HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Actions 05-13-96 PHROANOKE CITY COUNCIL
PUBLIC HEARING
MONDA Y, MA Y 13, 1996
7:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER~
AGENDA
Call to Order-- Roll Call.
Welcome -- Invocation. Mayor Bowers.
The Hedge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America will be led
by Mayor Bowers.
Statement of Purpose. Mayor Bowers.
Public hearing to receive comments of cit~ to determine whether the citizens
of the City of Roanoke desire City Council to request the General Assembly to
amend the City Charter to provide for nomination of candidates for City Council
solely by petition of the qualified voters of the City and for elimination of the
political paRies fi'om the nominating process (the foregoing nominating process
sometimes being referred to as a "nonpartisan" nominz~ing process).
5. Adjournment.
MARY E PARKER, CMC/AAE
City Cl~rk
CITY OF ROANOKF.
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
215 Church Avenue, S.W., Room 456
Roanoke, Virginia 24011-1336
Telephone: (340) 981-2341
Fax: (340) 224-3143
SANDRA H. EAKIN
Deputy Ci~ Clerk
March 20, 1996
File ft40-132-175
Wilbum C. Dibling, Jr.
City Attorney
Roanoke, Virginia
Dear Mr. Dibling:
Your report responding to Council's inquiry relating to non-partisan elections, was before
the Council of the City of Roanoke at a regular meeting held on Monday, March 18, 1996.
On motion, duly seconded and adopted, Council authorized a public headng to be held on
Monday, April 22, 1996, at 7:00 p.m., on the question of holding a referendum to determine
if the qualified voters of the City of Roanoke are in favor of some form of modified ward
system for electing City Council Members.
Council also authorized a public headng to be held on Monday, May 13, 1996, at
7:00 p.m., with regard to the matter of partisan or non-partisan election of City Council
Members.
Sincerely,
Mary F. Parker, CMClAAE
City Clerk
MFP:sm
pc: W. Robert Herbert, City Manegor
CITY OF ROANOKE
OFFICE OF CITY ATTORNEY
464 MUNICIPAL BUILDING
215 CHURCH AVENUE, SW
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA 24011-1595
TELEPHONE: 540-981.2431
TELECOPIER: 540-224-3071
WlLBURN C. DISLING, JR.
c~T~ ^TTO.NE~
March 18, 1996
WILLIAM X PARSONS
STEVEN J. ?ALEVl
GLADYS L. YATES
GARYE. TEGENKAMP
ASSISTANT CiTY ATTORNEYS
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
Roanoke, Virginia
Re: CiTY COUNCIL ELECTION PROCEDURES
Dear Mayor Bowers and Council Members:
At the Council meeting of January 16, 1996, Council Member
McCadden offered the opinion that City Council elections should be
without regard to political affiliation. He requested that the
City Attorney research this matter and present alternatives to
eliminate party affiliation in the local electoral process. By
unanimous vote, the matter was then referred to me for review and
report.
I am pleased to present this report in response to Council's
request. The report describes the current municipal electoral
process with particular emphasis on the role of the political
parties, describes alternative procedures used by other
municipalities and discusses First Amendment principles that must
always be adhered to. Council's decision as to the wisdom of the
various alternatives is, of course, an inherently political matter,
and the City Attorney can offer no recommendation as to the
alternatives.
CURRENT ELECTION PROCEDURES FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER~
Current election procedures for the Mayor and Council members
are controlled by the Roanoke Charter of 1952 and general law of
the Commonwealth. The City Charter has surprisingly little to say
about this process. Section 4 of the City Charter states that the
Council shall consist of seven members, including the Mayor, all of
whom shall be elected at large and serve for four year terms. The
same section provides for staggered terms. Specifically, ~4
provides that the Mayor and three members of Council shall be
elected on the first Tuesday in May, 1972, and each four years
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
thereafter. On the first Tuesday in May, 1974, and each four years
thereafter, three Council members shall be elected. As is the
case with most Virginia city charters, the Roanoke City Charter
does not address the nominating process or electgral procedures.
