Dear George,

Preparations are being made to move City elections to November. An ordinance providing for this move is being drafted and will be brought up for first reading at the Council meeting on November 19. Be aware that it only takes two Council members - a mover and a seconder - to push the measure forward to a second reading and a vote at the followingCouncil meeting. Our May elections could be gone forever before we know it.

(I'll bet many of you thought this issue had been put on a back burner. It hasn't.)

There will be a public hearing on this ordinance at the November 19th Council meeting. If you care at all about our City elections, be there. If you favor the move, are against the move, or are uncertain and want more time to consider, be there. This is your last chance to speak up.

The League of Women Voters held a forum on this topic Monday night, November 12. There were only 6 citizens in the audience. What else would you expect? There was virtually no publicity for the forum. We have all been very occupied with the November 6th election, the Senate candidate forum on November 8th and the Senate nominating Convention on November 10th, to say nothing of the constant preoccupation with the war on terrorism. Why the Council decided to push ahead with this vital issue when all of these other events were going on is beyond my comprehension.

(The decision to hold the LWV forum and Council hearing was not made at a public meeting of the Council where all Council members could share each other's thoughts on the matter. Rather, it was made in private phone calls from the Mayor to each Council member separately.)

Why the hurry? Why is this vital matter being rushed through while we aren't looking? Once the decision is made to move our City elections to November, there is no going back to May elections. The decision is irreversible. If you feel more time and attention should be given to studying the ramifications of this move, please speak out at the November 19 hearing.

Elections are very precious - the crowning piece in the democratic process. Yet, the Charlottesville election is being treated as if it were a mere pawn that can be moved here or there with little time or thought given to the consequences.

David RePass (electronic mail, November 13, 2001).

P.S. A number of people have suggested that we move the City elections to November of ODD numbered years to correspond with State elections for Governor and General Assembly. Unfortunately, there is no provision in State law allowing for this. If a move is made to November, it can only be to elections in even numbered years.