"What now? A Charlottesville resolution on the federal budget? On international free trade? On relations with North Korea?

Charlottesville City Council strayed far from its province in approving a resolution opposed to unilateral war with Iraq.

Charlottesville may be a cosmopolitan city, but City Council is not the United Nations.

'Foreign policy and international law are simply not appropriate' topics for city government, retired Army officer Jim Neale said at Monday's meeting. 'Elected bodies should not go beyond the scope of their charters when addressing issues affecting their constituents.'

Amen.

Councilors were elected to govern Charlottesville, not advise Washington on foreign policy. Constituents should be able to trust them to tend to the city's business with focus, energy and determination - not stray into areas in which they have no business.

Not only does council have no business in foreign policy, it has no influence. This is not within it field of expertise or its scope of power.

Therefore, council wasted precious time and energy on a decision that is essentially moot. Moreover, it generated a divisiveness between residents that was unnecessary, and may prove harmful. Hard feelings were arouse for no purpose.

Council alienated some constituents in appeasing others.The Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice had presented the city with a petition calling for a resolution opposed to war; the petition contained more than 2,000 signatures.

But the signatures have since been challenged. Critics say many came from residents of Albemarle County or from University of Virginia students who have little connection to, and stake in, the city other than temporary residence.

What's more, say critics, a petition hardly amounts to a plebiscite on public opinion. It demonstrates support on one side only, and does not reveal anything about the depth of opposition.

Meanwhile, the number os speakers who cared enough to show up at Monday's public hearing were about equally divided on the resolution. Many spoke in favor of it, but many denounced it.

If the petition is suspect, then council's best gauge of sentiment was the hearing itself. And the gauge failed to prove strong city-wide sentiment either one way or the other.

Yet council chose sides.

City Council not only strayed, it stumbled" (Daily Progress Editorial, February 5, 2003).