The process by which one becomes a candidate for City Council
and related deadlines and the printing of ballots and content
thereof is controlled by State law. Independent candidates (those
who are not candidates for party nomination) who desire to seek a
seat on City Council are required to file a declaration of
candidacy with the General Registrar. Section 24.2-505.C., Code of
Virginia (1950), as amended. An independent candidate for City
Council must also file, along with his or her declaration of
candidacy, a petition signed by one hundred twenty-five qualified
voters. Section 24.2-506. For general and special elections held
in May, declarations of candidacy and petitions of independents
shall be filed by 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in March. Section
24.2-507. Names of independent candidates who have filed are
transmitted by the Secretary of the local Electoral Board to the
State Board immediately after the filing deadline. Section 24 2-
505.C. ·
As to party nominations, the duly constituted authorities of
the political party for the city, county or town in which any
office is to be filled have the right to determine the method by
which a party nomination for that office shall be made. Section
24.2-509. Nominations by political parties for general and special
elections to City Council held in May shall be completed by 7:00
p.m. on the first Tuesday in March. Section 24.2-510. Each party
chairman has the responsibility of certifying the names of
candidates for City Council who have been nominated by the party by
a method other than a primary to the State Board and to the
Secretary of the local Board not later than five days after the
last day for nominations to be made. Section 24.2-511.B.
Primaries may also be held by the parties to nominate
candidates for City Council upon a party chairman's filing timely
written notice with the State Electoral Board as to the request for
a primary and identifying each office for which a primary has been
adopted. Section 24.2-516. Primaries for the nomination of
candidates for offices to be voted on in May shall be held on the
first Tuesday in March next preceding such election. Section 24.2-
515. Notice as to the request for a primary must be filed by the
chairman of the political party requesting a primary not more than
one hundred ten (110) days and not less than ninety (90) days
before the date set for the primary. Section 24.2-516. Upon
appropriate notice, the State Board of Elections orders the holding
of a primary. Section 24.2-517.
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
3
Once candidates have been chosen, either by the party
nominating process or by the petition process for independents, the
form of the ballot becomes the responsibility of the State Board of
Elections. Immediately after the expiration o~ the time for a
candidate to qualify to have his or her name printed on the
official ballot, each local electoral board is required to forward
to the State Board a list of names of candidates who have filed for
each office. Section 24.2-612. For general and special elections,
the State Board of Elections determines by lot the order on the
ballot of the political parties. For each party, the names of its
candidates appear together in the order determined by the party.
The names of independent candidates appear alphabetically as a
class after the candidates of the political parties. No names of
political parties appear on the ballot except in the case of
Presidential elections. Section 24.2-613.
I am attaching a sample ballot utilized in the general
election for Mayor and City Council members on May 5, 1992. See
Attachment A. As you can see, there are no names of political
parties on the ballot. The candidates of each political party for
each office are, however, lumped together in the order determined
by their parties.
ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES
I have been asked to suggest alternatives to the current
process for electing members of Roanoke City Council. While it
would be inappropriate for me to comment on the merits of
alternative procedures, I am pleased to describe several
alternative procedures.
The City of Tempe, Arizona, has explicitly established non-
partisan elections for its Mayor and City Council members by City
Code. The Tempe City Code provides as follows:
"Ail elections for Mayor and City Councilmen
shall be non-partisan and nothing on the
ballot in any primary or general election
shall be indicative of the source of the
candidacy or of the support of the candidate.',
1 Matthews Municipal Ordinances,S31.01 (1990).
Since Virginia follows the Dillon Rule which holds that a municipal
corporation possesses and can exercise only (1) those powers
granted in express words; (2) those powers necessarily or fairly
implied in or incident to the powers expressly granted; and (3)
those powers essential to the declared objects and purposes of the
corporation, not simply convenient, but indispensable (Stallinqs v.
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
4
Wall, 235 Va. 313, 367 S.E.2d 496 (1988)), a local governing body
in Virginia is without authority to establish its own election
procedures by ordinance. Election procedures and the nominating
process as to local government offices are cQntrolled by the
General Assembly in Virginia. As previously noted, the general law
of the Commonwealth as set out in the Code of Virginia ordinarily
applies. Several Virginia cities, however, have unique local
procedures set out in their City Charters.
One such example is the City of Portsmouth. Section 3.02 of
Portsmouth Charter of 1970 provides that candidates for the council
shall be nominated by petition. Only candidates who have been
nominated by petition may, under the Portsmouth Charter, have their
names printed on the ballot. A nominating petition shall be signed
by at least seventy-five qualified voters of the city, and any
person whose name has been submitted for candidacy by a petition is
required to file his or her acceptance of the candidacy with the
Clerk of the Circuit Court. A copy of S3.02 of the Portsmouth City
Charter is attached as Attachment B. The effect of the Portsmouth
City Charter is to take political parties out of the nominating
process. All candidates for Portsmouth City Council obtain a place
on the ballot by virtue of a procedure similar to that followed by
independent candidates in the City of Roanoke. Thereafter, the
names of the candidates are listed in alphabetical order on the
ballot.
The Charter of the City of Richmond (S3.02) specifically bars
nomination by primary and provides that all candidates shall be
nominated by petition only. See Attachment C. In the case of
candidates for Richmond City Council, the required petition must
include the signatures of 125 qualified voters. Nomination by
petition, as in the case of the cities of Portsmouth and Richmond,
is fairly common on a national basis. See C. Rhyne, The Law of
Local Government Operations, ~7.6 (1980).
Another example of non-partisan elections established by the
Virginia General Assembly is contained in the new procedures for
election of school boards. Section 22.1-57.3.E., Code of Virginia
(1950), as amended, provides that candidates for local school
boards shall be nominated by petition only. In order to achieve a
place on the ballot in a city school board election, a candidate
must present a petition with one hundred twenty-five signatures of
qualified voters. Section 24.2-506. Thus, the political parties
are excluded by State law from participating in the nominating
process for school board elections.
The City of Salem has, on several occasions, been cited to me
as an example of a Virginia city that adheres to non-partisan
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
5
elections for its Mayor and City Council. In fact, as a matter of
law, Salem's nominating and election procedures are strikingly
similar to the City of Roanoke's procedures. Section 3.2 of the
Salem Charter of 1968 specifically states that nominations and
elections shall be held in accordance with the general laws of the
Commonwealth. I am attaching as Attachment D SS3.1 through 3.3 of
the Salem Charter. Based upon my analysis of the Salem Charter, it
is apparent that non-partisan elections exist in Salem by virtue of
custom and tradition, not law. The political parties in the City
of Roanoke could decline to nominate candidates (and, indeed, in
some years they have so declined), just as the political parties in
Salem have customarily declined to nominate candidates for Salem
City Council.
In describing alternative election procedures, there is no
intent to denigrate the City's current procedures. A recent study
of the Virginia Municipal League establishes that the current
nominating process for Roanoke City Council is very similar to that
followed in the vast majority of Virginia cities. According to the
VML study, in thirty-seven of the forty-one cities of Virginia,
there are no partisan labels on the election ballot as in the case
of the City of Roanoke. The same study shows that in thirty-seven
of Virginia's forty-one cities, neither the City Charter nor City
Code addresses the nominating process as in the case of the City of
Roanoke. See Election and Composition of Virginia Local Governing
Bodies (Virginia Municipal League, July, 1995). Where the City
Charter does not address the nominating process, general law, as
discussed above, would apply.
