THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409300188
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
Few people understand the bottom line as well as Councilman Cameron Pitts, a retired small businessman.
His comments at Tuesday night's council meeting that the timetable for construction of a new I.C. Norcom High School could hinge on new sources of income for the city were no threat. They were a touch of realism.
In the context of the discussion, which revolved around construction of a regional jail in Portsmouth, his remark could appear threatening to some who are not in touch with city finances. In fact, Pitts came about as close to the truth as anybody.
He said that his continued support for the new school, estimated at this time to cost about $35 million, was based on finding new sources of revenue for the city. The proposed new jail would be a major source of new money.
Pitts said he has checked out property values in neighborhoods around similar jails in other cities and found that the construction of a modern facility did not cause real estate values to deteriorate. In addition, he said, the presence of a jail has not created any problems of safety. Rather, in some cases, the presence of a jail has increased the security.
As a result, he said, he is supporting the location of the jail in an industrial area across a railroad track from Hattonsville, where some residents fear the jail.
And, he added, Portsmouth needs the regional jail for income, not only from the $2 million sale of land but also from an annual payment in lieu of taxes that is part of the regional agreement.
Pitts was being realistic about the bottom line.
Portsmouth is a poor city. It needs more than rhetoric to build a new $35 million high school. It needs cold, hard cash. by CNB