THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 29, 1996 TAG: 9610290281
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MEREDITH COHN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 68 lines
Naming issues from growth management to taxes, about 40 residents gathered Monday night at Deep Creek High School to learn how they can play a larger role in local decision-making.
The meeting, sponsored by the Chesapeake Council of Civic Leagues, was called to spread the word about a petition drive slated for Election Day, Nov. 5. Supporters of a so-called advisory referendum will be collecting signatures at each poll site.
Advisory referendums allow citizens to place questions on an election ballot - with signatures from at least 15 percent of registered voters - and give the public a chance to express views for or against a topic the City Council may be considering. The council, however, would not be bound by the referendum decision.
Chesapeake does not have referendum power now, but by collecting signatures the civic leagues hope to persuade the city to ask the state legislature to allow it.
``It's a way for people to take what they feel is important, their gut instincts, to the rest of the people for their opinion,'' said Gene Waters, petition organizer and president of the Council of Civic Leagues.
Virginia Beach, which has had the referendum power for more than 20 years, used it to measure support for such proposals as changing the way City Council members won their seats and whether the School Board should be chosen by direct election.
``This leaves to citizens the responsibility to get a fairly significant cross section of voters' signatures before they can get a question on the ballot, so it's hard to abuse the power,'' said state Sen. Mark L. Earley, a Republican whose 14th District includes portions of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Earley said he will introduce a bill in the Senate to change the city's charter to allow advisory referendums if the city asks him. If the council does not ask, he will seek a change in Virginia law to allow Chesapeake citizens the right to referendum.
Some Council members have already expressed their support for the referendum or the idea of more citizen input: These include John M. deTriquet, Alan P. Krasnoff, Dalton S. Edge and Elizabeth P. Thornton. At least one councilman, Peter P. Duda Jr., opposes the change because he says Council members are elected to make ``the hard decisions'' for their city.
DeTriquet, who attended the rally Monday night, said the referendum would help ``stop the elitist attitude that has elected officials saying, `You elected me and I'm going to tell you what you need.' ''
Waters said he has enough volunteers to man half the polls already, but he hoped to recruit more citizens Monday night. No specific number of signatures is required - just enough of the approximately 80,000 registered voters in Chesapeake to convince the City Council the public wants referendum power, he said.
Grover Hathaway, 62, a member of the Western Branch Civic League, said he will volunteer at the polls because he would like citizens to gain a say in the financing of major city projects such as the proposed convention center.
``They ought not to sneak by us and borrow money,'' he said. ``Give us a chance to vote for a tax increase.''
Beverly Pillers, 44, of Hickory, said she would like citizens to have a say on growth management.
``I look at it as a tool where we can show our support. There are certain issues that have been in the legislative package for years, and they never get voted on.''
Marian Bullock of South Norfolk, a member of the South Side Civic League, said, ``On average, I think the council members do their best, but sometimes I'd like to have an opportunity to see what the community wants.''
KEYWORDS: PETITION REFERENDUM CHESAPEAKE by CNB