THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 30, 1995 TAG: 9510300108
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
All the forces surrounding a controversial city-county merger are expected to gather in one room tonight at a meeting that could dramatically alter the course of the 2-year-old study.
Pasquotank County Commissioners called for the joint meeting with the Elizabeth City Council to discuss the future of the merger panel - the Pasquotank-Elizabeth City Governmental Study Commission.
Leaders of the merger commission, as well as leaders of a new group formed to fight the merger, are expected to attend.
Many people involved doubt that the merger commission will emerge unchanged.
``All I can say is: Stay tuned,'' Pasquotank Commissioners Chairman Zee Lamb said Friday. ``The issue will be addressed. I believe there will be some action taken regarding the future mission and charge of the merger commission.''
The 18-member citizen commission is drafting a plan to combine all city and county services to operate under a single, countywide governing board. The plan is Phase 2 of a process that, if completed, would end in a countywide referendum.
Both the city and county approved the second phase at a joint meeting in March, three months after the commission returned from its first phase reporting that a merger was ``feasible'' and ``advisable.''
Opponents of merging the governments have been vocal from the beginning. Many county residents fear that combining would put them under more city influence and raise their taxes. Many black city residents are concerned that black voting power would be diluted in countywide elections.
A coalition of the two groups emerged last month as the Alliance to Counteract the City/County Merger. Alliance President Paul Bryant said after an Oct. 17 meeting that he hoped to present 1,000 signatures of opposition to the process at tonight's meeting.
Bryant said about 800 signatures had been collected by Friday afternoon.
Under the motion passed by the county commissioners Oct. 10, the boards will discuss such options as leaving the merger commission alone, changing the focus of its studies, or eliminating it altogether.
Bryant and others said they suspect that officials might redirect the commission's duties - eliminating the most controversial option of merging governments and concentrating on how to combine some services.
At least one official - Elizabeth City Mayor H. Rick Gardner - said he would push to let the commission finish its Phase 2 study.
``It is the only fair thing to do,'' Gardner said. ``With the time and the energy that is going into this by this commission, they should be allowed to complete this study.''
Gardner emphasized that a finished study in no way means merger would take place. But he said it could provide ``some valuable information'' about how to save taxpayers' money.
At the Oct. 10 commissioners meeting, merger commission Chairman L.P. ``Tony'' Hornthal Jr. said he would likely resign from the panel if it became clear that a majority of city and county officials had already decided against the unfinished Phase 2 merger plan.
But Hornthal did not repeat the statement Friday, saying he did not want to ``make any threats to anybody.'' And he suggested it would be unfair to predict the outcome of tonight's meeting.
``I wouldn't try to prejudge what those elected representatives are going to do any more than I want somebody prejudging what I'm doing'' with the commission, he said. ILLUSTRATION: THE MEETING
Tonight's joint city-council meeting will begin about 6:30 p.m. at
the K.E. White Graduate Center, after a 6 p.m. dinner for
officials.
by CNB