COUNCIL SAYS MEETING SCHOOL BUDGET REQUEST WOULD BE TOUGH

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992                   TAG: 9202270210
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JUDY SCHWAB CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium
COUNCIL SAYS MEETING SCHOOL BUDGET REQUEST WOULD BE TOUGH
City Council heard pleas for money at its last budget meeting - especially from the School Board.
School Superintendent Michael Wright said the board's budget required an increase of $472,000. Part would give teachers raises averaging 6 percent.
Mayor Tom Starnes said council would "have a tough time meeting the requests" and asked Wright and board members to put items on their wish list in order of priority.
Wright said School Board members felt responsible for meeting the needs of the students, and that all items had top priority.
City Council has directed departments to cut their budgets by 3 percent from current spending.
Representatives from social services, parks and recreation, the library and the schools addressed council Tuesday night about how they had made cuts and why they still needed more money.
The Welfare and Social Services Department found it difficult to cut costs when the recession is creating increasing need for its services.
Suzanne Glass, department director, said there's been a 20 percent increase in the food stamp program, and she's had to hire a half-time employee to handle the increased in caseload.
About 1,000 Radford residents are eligible for food stamps.
Glass argued for 5 percent raises for the nine full-time and two part-time employees in the department. That would cost $14,714.
The Parks and Recreation Department successfully cut its budget by 3 percent with a variety of methods, including turning down the heat in the gym, caulking windows and reducing seasonal staff.
Jack Johnson, Recreation Commission chairman, warned council members that a rainy spring could make the grass grow faster than his reduced staff could cut it, and that could mean complaints from citizens.
Johnson also said he needs a new vehicle to take workers to the parks. And he advised council to consider a hydraulic lift for the city swimming pool to give handicapped citizens access, as required by federal law.
Librarian Ann Fisher said the library made its 3 percent cuts by trimming 1 1/2 hours a week from all part-time staff schedules.
She also plans to replace a retiring full-time employee with a starting-level employee.
Fisher told council that state aid could be jeopardized by too much budget-cutting. State aid for the library is contingent upon no reduction in operating expenditures from the previous year. Loss of aid could mean a cut of $35,000 to $70,000.
However, Mayor Starnes said he suspected increases in Blue Cross and Blue Shield premiums would compensate for any cuts.
The next budget meetings are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. in council chambers.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB