Part 1: The State of Public Opinion

(First Paragraph) Would you like to see the 14 cities and counties of Hampton Roads merge into a single jurisdiction? Surprisingly, 50.5 percent of 1,169 people polled recently believe that such a merger should occur. For cities or counties where at least 20 individuals responded to this question, the percentage of those desiring a merger ranged from lows of 41.7 in Suffolk and 42.4 in James City County to highs of 54.8 percent in Gloucester County and 55.8 percent in Norfolk. The region\u27s largest city, Virginia Beach, split evenly on this issue, with 153 respondents preferring a merger and 153 opposing it. South Hampton Roads residents, at 51.5 percent, are slightly more in favor of a merger than Peninsula residents, 48.4 percent. Support for a merger is relatively even across racial and ethnic groups: 54.2 percent of African Americans favored a meger, while 49.7 percent of whites/caucasians and 52.4 percent of all others expressed support for a single jurisdiction