THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607020232
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 57 lines
In what could be a sign of greater party cooperation, the City Council on Tuesday unanimously elected John W. Butt to serve a second tour as vice mayor.
Butt, a Democrat, had been vice mayor from 1990 to 1994, when Republicans took control of the council. No one else was nominated for the post.
Although officially nonpartisan, the council that was sworn in Monday evening is split evenly, with four Democrats, four Republicans and one independent.
Mayor William E. Ward, in a speech shortly after newly elected Council members took their oaths of office, called for a number of initiatives to bring the city into the 21st century.
They included increased funding for the city's Department of Economic Development, charged with bringing new business to the city. Ward said the extra funding was necessary ``if we are to continue our past accomplishments.''
Ward suggested that the city must begin to heavily recruit national and international businesses. ``We cannot wait for them to come to us,'' he said.
The mayor also called for the new council to endorse a plan for revitalization of South Norfolk and Old Crestwood, two struggling neighborhoods Ward and other council members pledged to help during the recent election.
Ward asked for the establishment of a public-private South Norfolk Empowerment Corp. to create jobs, reclaim land and promote revitalization and home ownership in that community.
The council was also asked to endorse a plan directing the city manager and the Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority to study the Old Crestwood community and present the council with recommendations for land reclamation and development there.
``To do otherwise,'' said Ward, ``would allow further deterioration in a long-neglected community.''
Ward also asked the city manager and the police chief to identify unsafe neighborhoods and develop a safe neighborhood master plan by the end of this summer.
Included in the report, Ward said, should be a plan to create a gang task force. ``Preventative steps are necessary,'' he said, ``before we are faced with the youth problems of other cities.''
Finally, Ward called on his new council to ``put aside personal and partisan motivations'' for the good of the city. In speeches congratulating each other, all pledged their support.
The mayor and Butt are both Democrats. Councilman Alan P. Krasnoff, an independent, will likely be a swing vote.
Newly elected council members Elizabeth P. Thornton and Dalton S. Edge were sworn into office, as was Ward and Councilman Dwight M. Parker.
The council deferred voting to fill the seat of council secretary, last held by W. Joe Newman, until July 9 ``for further discussion.'' ILLUSTRATION: William E. Ward
John W. Butt by CNB