THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996 TAG: 9601250011
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Virginia Beach and Norfolk recently cooperated in turning away a Canadian Football League Team and agreed to work together in seeking a major-league team.
Intending to maintain the momentum of inter-city cooperation, Norfolk Del. Jerrauld C. Jones introduced a bill LAST week to grant Hampton Roads the authority to build a taxpayer-financed basketball or hockey arena.
But Jones, while seeking inter-city cooperation, introduced the bill in an uncooperative manner - without consulting the affected cities and without consulting the Sports Authority of Hampton Roads, representing the area's seven largest cities and Isle of Wight County.
The result was a badly flawed bill.
It calls for the governor to appoint a nine-member sports authority and states, ``. . . the governor shall ensure that the geographic areas of the commonwealth are represented.'' But it makes no sense to spread control of the arena all over the state.
The bill calls for four authority members to be from the city with the arena, leaving only five members to represent the other Hampton Roads cities and the rest of Virginia. If the arena were built in Norfolk, that city would get four authority members; other area cities would mainly be left in the cold. Thus the bill impedes, rather than fosters, cooperation.
The Virginia Code already provides for the existing Sports Authority of Hampton Roads. All that's required to build an arena is a one-page bill to gain permission to raise money to retire the bonds the authority would sell to fund it.
Delegate Jones wanted to prod Hampton Roads to build an arena. He certainly has everybody's attention. Now he should either throw his bill into a waste can or meet at length with the Sports Authority of Hampton Roads and area mayors to learn what amendments are required. by CNB