While several Virginia cities, such as Portsmouth and
Richmond, have charters that provide for nomination by petition
only, most Virginia cities have a nominating process established by
general law that is, as a matter of law, virtually identical to
this City's process. As a practical matter, however, the extent of
actual party involvement in municipal elections varies greatly from
one Virginia locality to another with there being significant party
activity in some mayoral and council elections and little or none
in others. See M. Wilkinson and M. Fields, Handbook for Virginia
Mayors and Councilmembers, at 13 (1979).
FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES
Initially, it should be recognized that the First Amendment to
the United States Constitution guarantees the rights of association
and free speech. All persons have the right to join political
parties and participate in their activities. Parties and their
members have the inherent right to endorse candidates for offices
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
and to advocate the election of those persons favored by their
endorsement.
The First Amendment, however, is not offended by laws
forbidding the designation of political parties or the affiliation
of candidates upon the ballot. Such laws have been sustained
against the contention that they prohibit political parties or
interfere with their operation. See 3 McQuillin on Municipal
~orporations, S12.02 (1990); Douglas v. Sturgill, 261 S.W.2d 290
(Ky. 1953); Strade v. Sullivan, 236 P.2d 48 (Ariz. 1951); and State
v. Portland, 133 P. 62 (Ore. 1913).
In State v. Portland, supra, the Supreme Court of Oregon, in
reviewing a challenge to a municipal charter prohibiting
designation of the political party or affiliation of candidates
upon the ballot, recognized that people have an inalienable right
to assemble themselves into political parties and that parties have
a right to be protected from interference with constitutionally
protected activities, but opined that the charter provision did not
prohibit political parties or authorize interference with their
activities. Notwithstanding the charter provision, the Court
explained that any party may endorse, support and work for the
election of any candidate. The Court further explained that a
voter desiring to vote for a person of his own political faith will
take interest enough to ascertain the political affiliation of
candidates without having to refer to the ballot in the voting
booth.
As previously noted, in Virginia, only in presidential
elections is there a designation of political parties on the
ballot. For all other elections, however, the candidates of each
party are grouped together on the ballot according to political
party, the order being determined by lot. For an example, see
Attachment A. As to those Virginia cities that provide council
candidates may obtain a place on the ballot by petition only, it is
this provision that eliminates the party nominating process and
precludes the grouping of candidates together on the ballot
according to political party so that even sophisticated voters
cannot determine party affiliation from the content of the ballot.
Although there are no Virginia cases challenging petition only
charter requirements, these provisions are of ancient origin, and
I am confident, based upon my review of the authorities, that
petition only requirements are not violative of the First Amendment
or other Constitutional principles.
Please note that a petition only charter requirement does not
remove political parties from the election process. Parties may
always endorse candidates, campaign for candidates, provide funds
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
7
to them and provide all those other benefits that the political
parties have always provided to their preferred candidates.
Individual candidates may, of course, identify themselves as
members of particular political parties.
CONCLUSION
As to the process by which one becomes a candidate for Mayor
or City Council and obtains a place on the ballot, the City of
Roanoke's Charter provisions are strikingly similar to those of the
majority of Virginia cities. In fact, most Virginia city charters
have little to say on this issue, and general law controls. As a
matter of law, political parties have a role in this process by
virtue of their power to make nominations. Where party nominations
are made, the party's candidates are grouped together on the
ballot, but without designation of party affiliation. Although the
majority of Virginia cities operate under the same law, the extent
of partisanship at the local level is largely a matter of local
custom and tradition.
The charters of several Virginia cities, including Portsmouth
and Richmond, provide that one can become a candidate for mayor or
city council only by the petition process. The effect of this
provision is to remove the political parties from the nominating
process. Without party nominations, there can be no grouping
together on the ballot of candidates according to party. Although
these charter provisions have apparently not been challenged, they
are of long-standing origin, and the cases from other states
suggest that such provisions are constitutional.
While political parties may be removed from the formal
nominating process, the First Amendment protects the right of the
parties and their members to endorse candidates for all offices and
to seek the election of these persons, as well as the right of
candidates to identify themselves as members of a particular
political party.
