THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 12, 1995 TAG: 9501120395
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Two bills submitted to the General Assembly Wednesday could change the way Virginia Beach residents elect their City Council members.
The bills would even out the number of residents per council district - one district now has 1,000, another has 150,000 - but they have different impacts, different supporters and different chances of winning legislative approval.
Del. Robert Tata, R-Virginia Beach, proposed a city charter change that would create a modified ward system, with seven members elected by residents of equally sized districts and four members elected at large.
His bill follows a proposal made by the Council of Civic Organizations and approved by Beach voters last May.
``The referendum passed, and I think the people of Virginia Beach have spoken, and I'm going to give them a forum to present their case,'' Tata said. ``We'll let both sides have the floor and let the committee decide whether or not they want to get involved in Virginia Beach politics.''
Del. Leo C. Wardrup Jr., R-Virginia Beach, who opposes the ward proposal, submitted a bill that would even out the districts but still allow all Virginia Beach voters to cast ballots for every council member. Now, all council members are elected citywide, but seven council members must live in districts they represent.
Wardrup said he doesn't think Beach residents really want a ward system, which would limit the number of council members they could elect. He believes they want equally sized council districts, instead.
``I think what the voters of Virginia Beach wanted is what my bill is going to give them,'' he said Wednesday.
He also believes his bill has a better chance of passing the state legislature, because it only needs the support of a simple majority of delegates. Tata's bill needs the support of two-thirds of the members, because it would change the city's charter, Wardrup said.
Tata and supporters of his bill agree they will have a hard time winning the necessary votes.
``I think it's in for a fight, because the people who are against it in the delegation, both city and state, are against it strongly,'' Del. Robert F. McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, said.
The winners will be those who do a better job of lobbying state legislators, he added.
Politics may already be working against Tata's bill.
Tata said Wednesday that he has heard rumors his bill will be reviewed by the Privileges and Elections Committee, rather than the Counties, Cities and Towns committee, which would probably be more sympathetic.
McDonnell and Del. Howard E. Copeland, D-Norfolk and Virginia Beach, strong supporters of the Tata bill, sit on the Counties, Cities and Towns committee, which usually deals with charter change bills.
Del. Glenn R. Croshaw, D-Virginia Beach, whom supporters expect to oppose the Tata bill, sits on the Privileges and Elections Committee. Croshaw could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Tata said he gives his proposal a 70 percent chance of passage if the counties committee hears it, and ``at best'' a 50 percent chance of passing if it goes through the elections committee instead.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL ELECTION GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB