George--

We are fortunate to have such an outstanding group of candidates. Each brings something distinctive, and this year the discussions among candidates have been better informed and more informative than any I can remember.

I want to say a few words about Bern Ewert.

Along with Mitch VanYahres, Francis Fife, Charles Barbour, and Jill Rinehart, I served on City Council during much of the time Bern served as Deputy City Manager.

While each emember of City Council had specific public policy interests, and each had things they wanted to get done for the City, Bern acted as a connective tissue: he was (and is) bright, filled with new ideas, and blessed with the patience to help each of us develop support for our proposals. As a result of Bern's leadership and consensus building, we were able to open the McGuffey Art Center (a particular interest of Jill Rinehart), desegregate City Hall (something for which Charles Barbour fought tirelessly), begin innovative housing rehabilitation and neighborhood revitalization programs (Francis Fife's special concern), and, importantly, build the Downtown Mall (a long time dream of Mitch Van Yahres). Without Bern's persistence -- and his willingness to innovate -- Charlottesville would be a much different place today.

Not only does Bern bring a deep and unique understanding of Charlottesville and our government, but because he has served as City Manager of Roanoke, County Executive of Prince William, and as a special representative in the Czech Republic, Bern also brings rich new ideas from different areas of the state--and the world. He has had the opportunity to consider many ideas suggested by many different people, and observe what the strengths and weakenesses of those ideas might be.

He has an understanding -- forged in the crucible of actual experience -- of what the possibilities, and limitations, of local government are. We should avail ourselves of his abilities, and his important and relevant experience.

George H. Gilliam (electronic mail, February 19, 2002)