To the editor:

Speaking against Councilwoman Alicia Hughes resolution to let voters decide on the citys electoral timetable, Vice Mayor Kerry Donley told the Alexandria Times last week: I dont see that a referendum right now should substitute for our inability to arrive at a compromise. 

Excuse me?! This controversy, hopelessly mired in the provincial politics of the Alexandria ruling elite, is tailor-made for the citizenry to decide. Let Donley, Hughes and the other members of the Alexandria City Council focus on planning and fiscal matters. Let the people figure out when to exercise their voting rights.

David W. Almasi
Alexandria