THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603080267
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATRICE FRANKLIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Long : 141 lines
Seven candidates, including the incumbents, are seeking election to three City Council seats.
Curtis R. Milteer is unopposed in the Whaleyville Borough, but there are contests in the Nansemond and Sleepy Hole boroughs.
Here's a brief look at each of the races:
Nansemond Borough
Name: Theodore ``T.C.'' Williams
Age: 76
Address: 200 block of North Division Street
Occupation: retired
Political Experience: None
Why are you running? ``Because I would like to improve the conditions in the Nansemond borough. I know that things have come to a standstill in this borough, and something should be done to move things along here and throughout the city of Suffolk.''
What do you plan to accomplish?
``I want to improve conditions in the community. I am especially interesting in the plight of the little people - the faceless people who are too timid to speak for themselves.''
Name: Richard R. Harris
Age: 51
Address: 3500 block of Sleepy Hole Road
Occupation: co-owner of an auto parts company in Suffolk
Political Experience Served one term on the City Council
Why are you running? ``I'm interested in my community and my city. I hope to make it a better place for everyone.''
What do you plan to accomplish? I plan to continue what I started. I want to work towards improving education, promoting industrial growth, enhancing our fire and police protection, continuing to extend water and sewer service to neighborhoods that are in need, and improving our relationship with the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority so that we can revitalize the housing in our city.''
Name: Leroy Bennett
Age: 57
Address: 2000 block of Nansemond Parkway
Occupation: general foreman at Newport News Shipbuilding
Political Experience. None. Chairman, Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Why are you running?
Bennett said he wants to serve the community and the people in the city by giving something back.
What do you plan to accomplish? He said he wants to work on an open government. He would like to give citizens a chance to be heard on the direction of the city.
Name: J. Dodd Brooks
Age: 33
Address: 800 block of General Pickett Drive
Occupation: co-owner of a temporary employment company
Political Experience: None.
Why are you running? ``I believe deeply in serving the entire community, and I believe deeply in citizen participation in government. I pledge to develop a vital link to the public to seek the people's ideas and guidance in an active manner in order to make Suffolk a better place to live and work.''
What do you plan to accomplish? Brooks said he plans to implement a 10 point ``Contract with Suffolk'' that includes promoting local jobs, improving education, lowering the personal property vehicle tax rate and reducing the business license tax.
Sleepy Hole Borough
Name: William B. Bishop
Age: 58
Address: 2900 block of Harbor Road
Occupation: retired
Political Experience: None
Why are you running? ``There's a need for a qualified council member for the borough, and I'm the most qualified. I can work with diversified groups of people, analyze problems and come up with a logical conclusion. I also have a healthy respect for the tax payers money.''
What do you plan to accomplish? ``We have projects that have been studied and studied and studied. I want to move forward on some of those projects that have been over studied but under accomplished. We need water and sewerage services, we have poor housing and a lack of businesses. Instead of continuing to study them, I want to take some action on them.''
Name: Marian ``Bea'' Rogers
Age: 60
Address: 3700 block of Concord Drive
Occupation: retired
Political Experience Served one term on the City Council
Why are you running? ``I want to continue serving the citizens of Suffolk especially in the Sleepy Hole district in a fair and partial manner.''
What do you plan to accomplish? ``I would like to see the City Council provide a vehicle for referendum in the city so voters can have a choice and to see open council meetings where we go to different parts of the city. I would also like to advocate clean, industrial development that will provide jobs. I am also still interesting in merging city and school departments, and in extending sewer and water services in a fair manner to neighborhoods in need.''
Whaleyville Borough
Name: Curtis R. Milteer Sr.
Age: 65
Address: 1600 block of Airport Road
Occupation: site manager at SEVAMP
Political Experience Served four terms on the City Council
Why are you running? ``I want to continue to serve the needs of people of the Whaleyville borough and the entire city as we approach the 21st century.''
What do you plan to accomplish? ``My focus is on three areas. The first is economic development. I want to work on providing jobs for our citizens and increasing the tax base for the city. I want to work on crime prevention. I would like to see the city secure grants in order to get satellite police protection in high risk crime areas. I also want to work on the revitalization of older communities.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
``T.C.'' Williams
Richard R. Harris
Leroy Bennett
J. Dodd Brooks
Marian ``Bea'' Rogers
Curtis R. Milteer
William B. Bishop
KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK CITY COUNCIL RACE CANDIDATE by CNB