ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602050085
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
For two decades, party affiliations didn't mean much on Salem City Council. Running as a Democrat or Republican was almost taboo.
But that has begun to change.
In 1993, Republican Morgan Griffith blasted what he called "the Salem political establishment" and went on to beat City Councilman Howard Packett for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
In 1994, Republican Garry Lautenschlager waged the first party-backed City Council campaign in more than 20 years. He won more votes than anyone else in the council elections while campaigning on a platform of change.
Now if they want it, Salem Republicans may have an even bigger opening: Three of the five council seats are up for grabs, including the one held by Mayor Jim Taliaferro. After dominating city politics for the past 22 years, Taliaferro is stepping down.
But it's unclear whether the GOP wants to push partisanship to the extent of taking over council.
Griffith has said he will not be involved with any City Council campaigns personally this year. However, the Salem GOP could run as many as three candidates if the party agrees to endorse those who have expressed interest, he said.
Salem Republican Chairman Bill Bradley said the party has not made any commitments yet.
"We don't have any grandiose ideas of taking over council," Bradley said.
"I don't like to play partisan politics just for the sake of doing partisan politics," he said. "If we can't make it better, I'm not going to bother."
Partisan politics haven't thrived in Salem since the town of Salem seceded from Roanoke County in 1968.
Then, the city feared it would be sucked into a consolidated valley government. Republicans wanted this, but the Democrat-controlled council voted to become a city.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Salem schools became an issue that split the parties again, although all of the council members had been running as independents.
Many, including most Democrats, were unhappy with the way Roanoke County was running Salem's schools and wanted to establish an independent school system. Again, those leaning toward the Republican Party opposed the idea but were out-voted on council.
Since those days, City Council candidates have run as independents regardless of their party affiliation.
After Lautenschlager resigned from City Council in July because of indictments on charges that he embezzled money from the Salem Rescue Squad, council appointed independent John Givens to take his place.
William Hill, a professor of political science at Roanoke College and longtime follower of Salem politics, doesn't believe there is a need for partisan politics in Salem today.
There are no issues divisive enough to split candidates down party lines, Hill said.
"Salem has become an enormously homogeneous place. This is not a place where the government is distrusted," Hill said. "There is a presumption of confidence."
A good example of this "consensus satisfaction," Hill said, is when the city asked residents if they wanted an elected School Board. They voted to have City Council continue to appoint the board.
But Salem GOP Chairman Bradley said that as city demographics change, so will the government.
As people move into Salem, voters can't always rely on reputation to know where a candidate stands, Bradley said. Party endorsements help bring issues to the public.
But those currently on council said partisan politics would bring a lot more than that to the table.
"We got such a distaste for it in the early '70s," Vice Mayor Sonny Tarpley said. When he and other independents took office at that time, he said, it was important to them to serve the residents - not a party.
"It's going to be up to the citizens on whether they want it or not," Tarpley said. "I still believe, Democrat or Republican, if a party is in control on Salem City Council, they will be the ones making the decisions."
"Things are running very smoothly without partisan politics," said Councilman Alex Brown. "It eliminates a lot of bickering."
Packett points to Roanoke City Council to show what partisan politics can do at the local level. The Roanoke council was split between Republicans and Democrats when John Edwards left for the General Assembly. When council tried to appoint someone to fill Edwards' seat, it was deadlocked.
Both Brown's and Packett's terms will expire in May, and each has announced he will seek re-election.
Former Salem Police Chief Harry Haskins and former Salem School Board Chairman John I. Moore have announced bids for council. And the names of eight other possible candidates have been circulating in Salem for weeks. Brown, Packett and Haskins will run as independents. Moore has expressed interest in running as a Republican.
"All of the people on City Council are either Democrat or Republican," Moore said. "Some of them choose to be independents when they run for City Council."
Salem Democrats said they will not endorse a candidate, for now. But that could change before the March 6 deadline to file for council elections, said the party's former chairwoman, Katherin Elam. The party recently underwent a reorganization, and Elam gave up the chair to Salem entrepreneur Randy Frazier.
A third political group, the Salem Taxpayers Association, said it has not decided whether it will field a candidate in the May elections. But the association's founder, Aaron Smith, said he hopes the group will be a factor in the elections no matter what it does.
"Each election, our involvement has increased," Smith said.
The taxpayers association has focused on how the city spends its revenue and how it handles its long-term debt, he said. If everyone who has expressed interest in running for City Council does so, the May 7 election could be the most contentious in years.
But even if council members are elected by party affiliation, Taliaferro hopes they won't be voting along party lines.
"They better be concerned with what's best in Salem."
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