THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604190242
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Chesapeake needs better, less-crowded schools and roads.
City officials must do more to control the fast-paced residential development that has changed the community's character and strained basic services.
That was the essential message Wednesday night from the candidates for City Council and mayor. The 11 - nine running for council and two for mayor - participated in a public forum at Oscar F. Smith High School, sponsored by the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations and the League of Women Voters. The groups held a similar forum for School Board candidates Thursday night.
A panel of representatives from the league and from various city civic organizations questioned council candidates about issues ranging from Chesapeake's growth to its cooperation with other cities in the region.
Some candidates and their backers privately criticized the forum afterward because the panel included Gene Waters, president of the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations. Waters recently went public with his endorsement of John A. Cosgrove, who is seeking to wrest the mayor's seat from incumbent William E. Ward. Waters had emphasized that his endorsement was made as a private citizen, not as an officer of the civic group.
The forum lasted two hours. All candidates were given a chance to give short opening and closing statements, plus respond individually to the panelists' questions.
With little variation, all contenders promised they would place high priority on improving education and other services that would bolster citizens' quality of life; all said they would concentrate on planning for future growth and dealing with the fallout from development that has already occurred.
They differed somewhat, however, in their views on how to accomplish that.
Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr., William H. Pierce, James E. Whitener, Dalton S. Edge, Ward and Cosgrove support some measure to stop or delay certain rezonings until city services, such as roads and schools, can support the resulting development.
``We're at a crisis level here,'' Pierce said.
But Ward cautioned that strict growth-control measures send a bad message to business: that Chesapeake doesn't want them here.
Whitener had similar concerns.
``We cannot put developers out of business,'' he said. Whitener said the city should look for many different tools to manage growth without totally choking it.
Those who are seeking council seats for the first time criticized the current council for bickering and lacking a vision to deal with those issues.
``We need a singleness of purpose,'' said Whitener.
``We can take our city back,'' said Cosgrove, who accused Ward of being a puppet of developers, the only real negative campaign barb of the evening. ``We can say, `Slow down,' to those who would build, build and build some more.''
Incumbents emphasized what they've already done to make the city a better place.
Ward cautioned that the issues facing Chesapeake are complex. Leaders must find a way to balance citizens' needs for a stable, well-planned community with the city's needs to promote economic development. Experience will be key in doing that, he said.
Several candidates said the city needs to offer economic incentives to companies considering relocation to Chesapeake. Others said they would prefer to improve the city's infrastructure or work with other area cities to attract business.
None said they would raise taxes, although Ward didn't rule out the need for more taxes in the years ahead, as the city continues to grow. MEMO: The forum was taped and will air on Cable Channel 23, the city's public
access channel, today at noon and 10 p.m.; Friday at 9 a.m.; April 30 at
10:30 p.m.; May 6 at 10 p.m.; and May 7, voting day, at 3 a.m. Thursday
night's School Board forum will air today at 1:30; Monday at 9:20 p.m.;
Wednesday at 9 a.m.; May 6 at 7 p.m.; and May 7 at midnight.
by CNB