CNB