INNER CITIES, RURAL COUNTIES SHARE TAX WOES, REPORT SAYS

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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993                   TAG: 9303210086
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
INNER CITIES, RURAL COUNTIES SHARE TAX WOES, REPORT SAYS
Virginia's inner cities and rural counties shared a struggle with declining tax bases and growing social problems during the 1980s, the state Commission on Local Government reported last week.
Generally, Virginia counties fared better than cities in income, employment, property values and other measures of a locality's health.
But the commission found that inner cities and rural counties had much in common. Both experienced declining populations and weak growth in income, employment and housing values. The cities had more problems with crime, teen-age pregnancy and infant deaths, while rural counties coped with aging populations.
"Both categories of localities are comprised of jurisdictions confronting major difficulties and meriting the careful attention of the state," said the report that commission members delivered to Gov. Douglas Wilder.
The report is the latest in a number of studies showing the widening gap between rich and poor localities in Virginia.
Wilder appointed a panel last year to study local government issues, but he sought no legislation to implement its suggestions. Frank Raflo, a member of both the study panel and the Commission on Local Government, said Wilder told him the General Assembly was conducting its own study of the issues.
"Absolutely nothing was done," Raflo said.
Layton R. Fairchild Jr., chairman of the Commission on Local Government, said more regional cooperation would ease the disparity between rich and poor communities. But he conceded that wealthy jurisdictions have seen little reason to help their poor neighbors.
"Sometimes things have to get so bad it forces people to stand up and give attention," Fairchild said.
M.H. Wilkinson, the commission's executive director, said national studies have shown that suburban areas eventually suffer if their core cities decline.
"We ignore the plight of neighboring jurisdictions at our own peril," he said.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB