THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9606290263
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 54 lines
Local leaders from around the country spent the last two days here exploring ways to encourage citizens to take a more active role in their communities.
Shut in a windowless Oceanfront conference room while their families enjoyed the waves a few hundred feet to the east, the 40 mayors and council members quizzed speakers and each other about better ways to communicate with, empower and inspire the public.
Mark Schwartz, first vice president of the National League of Cities, said he selected the topic of ``civic democracy and responsibility'' for this weekend's advisory council meeting because he knows first-hand what happens when citizens lose confidence in their government.
As an Oklahoma City council member, Schwartz had to help his city cope with the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building - allegedly attacked by men who so despised government that they wanted to destroy the people who worked for it.
``After the events of April 19, 1995, you wonder what makes an individual hate government so much,'' Schwartz said Friday at the Ramada Plaza Oceanfront Hotel. ``It makes me think, `Where does it start?' ''
Schwartz said he would like to help municipal governments learn to foster trust and mutual responsibility.
``It's better to venture out and try to find some answers than not to try at all,'' he said.
Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, the host of the conference, which ends today, said she is active in the National League of Cities because it lets her meet government leaders such as Schwartz who are working to improve their communities.
Oberndorf described them as ``caring elected officials trying to learn to interact with each other in a civil and polite manner and to try to engage their citizens in the same way.''
The group shared anecdotes of their successes and frustrations.
In one session Friday, officials chastised the media for concentrating too much on what government does wrong, helping to skew public perceptions against them. They spouted journalism nightmares - the stories written about non-existent drug problems, the reporters who wasted officials' time, the editors who ignored their complaints.
In another session, a woman from Dayton talked about how her city government has been revolutionized by the work of ``priority councils'' of citizens who participate in the business of local government.
Rose Besserman, a 24-year council member from Vancouver, Wash., said her city collaborates with citizens in drawing up the annual budget, mediating neighborhood disputes and deciding on tax levies.
Carol Hansen, who heads up many of Vancouver's efforts, said the conference made her more optimistic about the sincerity of local elected leaders.
``For me, it's a pleasant revelation,'' Hansen said. ``It isn't just the neighbors saying how do we work with government, but government saying how do we work with neighbors.'' by CNB