The Honorable Mayor and Members
of City Council
March 18, 1996
8
I trust that this report is fully responsive to the request of
City Council. Should members of City Council have questions as to
legal issues, I shall be pleased to address them.
With kindest personal regards, I am
Sincerely yours,
Wilburn C. Dibllng, Jr.
City Attorney
WCD:f
Attachments
cc:
W. Robert Herbert, City Manager
Mary F. Parker, City Clerk
Shelva $. Painter, General Registrar
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
SAMPLE BALLOT
CITY OF ROANOKE
GENERAL ELECTION
Tuesday, May 5, 1992
Mayor
(Vote for not more then one)
David A. Bowers
Willis M. "Wick" Anderson
Member
City Council
(Vote for not more than three)
r-~ Rene~ L Anderson
~ Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr.
~ Jamea O. Trout
O Elizabeth T. Bowles
D Beverly B. Lambert
--] Delvla O. "Mac" McCadden
Autlx~lz~ M Elactoml Boam of
City of Romtmke
210 C, ampl~# Ave., Room 104 Courthouse
Roanoke, Virginia 24011
ATTACHMENT A
§ 3.0°
PORTSMOUTH CODE
3.03
ARTICLE IH. CITy COUNCIL
Sec. 3.01. Compodtfon.
"'l'ne council shall consist of seven members to be elected by
and from the city' at large.
See. 3.02. Noo, lnotion of candldateL
(a) Candidates for the cotmefl under the provlaiona of this
charter shall be nominated by petition. Any qualified voter of
the city, may be noml,~t~d aa provided herein. Subject to the
provisions herein, there shall be printed on the ballots to be
used in any municipal election for the election of councilmen
the names of all candidates who have been nominated by peti-
tion and no others. A nominating petition shall conform sub-
stantially to the followinf requirements:
(1) Such petition shall state the name and place of res-
idence of each person whose name is presented for a
place upon the ballot, and shall request such person or
persona to become a candidate or candidates for the
office of ·
councilmen for the City of Portsmouth.
(2) Such petition shall be signed by at least seventy-five
qualified electors of the city.
(8) Each elector si~nin~ a petition may subecribe to one
nomination for each of the places to be filled at the
ensuinf election* and no more.
(4) Such petition shall not be sirned by any elector more
than ninety days prior to the day of such elect:on, and
uautouch peUtton shall be filed with the clerk of the hu~t.
co.urt.of said city not Ieee than sixty days previ-
the say of such election.
(b) Any person whose name has been submitted for candi-
dacy by any such petition, eludl ~e his accept&ace of such
candidacy with the clerk of hualina, s court of said elty a~
least ~ cla~ previou~ to the dab of mzch election,
otherwise his name shah not appeer on the ballot. The filinf
of such as~ptaaee shall be d~ned ~qulvabnt to the filing of
notice or candida~, under the renerni election laws or the
state, and no other notice of candidacy need be given by the
person fitinf the 8an2e,
ATTACHMENT
See. 3.09. Nomination d oendi,4-t~ lot,
See. 8.Or Coufhutdfeuerdm~el.e.
ti,on.
The baUot8 used fa each ~sR'~c~ ~ the elek~on
~ Cmu'~mm ~ be Mtho,R any
An~ ma~t m' symbol. Each qua~ad vo+,et sha~l be
Cc,,,,,~-,~,u fro' th. d~ in which such
billet had m have been v~d jbr moro ~an one
peHe~ ~ be yoM. 'Faa eandklam rucetv',n~
each dlaU'iR shall be declared elect, ed. The gen-
euA laws ,~ ~ C~----mwealth relae~ t~ the
~oadue~ ag e/ee~ow, .o ~a~ as peflin.n~
al~ly ~ the candu~ ~' the Crustal municipal
eleRle~
CA~s ~9"~. Ch. ~1S, ! 1)
ATTACHMENT C
CHAPTER 3. ELECTIONS
Sec. 3.1. Election of councilmen.
