THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406250093
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: Long
As they enter their last week on council, Vice Mayor Lee E. King and Councilman John H. Epperson reflected on their tenure, their hopes for the city's future and the projects they helped start and want to see completed.
{REST} Even though the city's voters yanked them from office after four years on council, both King and Epperson said they plan to continue working with the community. Neither have ruled out another run at council in two years.
Epperson, who won an award last week from the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers for his work in the community and for promoting the profession, was recently elected to the board of directors for the Chamber of Commerce in Portsmouth.
He said it takes one term to learn the intricacies of serving on council.
``It took me about two years to figure out the budget process,'' Epperson said. ``This year, I felt like I really knew what was in there, and now someone new has to try and learn it.''
He said it wasn't until this year that he felt comfortable scrutinizing the budget and making suggestions for big changes.
Epperson, a resident of Port Norfolk, pushed the City Council to commit to hiring 15 additional police officers. While the city manager predicts there may be enough money in the budget to hire the officers, the council was reluctant to earmark money for the new officers until it actually saw savings in the coming months.
The city is prepared to lay-off 50 employees next month. Epperson said he hoped those lay-offs would fund the additional officers.
``The budget is the most important thing we do all year, yet the council spends so little time with it,'' Epperson said. ``I'd like to see the budget emphasized more. I'd like to see more input from the council and the public. The process has been rushed for the last several years.''
In his first three years on council, Epperson said, the council made less than $100,000 in changes to budgets that ranged from $225 million to $240 million.
``We made more changes this year,'' Epperson said ``But it's still insignificant considering the magnitude of the budget.''
King, however, is satisfied with the council's mostly hands-off budget management.
``I'm satisfied with the financial management of the city,'' King said. ``The city manager has a very difficult job dealing with limited resources, and he does a fine job.''
Epperson and King don't agree on the subject of City Manager V. Wayne Orton. Epperson said he has become unhappy with Orton's management style, especially where it concerns personnel. Epperson said Orton's difficulty in communicating with employees hints of a possible weakness in his overall management style. Epperson has encouraged his fellow council members to consider those issues during the manager's annual evaluation next month.
King said the city manager has been able to keep Portsmouth from failing in tough economic times and should be lauded for his dedication.
When Epperson and King look at the city's future, both agree on major issues, such as construction of a new I.C. Norcom High School, revitalizing the city, pushing for economic development and improving racial harmony.
Both also say the city must aggressively pursue new business and industry.
``Since I've been on the council we've established a new staff,'' in the city's economic development department, King said. ``They've done a super job in bringing new business to the city and reviving some old ones. I hope the council will continue to work with them and promote their efforts.''
Epperson said he wants to emphasize retail development.
``We have an aggressive marketing campaign to bring industry and commerce,'' he said. ``But citizens don't see the benefit because it's not a consumer or resident-based industry. I want to give our citizens an opportunity to shop in Portsmouth. It will also help to keep our dollars in the city.''
They both say the city must also find ways to support citizens who are interested in starting up small business.
Both Epperson and King seem excited about the city's newest economic development and design study. Ray Gindroz, a consultant who helped design Norfolk's downtown, is working with a coalition of businesses, citizens, council members and city workers to help set a new direction for the city.
In their last council work session, both pushed for revitalization around public housing parks, a better use for the waterfront and some solutions for Mid-City, a decaying shopping center in one of the city's most visible locations.
Building the new I.C. Norcom High School, they say, is crucial to an effort at revitalizing the city and moving toward racial harmony.
``How can we afford not to build a $30 million high school?'' Epperson asked when discussing the cost of the high school.
Epperson said the school is much more than a place to teach children. It's a symbol of a city dedicated to racial justice and harmony. It's also a showplace for the outside world - a sign of urban renewal. They also hope it will be an indication that the city is working to improve its schools and that it wants to be competitive with the best schools in Hampton Roads.
``Education, crime, economic development and image; all of this works hand in hand,'' King said. ``If you improve on one, you improve on another.''
King started his political career on the city's human relations commission, a commission that was dedicated to investigating complaints of racial bias and to promote cultural diversity and harmony.
That commission was disbanded while the city was in the midst of building the new Churchland High School, which was a racially divisive issue.
King said he'd like to see the commission resurrected.
``The human relations commission is still needed,'' King said. ``It provides an opportunity for people to come together and look at issues as it relates to race. It also gives people from all over the community a chance to get involved.''
Epperson also said he wants to promote more community involvement.
``Without the support of the community, nothing the council does will be successful,'' Epperson said.
Epperson blames citizens, in part, for the council's votes along racial lines during his tenure.
``Black groups lobby black council members, and white groups lobby white council members about their issues,'' Epperson said. ``That leaves one group uninformed about issues, and it leads to racially divided votes.
``Without the benefit of the views of the entire community, you don't have the benefit of understanding issues fully.''
by CNB