THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408190207
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
As City Council prepares to hear additional citizen input before voting whether to endorse the results of the recent advisory referendum on redistricting, I would hope that residents of Virginia Beach fully understand the implications of the proposed ward system of government and its impact on the future of our city.
Virginia Beach, as a young, modern and growing American city, is decidedly different from most other major cities whose government is characterized by the ward system. Cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are typically urban-oriented, with individual wards as populous as our entire city of 400,000. They confront distinctly differrent types of prob-lems.
Few cities must integrate and balance the complex considerations that distinguish ours: an oceanfront resort des-ti-na-tion, sprawling residential suburbs, nearly half its land area rural and agrarian in character - all influenced by a major defense presence with a transient composition.
Our current electoral system - the seven-four plan - provides our city with a mechanism to balance these unique interests. In validating our city's system of government, Justice William O. Douglas of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote: ``The seven-four plan seems to reflect a detente between urban and rural communities that may be important in resolving the complex problems of the modern megalopolis in relation to the city, the suburbia and the rural countryside.''
Though written for the court in 1967, Mr. Justice Douglas' opinion remains relevant.
In the rush to embrace the ward system of government for Virginia Beach, the uniqueness of our city and the requirement for City Council to fully consider and blend these diverse aspects should not be overlooked. This is a difficult task best undertaken by a body of men and women whose principal commitment is the greater good of the whole community rather than its individual wards or districts.
Of course, voters through the city are able to ensure that all members of Council are responsive to all citizens if and only if they can cast a vote for or against each and every member of Council. The referendum proposal would limit each citizen to voting only for the members of Council and School Board from his or her ward, plus four at-large members, including the mayor. When we sacrifice our right to vote for each member of Council and School Board, and accept that diminished voting power inherent in the ward system, we abdicate that control.
Our city is too young, too vibrant and too far poised on the brink of greatness to have its future fractured by the parochial and pork-barrel interests that ultimately characterize ward politics. I urge readers to write all 11 of your Council members to voice your opposition to the proposed system of ward government which was suggested by the advisory referendum.
Patrick L. Standing, former mayor
City of Virginia Beach by CNB