The City of Chesapeake conducted a reorganization tonight as Mayor Alan Krasnoff took the oath of office and Vice Mayor John deTriquet was elected to serve in that position. Additionally, newly elected councilmembers Debbie Ritter and Rick West were sworn in, and Patti Willis, Cliff Hayes and Dwight Parker took the oath yet again.
Much of the rhetoric from the dais was polite and stressed unity, but the reality is that this council is as split as can be.
It was easy to spot when the vote for vice mayor took place. Two nominations were placed into consideration, deTriquet and Hayes. On a strict party-line vote, deTriquet won the position.
Speaking with a councilman after the ceremony, I asked if, on the tough issues like public safety, the budget, and taxes, tonight’s vote was an indicator of things to come. He assured me that it is.
This means that the coalition of Krasnoff, deTriquet, Ritter, West and Willis is going to be interesting to watch. While they all campaigned together, and agreed that deTriquet should be vice mayor, will they agree when tough decisions on the budget and spending come to the floor?
Mayor Krasnoff was eloquent in his comments tonight and set a clear direction for the city. He pulled no punches in what was called “a true citizen-led speech” by Del. John Cosgrove.
If the mayor can hold the coalition together, the city is sure to experience major changes. His speech from the point after he recognized his family:
During my time as a councilman, I have listened to more than a few mayors offer visions of a new Chesapeake.
Some may have been practical. . . while others may have been grandiose. Some may have been achieved. . . while others may have become well-intentioned but nevertheless unfulfilled dreams and mere political footnotes.
I, however, would suggest that we take a different approach. . . one which recognizes that there is a very fundamental difference between politics and governance.
Politics is about playing it safe. . . and always looking for a way to say yes.
Governance is about leadership. . . and being unafraid to say no.
Politics is about serving special interests because we must.
Governance is about doing more for others. . . because we can.
Politics is about creating differences and exploiting them.
Governance is about finding common ground and building on it, recognizing that compromise and consensus are not heretical concepts but legitimate tools we can employ to move our city forward.
The question, of course, is to where?
For our city – and in our time – the answers will come not as a result of any individual vision. I hope I can safely say that we have grown beyond that.
Instead, we must listen to the collective voices of those who have labored over the years to build Chesapeake from a quiet Southeast Virginia community into a competitor on an international level.
These voices say that if we want to compete, every child in Chesapeake must have the opportunity to get a world-class education.
These voices say that no matter what one’s circumstance, no one in Chesapeake should fear walking down a street or wonder – in a time of extreme need – how long it will take for an ambulance or fire engine to arrive.
Sadly, the two deaths today reinforce the imperative that as safe as Chesapeake may seem to some, we must and can do more.
But then it gets complicated. . . because these same voices say that Chesapeake must – absolutely must – learn how to reduce what it demands of taxpayers.
These voices – by the way – represent a broad cross-section of our city. They echo a conviction that no matter the circumstance or where one lives – the taxes we levy are out of sync with what many can afford to pay. . . but especially for those living on fixed incomes.
In my view, part of the problem is that government assumed that the growth rates of the past would continue. We all know they have not.
Consumer confidence is low, the housing market is soft, businesses are closing their doors and hardworking people are losing jobs. . .and no one – no one – knows what the future holds.
How then, should we respond to these challenges?
How should we turn these stumbling blocks into stepping stones?
My answer is simple.
First, getting Chesapeake’s financial house in order is an absolute priority. Everyone knows we are living through uncertain economic times and – one way or another – everyone feels it.
But if we want to safeguard our hard-won gains and avoid the financial pain so many cities and states are feeling, we must plan now for those uncertainties. In plain language, Chesapeake must learn to live within its means. Families do it every day. . . and there is no reason why our city can’t follow suit.
Second, when we ensure that Chesapeake’s on sound footing and better able to provide more funding for public safety and a top-drawer school system, we will also be better positioned to move aggressively to attract and keep new businesses, which are vital keys to our economic stability and – it follows – lower taxes.
Beyond that – and perhaps just as important – we need to develop a track record that clearly demonstrates that Chesapeake is “business-friendly” and more interested in saying “yes” than “no” when opportunities present themselves.
But to meet the first two, we must accomplish the third, which is to say – in ways large and small – “no more” to a bureaucracy and mindset that keeps our community from living up to its potential.
Some may think that this may be naïve or silly thing to say, but I have seen firsthand – as a volunteer coach or in the classroom as a counselor – what happens when a child is made accountable for his or her success. . . given the freedom and encouragement to grow and succeed. With careful planning and patience, that approach will work on a larger scale for Chesapeake.
On that point, I want to single out the work already begun by William Harrell, our city manager.
He and the thousands of men and women who serve us could very likely be earning more – and certainly wouldn’t have to pretend to be interested in the rants and ramblings of an elected official – if they were working in the private sector.
Instead, they work diligently to help educate our children or keep us safe or perform a thousand other tasks. . . every one of them essential to keep our city functioning.
These are the people – not the nine who sit at this dais – who keep Chesapeake on the right track. They deserve our gratitude. They have mine.
Now we need to step back and give them the room they need and deserve to help Chesapeake grow and prosper.
Finally, we – each and every one of us – can do better. . . not by highlighting differences that seem to gnaw at us always. . . but by setting them aside to find common ground and build on it, realizing that our first obligation is not to advance a personal agenda but to create opportunities for others.
This is my goal. This is my mission.
And now – asking for God’s grace and His blessings on this honorable council and our city – it is time to begin.
Thank you.
Debbie Ritter also gave a substantive speech. Not from the context of the particular issues facing Chesapeake, but how the city council should act in the context of preserving our liberties under the Constitution.
