The Norfolk City Council is scheduled to take up redistricting at its council meeting today. It is at the top of the informal agenda and at the bottom of the formal one.
In an editorial today, The Virginian-Pilot says that the proposals the council is considering don’t reflect a decade of change in our city:
In ways that go well beyond the skyline downtown, or the members of the City Council, or the neighborhoods people hail from, Norfolk is a different place today than it was a decade ago.
So, why has there been so little change in the way citizens elect leaders? Today, the City Council may decide on a once-a-decade plan to rejigger Norfolk’s electoral borders. Despite the transformation in the past decade, the city’s competing proposals contain precious few real changes.
The only plan put forth that is reflective of the change in Norfolk is that presented last week by Rodney Jordan. The council, though, appears to be poised to completely ignore that plan. And in an article today, we learn why:
“The plan is a good one, but you’re asking someone to vote himself out of office,” Councilwoman Angelia Williams said.
Councilman Andy Protogyrou, whose ward would become the “swing” ward, agreed, saying, “I love what I’m doing and can’t support putting myself out of business.”
The old boss is the same as the new boss. Two of the three newly-elected members of council are more concerned with protecting themselves instead of looking out for the best interests of the voters. Contrary to what Williams and Protogyrou think, those seats belong to the citizens of Norfolk, not either of them.
The bright bulb in the bunch, once again, is Tommy Smigiel, who gets it.
Smigiel questioned why a vote is being held before the council has debated the issue. Jones pledged two months ago to end the practice of having a vote on a controversial issue on the same day it is initially debated. Jones did not return a phone call or email for comment Monday.
“I don’t understand what the rush is all about,” Smigiel said. “We don’t have a City Council election until 2012.”
And after a decent start (despite the TiVest ordeal), City Manager Marcus Jones’ actions in this case are a disappointment.
We shall see what tonight’s meetings bring. A delay in action on this vote would be nice, but I’m not holding my breath.
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VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Councilman Smigiel said “end the practice of having a vote on a controversial issue on the same day it is initially debated. “. He is correct this should end in all cities. It allows for things to be said that are not true and people take statements for fact only to find out later the speaker, sometimes a Councilmember or city staff, were completely wrong. It is a disservice to the citizens when you rush things through like that.
Also, did you really expect the elected officials to care what is best for the city when it effects their office. It is a very rare official who puts the citizens before themselves as we have seen at the state and now local level.
A gal can hope, right? 😦