THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510270193
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: Elizabeth Thiel, staff writer
LENGTH: Long : 416 lines
On Nov. 7, Chesapeake voters will decide who will fill a City Council seat vacated when Vice Mayor Arthur L. Dwyer resigned last spring.
Will it be Dalton S. Edge, the Republican who was appointed to take Dwyer's place temporarily, until the special election could be held? Or will it be Democratic challenger Dwight M. Parker or independent William H. Pierce?
The voters will decide.
The election is unusual because whoever gets selected will have to campaign again in May, when the seat would normally have been up for grabs.
Following are profiles of the candidates, plus responses to questions posed to them by The Virginian-Pilot. [Questions]
The Clipper asked each of the three candidates for the special City Council election Nov. 7 for the following information about themselves:
1. Describe your education
2. Summarize your major campaign themes, ideas, platforms, proposals, etc.
3. List your political/community service experience.
4. Other than election/campaign-related appearances, when was the last time you participated in a community meeting? (e.g. neighborhood group, PTA, service club.) How did you participate?
5. If elected, how will you stay in touch with Chesapeake citizens?
6. How would you increase citizen involvement in solving Chesapeake's problems?
7. What is your proudest achievement in public life?
8. How would you go about telling voters you have changed your mind or made a mistake about an important issue?
9. In making a policy decision, how would you balance the wishes of your voters, the dictates of your political party and your own independence?
10. What is your position on growth in Chesapeake?
11. Are you troubled by a general tone of partisan divisiveness in Chesapeake? If so, what can you do to help?
12. Are you concerned about diversity (racial, gender, socio-economic) on city boards, commissions, council and the School Board? If so, what could you do about it? [Interviews follow] [Dalton S. Edge]
Dalton S. Edge's answering machine lets callers know why he thinks he should be elected to City Council: ``Don't forget Nov. 7, you need an Edge on Council.''
Edge, 47, a resident of the Hickory section of Chesapeake, has served on council for a little more than six months, since he was appointed by his Republican peers to fill the seat vacated when Vice Mayor Arthur L. Dwyer resigned in April.
He was beaten by only 28 votes in last May's election for a council seat. If he wins this race, he'll have to defend his seat once again this May, when Dwyer's position would normally have gone on the ballot.
He hopes citizens will be won over by his actions on council so far and his deeply held convictions - conservative, limited government, faith in God, strong family and hard work.
The father of two is a farmer and small businessman by trade and no stranger to getting tough jobs done.
He takes some credit for Republican initiatives, such as revamping the city's Housing Authority. He stood behind a surprise ouster of City Manager James W. Rein, led by Republican colleague and Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr.
``My position has just been to work with the situation and go with the improvement process,'' he said.
But Edge also has made some decisions that have not been popular with the majority.
He supported a proposal to let city voters say whether they wanted state legislation to slow residential development until there are adequate public facilities (like schools) to support it. The proposal failed.
He was on the losing side of a recent vote over raising water rates; he thought they should stay the same, considering that nearly 40 percent of city residents have had to endure for months water that's not been potable due to high chloride and sodium levels.
He also advanced a plan to give rebates to residents who have had bad water; that was defeated.
``It was a disappointment to me, because at least it would show people that government was thinking about them,'' he said.
Edge does not agree with those, including his two opponents, who say that council members argue too much and too bitterly to be effective. The decision to oust Rein, criticized as being sudden and unduly harsh, was not as poorly made as some have charged, Edge said.
``We've discussed Jim Rein's employment for a long time,'' Edge said. ``To say that this was a surprise or off the cuff is just false.''
Firing someone is never easy, he said.
And conducting the public's business is not easy either, he said. Dissent should not only be expected, it should be desirable.
``Democracy's messy,'' he said. ``And decisions need to be made in public and not in some back room somewhere.''
Edge's responses to The Virginian-Pilot's questions:
1. Diploma, J.P. Knapp High School, 1966; one semester short of a degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C.
2. Minimize government intrusion, but increase government responsiveness. Government can only do so much. (1) Public safety. (2) Public education. (3) Promote fairness. (4) Provide safety net. (5) Promote basic services.
3. Vice chairman, Hickory United Methodist Church; past vice chairman, Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation commission; director, Chesapeake Farm Bureau; past commissioner of Chesapeake Port Authority; past director, Hickory Ruritan Club.
4. Oct. 21, Farm Bureau annual dinner; Oct. 16 Cedar Works Ruritan Club.
5. Continue my history of community activism.
6. Insist on more open government. Include citizens in as many activities as possible. Be responsive to citizens and not special interests.
