A group of Roanoke Democrats will officially announce the formation of what's essentially their own new version of the city party on Monday.

The "Roanoke City Democratic Caucus" will be announced at an 11:30 a.m. news conference outside the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building.

The group, which includes a majority of the party's elected officials, is forming the caucus mainly in response to the existing city Democratic Committee's move last month to try to oust Mayor Nelson Harris and City Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick. Some city Democrats are still smarting over the May council election swept by three independent candidates supported by Harris and Fitzpatrick.

Those "For the City" candidates -- Alfred Dowe, Gwen Mason and David Trinkle -- took to referring to themselves as "independent Democrats" during the May campaign. Those three are not certified members of the city committee now, however, but Harris and Fitzpatrick are because both were elected as Democrats in 2004.

So the city committee, by a 26-12 margin on Nov. 16, supported a no-confidence motion against Harris and Fitzpatrick and also agreed to ask for their voluntary resignations from the city committee. The committee's chairwoman, Carolyn Word, has since sent letters to Harris and Fitzpatrick advising them of the committee's stance. Word said the party was obligated, through its bylaws and the state's, to take some kind of action against Harris and Fitzpatrick.

In response, the caucus group is attempting to re-establish its own brand of politics as the pre-eminent Democratic way in Roanoke. Members of the caucus, according to information it released, include city council members except for Democrats Sherman Lea and Brian Wishneff; state Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke; city Treasurer Evelyn Powers; Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell; Commissioner of the Revenue Sherman Holland; and a number of current city committee officials including former Councilwoman Linda Wyatt, Kurt Navratil, Alice Szathmary, Charles Withers and Randy Leftwich; and community leaders Duke Curtis and lawyer Melvin Hill.

Navratil, a Raleigh Court neighborhood leader, has been elected as preliminary chairman of the caucus.

Of the caucus initiative, Councilwoman Gwen Mason said: "I don't know where all this is going, but it's a positive step for us with strong ties to the Democratic Party."

Mason added that the group is already a strong "think tank" for discussions on issues and the future direction of the city committee.

The caucus also released statements from the three constitutional officers, Powers, Caldwell and Holland:

"The Roanoke City Democratic Caucus gives us a meaningful vehicle to keep Roanoke moving forward with a positive plan of growth, economic development and first-rate schools and facilities," Powers said.

"It's time for us local elected officials to breathe new life into being a Democrat in Roanoke and anchor the party for a bright future," Caldwell said.

"Our mission is to energize Democrats locally, attract new members to the party and recruit future candidates for office," Holland said.

Meanwhile, remaining members of the existing city committee are fortifying their position and have no plans to relinquish their control of the party.

Word, when asked about the potential for the caucus to build numbers and retake control of the committee, said: "That's not going to happen."