THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 27, 1995 TAG: 9509270429
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
For months, some of them had gone before the City Council - sometimes with carefully prepared speeches, sometimes with angry, on-the-spot remarks - protesting allegedly unfair city government policies.
Tuesday, they took their opposition to the sidewalk in front of City Hall. Signs in hand and some humming spirituals, about 15 people - often fewer - called attention to:
alleged unfair treatment of the city's lead housing inspector, Vanessa Savage, by City Attorney C. Edward Roettger Jr.
a proposal to create a special taxing district in northern Suffolk, and
the lack of full-time status for city bus drivers.
Signs declared, ``The City Attorney Must Go'' and ``Fairness Now. Justice Now.''
The idea for the protest was born about two months ago, when a backlog of housing inspections wasn't being handled due to problems between Roettger and Savage. A council-requested investigation found a personality conflict between the two, and it was resolved.
Some civic leaders contended the problems between Roettger, who is white, and Savage, who is black, were racial. Following the council vote, civic leaders called a meeting with city officials to discuss continuing problems between the two. ``We've yet to get any response from the city,'' said Paul C. Gillis, protest organizer and president of the Suffolk-Nansemond NAACP. ``We haven't gotten any response since the mayor has been in office.''
Mayor S. Chris Jones disagreed. ``He's just not satisfied with our response. We've investigated (the conflict) through personnel and found it to be a personality conflict - not racism,'' Jones said.
Savage could not be reached for comment. Roettger declined comment about the protest.
But he and Gillis have been at odds. Roettger and City Councilman Richard R. Harris tried to join the NAACP but were declined invitations. Roettger said he wanted to join as a citizen, not as the city attorney.
``I believe very strongly in that organization and what it does for housing,'' said Roettger.
Gillis refused comment about Roettger's membership. He said earlier that Harris' ideals and principles didn't match the NAACP's.
Marcher Bill Beamon said he was disturbed about city plans to tear down two of his businesses on East Washington Street to make way for courthouse parking. That decision and others, said Beamon, works to the detriment of the poor and the disenfranchised. ``If you start with bad policies at the top, you're going to have bad policies in the community,'' Beamon said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
JOHN H. SHEALLY II/Staff
Protester T.C. Williams readies signs Tuesday for a protest of city
policies on housing, taxes and city bus driver status.
by CNB