THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510080038
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
If the City Council lacks anything, Paul A. Bryant says, it's ``vision.''
He doesn't think the eight council members and the mayor share an idea of where they want the city to go and how to get there.
``They need a vision of what Elizabeth City is going to be like,'' says Bryant, 31. ``I'd like to see a set of goals for the council.
``If they are discouraged by what they see, then they must have a vision of setting that right.''
Bryant wants to see a growing city with a revitalized downtown and crime-free neighborhoods. And he believes that his presence on the council will help make that happen.
``The main thing is just to try and make a difference in the way that the city's currently functioning,'' Bryant says.
But it takes work - more work than he thinks most council members are doing.
Bryant says he's impressed with Councilman Lloyd Griffin, who does ``his homework,'' and Councilwoman Anita Hummer, who has pushed for creative ways to fight crime.
``They're doing well,'' Bryant says. ``More needs to be done. More of them are going to have to step up and do some legwork on their own.''
Bryant's no stranger to political legwork.
For years a community activist who speaks for disadvantaged city residents, Bryant's most recent effort has been forming a group to fight the city-county merger process. Disbanding the commission working on a merger plan is one of his stated goals for the council.
Bryant ran unsuccessfully against Griffin for a 1st Ward seat in 1993. He also launched a losing bid for the school board last year.
But Bryant, a program coordinator at Elizabeth City State University who holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in education, says he has learned a lot since then.
``Everybody feels a lot better with this one,'' Bryant says. ``I feel better than the first time. . . . But you never know till the day of the polls.''
Bryant is married and has three children.
His campaign, which he says has cost about $200, has specifically targeted registered voters in the ward. Posters around the ward's 1-A district urge the typically reluctant community to get involved.
``If you think someone else will vote,'' the poster says, ``Think Again!''
The city's primary needs - which include combating social problems and bringing in business - are related, Bryant says. Businesses won't come until the city has a stronger infrastructure, he says. And residents won't be happy unless they feel safe in their neighborhoods.
``Everything's going to have to work in conjunction,'' Bryant says. ``Someone needs to get up there to work hard to put things together.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Bryant
KEYWORDS: ELIZABETH CITY CITY COUNCIL RACE CANDIDATES by CNB