7. Leading the vote totals in areas of the city where citizens knew me!
8. Admission of humanness is no sin.
9. This is probably the most difficult decision. Do what is best for others and not yourself.
10. Reasonable controls. Supported adequate public facilities initiative.
11. Democracy, to work, must be open and frank. Vigorous discussion sometimes can be noisy.
12. Quotas are unacceptable, but unfairness is as well. We must strive to appoint the most capable individual while realizing that diversity is a strength and not a weakness. Differing situations demand differing individuals. [Dwight M. Parker]
Dwight M. Parker warned his wife-to-be seven years ago that marrying him would mean living and dying in Chesapeake. She agreed, and now they've got a baby daughter.
``It's a good place to live,'' he said. ``And other people think so, too. People are coming here like crazy.''
A government teacher at Deep Creek High School for more than 20 years and a resident of his parents' home until he tied the knot at age 38, Parker is the epitome of stability.
It's what he hopes to bring to City Council should he be elected Nov. 7.
``I'm not a dogmatic person, by any means,'' he said. ``I'm reasonable. And all of those things, I think, are needed by City Council right now.
``We need stability. We don't have it.''
Parker, a resident of the Ipswich Village section of town, is no stranger to politics. He ran as a Democrat in 1994 against former Vice Mayor Arthur L. Dwyer, a Republican. Dwyer defeated Parker by a narrow margin of just under 50 votes. Dwyer was later forced to resign, but councilmen appointed another Republican, Dalton S. Edge, to fill the seat temporarily. Edge was defeated narrowly in a race of his own during the 1994 election.
Parker and Edge now are vying against each other and a third contender for the seat.
``I think my chances are fairly good, even though the Republicans control council,'' Parker said. ``He's the appointed incumbent, so he hasn't really been tested yet.''
That's Parker's way - optimism.
He exudes it, particularly when dealing with his students, to the point that one girl asked him recently why he was so cheerful in the morning.
``I love the job,'' he said. ``I love people.''
He's had the school yearbook dedicated to him a couple of times. Seniors last year voted him their favorite teacher.
``I try to be their friend, but yet their teacher,'' he said. ``There's a very fine line.
``I talk to them.''
After more than two decades teaching kids how government works, Parker said he knows the ins and outs.
His wife complains, he said, that he takes too long to make decisions.
``I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing, when I do it,'' he said.
Parker said he believes strongly in family, community and honesty. He is committed to the idea that council needs diversity, racial, geographic, socio-economic and otherwise. But he said that this race, with him the only black candidate, should not be viewed as a test of whether Chesapeake voters are racist.
``I think the voters of Chesapeake are going to vote for good people, be they black, white, pink or blue,'' he said. ``And I hope that's what they'll see in me - a good, honest council person.''
Parker's responses to The Virginian-Pilot's questions:
1. Diploma, G.W. Carver High Dwight M. Parker warned his wife-to-be seven years ago that marrying him would mean living and dying in Chesapeake. She agreed, and now they've got a baby daughter.
``It's a good place to live,'' he said. ``And other people think so, too. People are coming here like crazy.''
A government teacher at Deep Creek High School for more than 20 years and a resident of his parents' home until he tied the knot at age 38, Parker is the epitome of stability.
It's what he hopes to bring to City Council should he be elected Nov. 7.
``I'm not a dogmatic person, by any means,'' he said. ``I'm reasonable. And all of those things, I think, are needed by City Council right now.
``We need stability. We don't have it.''
Parker, a resident of the Ipswich Village section of town, is no stranger to politics. He ran as a Democrat in 1994 against former Vice Mayor Arthur L. Dwyer, a Republican. Dwyer defeated Parker by a narrow margin of just under 50 votes. Dwyer was later forced to resign, but councilmen appointed another Republican, Dalton S. Edge, to fill the seat temporarily. Edge was defeated narrowly in a race of his own during the 1994 election.
``I think my chances are fairly good, even though the Republicans control council,'' Parker said. ``He's the appointed incumbent, so he hasn't really been tested yet.''
That's Parker's way - optimism.
He exudes it, particularly when dealing with his students, to the point that one girl asked him recently why he was so cheerful in the morning.
``I love the job,'' he said. ``I love people.''
He's had the school yearbook dedicated to him a couple of times. Seniors last year voted him their favorite teacher.''
After more than two decades teaching kids how government works, Parker said he knows the ins and outs.
His wife complains, he said, that he takes too long to make decisions.
``I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing, when I do it,'' he said.
Parker's responses to The Virginian-Pilot's questions:
1. Diploma, G.W. Carver High School, 1968: bachelor's degree in political science, with endorsement in education, Norfolk State University, 1973.
2. As a teacher, I see very clearly the link between a first-rate public education system and a city's success. The better educated our children become, the greater will be their opportunities to excel.
A better educated community and work force is also a great drawing card for new business. More new business can mean a stronger tax base, which in turn can mean lower property taxes for everyone.