On the F~rst Tuesday in May 1974, and on th~
first Tuesday in May every two years thereafter,
there shall be held a ~eneral municipal election,
at which the members of the city council shall be
elec~i. All other municipal elections that may be
held shall be known as spatial municipal elec-
tions.
(Acts 1973, ch. 141, § I.)
Sec. 3.2. General law to control r~i~tration,
no,,tlnm~ion~ a~d election.
Unless otherwise provided in this Charter, reg-
istration, nominations and elections held under
this Charter shall be in accordance with the ~en-
eral laws of the commonwealth.
Sec. 3.3. How rej~ilar municipal election for
eleetton of councilmen conducted.
The candidates in any regular municipal elec-
tion for the election of councilmen, equal in
number to the places to be f'flled, who shall re-
ceive the hi~hest number of votes at such elec-
tion, shall be declared elected.
In any such election, each elector shall be enti-
tled to a vote for a~ many persons as there are
vacancies to be f'flled, and no more. No elector
shall in such election cast more than one vote for
the same person.
In countin~ the vote, any ballot found to con-
taln a ~reater number of names for the office of
councilmen than the number of vacancies in the
council to be filled shall be void, but no ballot
shall be void for containing a less(er] number of
names than is permitted hereby.
ATTACHI/ENT D
MARY E PARKER, CMC/AAE
City Clerk
CITY OF ROANOKE
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
215 Church Avenue, $.W., Room 456
R~anoke, Virginia 24011-1536
Telephone: (540) 981-2541
Fax: (540) 224-3145
SANDRA H. EAK1N
Deputy City Clerk
January 1B, 1996
File ~40-132
WilbumC. Dibling, Jr.
Cay Affomey
Roanoke, Virginia
Dear Mr. Dibling:
I am attaching copy of a statement presented by Council Member Delvis O. McCadden at
the City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 16, 1996, with regard to elimination of party
affiliation as a means of electing local officials.
On motion, duly seconded and adopted, the matter was referred to you to res~mch and
submit potential options for consideration by Council.
Sinoamly,
Mary F. Parker, CMC/AAE
cay Clerk
MFP:sm
Enc.
pc: The Honorable Delvis O. McCadden, 2018 Carroll Avenue, N. W., Roanoke,
Virginia 24017
ELECTION OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
JANUARY 16, 1996
I believe firmly that the election of City Council Members
should be the most important election that we have in
our City, even more important than the election of State
and Federal Officials. The City of Roanoke is near and
dear to my heart, as I am well aware is to each of you.
And in that vain, it is important that we understand the
process that we go through in our daily lives in
operation of the City.
First, let me drive home the fact that our City Manager is
the Chief Operating Officer of the City. His job is to
oversee the day to day operation of our City. City
Council, on the other hand, in this system of checks and
balances sets the direction and the policy by which the
City Manager is to follow. Because of that, our interest
should be in the generation and delivery of goods and
1
services to our citizens.
For that reason, I would like to offer that City Council
endorse a position of non-party affiliation*in the election
of its local officials. In this way, citizens will have the
opportunity to elect the person best able to set the
direction of the City rather than worry about what party
a candidate is affiliated with. It also allows the City
Manager to have the full Council direction in his
Administration of City policies and practices.
Election of candidates to City Council without party
affiliation would also insure that that person has the
good of the City at heart and not the direction of a
political party behind him or her as they set the policy
and the tone for the City.
2
I believe wholeheartedly that our City would be in a
much better position if the word "democrat" or the word
"republican" were not after the name of each of us on a
ballot. It would not be illegal for a political party to
endorse a particular candidate, however, it would be
illegal in this case for a person to be elected as a
democrat or as a republican, regardless of his or her
personal beliefs in party affiliations.