3. Currently I am a member, board of directors, Volunteers in Youth Services; treasurer and member of trustees board, First Baptist Church South Hill; member, Ipswich Homeowners Association; member, Chesapeake Men for Progress; member, Amateur Softball Association; member, South Hill Masonic Lodge No. 197, Prince Hall Lodge of Virginia; and member, Deep Creek High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association.
4. I served in July as a volunteer for the first CARE Fair, sponsored by city agencies such as the school system and the Chesapeake Health Department. The event was designed to provide free health screenings to Chesapeake's residents who wanted to be tested for a wide range of medical conditions. I helped register participants.
I continue to attend and participate in my regular set of programs, including my church, PTSA meetings at Deep Creek and other community boards.
5. My job will be to listen and learn. Input will come from attendance at as many civic league meetings as possible, and my continued participation in a broad range of community affairs.
6. I think we need to give government back to the people. I will hold quarterly town meetings in each of Chesapeake's boroughs. But it's not enough for me alone to listen to Chesapeake's citizens. I'd like to see various representatives from city departments attend those meetings with me to bring them face-to-face with the people they're paid to serve, which I hope would give everyone a better understanding of the depth of concern about our city's problems.
7. Most recently, being named favorite teacher by Deep Creek's 1995 senior class. Overall, I'm proudest when graduates come back to school and tell I made a difference in their lives. I can witness firsthand their transformations from noisy students to successful, productive adults.
8. I don't have anything to hide, even mistakes. I'd take the most direct route, which means attending meetings and speaking freely about my feelings or position about any issue. If that method isn't available, I expect I'll spend more than one night on the phone talking with citizens who've expressed concern, and reaching out to individuals who can give me the insight I need.
9. Unless it violates my sense of right and wrong, I intend to follow the wishes of Chesapeake's citizens. I can't speak for Republicans, but I can tell you that since partisan council elections ended in 1985, Chesapeake's Democrats have not dictated what a council member should or should not do, and it should stay that way.
10. Even when Chesapeake was in its infancy, growth was an issue: Should Chesapeake remain a more rural community, or should we become another Virginia Beach? I don't think either end of the spectrum is right, and that we should stick to the balance struck by the land use map and the comprehensive land use plan.
11. I don't think anybody who follows City Council can possibly be satisfied with the tone of debate or the results, and I'm especially worried when I hear council members talk about secret meetings and plots hatched behind closed doors.
12. Of course I'm concerned about diversity because sooner or later, any organization which draws its membership from only one segment of society is bound to end up in trouble. In a city where over 50 percent of the population is female, it's a shame that not one woman serves on City Council. It's wrong to have only one black member on council when almost 30 percent of the city is black.
We can help correct that situation by appointing members to boards and commissions to represent all segments of the city . . . because no one should have a lock on knowledge or leadership. [William H. Pierce]
William H. Pierce spent his career being what he calls an ``honest broker.''
A retired management analyst for the federal government, charged with deciding how much staff, equipment and money various military bases needed, Pierce is accustomed to being lobbied hard - and then having to make fair, impartial decisions.
He thinks the experience would serve him well on a City Council that's often accused of making public policy decisions based on partisan politics or a desire to appease special interest groups.
``I'm prepared to make the tough calls,'' said Pierce, who this summer took the city to court because officials refused to release a key report about voting patterns in Chesapeake. ``I might be a one-term councilman, but somebody's got to stand up and be counted.''
Pierce, a father of four whose main hobby is government watching, believes it's time for a change on City Council.
Councilmen, he said, are driven by their affiliations to the Democrats or Republicans. (There's only one independent now in the group: Councilman Alan P. Krasnoff.) They have failed to solve important city problems, make long-term plans or conduct the public's business in a dignified, professional way, he said.
The sudden firing last week of City Manager James W. Rein, led by Republican Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr. and backed by other Republicans on council, is a good example, Pierce said.
``It was a public lynching,'' he said. ``And people I've talked to around town feel the same way. They're angry, not so much that they fired Rein, but at how they did it.''
Pierce said voters should elect him, then one other independent in May. That way, no party would have a clear majority, he said.
``It would force both political parties to come to the bargaining table and do what's best for the city,'' he said.
Pierce's responses to The Virginian-Pilot's questions:
1. Diploma, Reno High School, Reno, Nev., 1952; bachelor's degree in history, Troy State University, Troy, Ala., 1976; master's degree in public administration, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., 1979.
2. Restore public confidence in City Council. Provide the maturity and leadership to restore dignity, decency and decorum to the conduct of public business. Lack of long-term planning on the part of council (e.g. solutions to road, water, etc.) result in ``crisis'' management. In addition, myriad scandals from 1990-1995 (resignations of mayor and vice mayor), partisan bickering and an unprofessional and undignified public execution in the firing of the city manager have caused our citizens to lose trust and confidence in our City Council.