Sometimes, we, meaning local officials, feel as if we get
pressure from .political parties in regards to how we are
to vote on certain issues. That should not be the case
in local government. Local government, again, should
be delivery of goods and services to its people.
I would like for you to join with me in asking the City
Attorney to research and prepare potential options in
eliminating party affiliation as a means of citizens
electing their local officials in Roanoke City. Whether it
3
be in petition or some other means, I would like your
endorsement of this particular proposal.
As you can see, it has been very difficult for us to come
to a common ground on replacement of our Council
Member who has had to resign his post. This has
happened twice in my short stance as a City Council
Member. I think and I wholeheartedly believe that this
would cease if party affiliation was eliminated as a
means by which citizens could elect local officials.
Please take this in consideration, and again, I hope you
will join with me in a proposal to make this law in the
City of Roanoke.
Thankyou.
4
CITY OF ROANOKE
MEMORANDUM
Date:
To:
From:
January 16, 1996
Members of City Council
Council Member Delvis O. McCadden ~
At the 2:00 p.m., session of City Council this afternoon, under 9.a., Inquiries and/or
comments by the Mayor and Members of City Council, I plan to introduce a statement
which would endorse elections of Council Members by petition and eliminate potential
party endorsements.
If you have questions, please see me prior to 2:00 p.m.
DOM:sm
Ad Number: 50362746
Publisher's Fee: $49.30
MARY F. PARKER, CITY CLE
ROOM 456, MUNICIPAL BUIL
215 CHURCH AVENUE, S.W.
ROA~NOKE, VA 24011-1536
The Roanoke Times
STATE of VIRGINIA
CITY of ROANOKE
AFFIDAVIT of PUBLICATION
I, (the undersigned) an authorized
representative of the Times-World Cor-
poration, which corporation is publisher
of The Roanoke Times, a daily newspaper
published in Roanoke, in the State of
Virginia, do certify that the annexed
notice was published in said newspapers
on the following dates:
05/03/96 FULL RUN - Friday
Witness, this 6th day of May 1996
Authorized Signature
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
TO THE CITIZENS OF CITY OF ROANOKE:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the City of Roanoke
will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 13, 1996, at 7:00 p.m.,
in the Council Chambers, Municipal Building, 215 Church Avenue,
S.W., in said City, at which time citizens of the City shall have
an opportunity to be heard to determine whether such citizens
desire City Council to request the General Assembly to amend the
City Charter to provide for nomination of candidates for City
Council solely by petition of the qualified voters of the City and
for elimination of the political parties from the nominating
process (the foregoing nominating process sometimes being referred
to as a "nonpartisan" nominating process).
GIVEN under my hand this the 30th day of April, 1996.
Mary F. Parker, City Clerk
NOTE TO PUBLISHER:
Publish once on Frida5
. IPages ~' /
Pos.,t,,~ Fax Note ,, 7671 Data y/jo ,of
Send bill and publisher's affidavit to:
Mary F. Parker, City Clerk
456 Municipal Building
Roanoke, Virginia 24011
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
TO THE CITIZENS OF CITY OF ROANOKE:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the City of Roanoke
will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 13, 1996, at 7:00 p.m.,
in the Council Chambers, Municipal Building, 215 Church Avenue,
S.W., in said City, at which time citizens of the City shall have
an opportunity to be heard to determine whether such citizens
desire City Council to request the General Assembly to amend the
City Charter to provide for nomination of candidates for City
Council solely by petition of the qualified voters of the City and
for elimination of the political parties from the nominating
process (the foregoing nominating process sometimes being referred
to as a "nonpartisan" nominating process).
GIVEN under my hand this the 30th day of April, 1996.
Parker,
City Clerk
NOTE TO PUBLISHER:
Publish once on Thursday, May 2, 1996.
Send bill and publisher's affidavit to:
Mary F. Parker, City Clerk
456 Municipal Building
Roanoke, Virginia 24011