An epitaph written for Mr. Carl Albert of Oklahoma, long-time speaker of the House of Representatives, best summarizes the sentiments of the citizens of Chesapeake: ``It is fitting that the public business be lodged in the hand of him found worthy of the public trust.''
My proposals:
Obtain legislation which articulates in detail a comprehensive and equitable policy of managed growth.
Major reorganization of the School Board, which merges support functions (accounting, personnel, transportation, etc.) under the city. The reorganization eliminates duplication of effort, fragmented workload and resolves systemic management problems. This initiative saves $15 million to $17 million per year and protects the city against a spending crisis similar to that at Virginia Beach.
An independent audit of the School Board by an outside agency to ensure we have a ``yardstick'' with which to measure the elected School Board.
Reassess the workload of the police and fire departments to determine if the tremendous growth in the city warrants increasing the manpower and equipment requirements of these two departments.
3. No political experience; first time I have run for public office. Active in the Great Bridge Church of God, volunteer at Chesapeake General Hospital, volunteer at the city's CARE Fair project, member Chesapeake Taxpayer's Association, a nonpartisan civic league.
4. Active participant in recent public hearings to establish a Chesapeake Historical Preservation Commission. Provided oral and written input from the perspective of a citizen concerned about the history of our city, plus an academic perspective, because I have a degree in history and am extremely interested in this initiative.
5. Plan to make councilman duties a full-time job. Will be in the office eight hours a day, five days a week. Citizens will have greatly increased access to their elected representative as they can come in and see me without an appointment.
6. Visit civic leagues and other public forums and solicit citizen input on issues. Encourage ideas from citizens by letter, phone, fax or personal visit to my office to discuss issues and resolve problems.
7. Spearheaded the collection of more than 13,000 signatures of registered voters to force a referendum on an elected school board for the city of Chesapeake in May 1993.
An elected board changes the entire way the city of Chesapeake operates and provides the impetus to attack and resolve long-standing education problems, because we are now free from partisan political agendas, which prevent an all-out assault on problems associated with the education of our children.
8. Open-mindedness and honesty are a maxim in my profession. As a management analyst by profession, I have been trained to be the ``honest broker'' on every issue. I always look for the best solution to every problem from every source and when relevant facts and logic are presented, I willingly change my mind.
9. After a detailed analysis of an issue, my policy decisions will be based entirely on what is right, ethical and in the best interests of the citizens of Chesapeake. As an independent, I have no moral obligation to support the dictates of any political party. I am looking for the best solution from any source. Over the years, my conscience would not permit me to align myself with a political party because intrinsic to this affiliation is a moral obligation to ``sell your soul to the company store.'' I have found that often times a political party's position may not be illegal, but is certainly unethical. I refuse to be a part of a political party that has no compunction about ethical conduct.
10. Staunch advocate of managed growth. The most important issue facing the city at this time. I believe we need legislation which spells out in detail our policy, because the City Council has demonstrated they do not have the will to manage growth by standing up to special interest groups. I believe we can design a managed growth policy which is equitable to citizens, industry and the city. In a supply and demand economy, the scare tactics opponents of managed growth use is to infer it will drive business away - this is simply not true.
11. I am extremely concerned about partisan divisiveness and bickering, and believe this is the major reason the majority of the citizens of Chesapeake have lost confidence in our City Council's ability to conduct the public business in a professional and dignified manner. Although serious debate on any issue is healthy, the citizens expect the public business to be conducted with dignity, decency and decorum. For the past five years, the actions of council, which include the resignation of a mayor and vice mayor for misconduct, plus a public lynching of the city manager, are a continuous source of embarrassment to our citizens. Our citizens are tired of ``business as usual'' and deserve better government.
12. I am concerned about diversity, especially because the U.S. Justice Department's analysis of our voting trends concludes that there is racial polarization in Chesapeake. Our history indicates that the at-large system has been successful in the past in ensuring minority and gender representation. I am confident this trend will continue in council and School Board elections. What can I do to help? Through contacts with our citizens (civic leagues, public forums and personal contact), I will identify qualified candidates from every race, gender and economic status and encourage them to run for public office. I will offer my support in terms of actively working in their campaign to include financial and in-kind support.
In appointing members to city boards and commissions, I will support on the best-qualified candidate without regard to political party affiliation, race, gender or socio-economic status. ILLUSTRATION: [Color cover photos of each candidate]
[Inside photos] Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Dalton S. Edge was appointed by his Republican peers to fill the
seat vacated by Vice Mayor Arthur L. Dwyer.
Staff photos by MORT FRYMAN
Dwight M. Parker is a government teacher at Deep Creek High School.
William H. Pierce is a retired management analyst for the federal
government.
KEYWORDS: INTERVIEW PROFILE CANDIDATE CHESAPEAKE CITY COUNCILMANIC
RACE ELECTION by CNB