Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 13, 1990 TAG: 9003133527
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"If anyone is playing politics, it looks to me like he's the one," said James M. Turner Jr.
"He has made no effort to talk to me or anyone on the board. There should be discussion between City Council and the School Board about the schools' needs," Turner said.
Bowers has accused the School Board and school administrators of trying to force a confrontation with council on school funding.
"It is unfortunate that the superintendent and School Board are setting up another showdown with council," Bowers said in a letter to council Monday night.
The city's real estate tax rate would have to be increased by 11 cents - from $1.25 to $1.36 per $100 assessed value - to provide all of the local tax money the School Board says it needs in the next budget year, Bowers said.
Turner said Bowers seems more interested in getting a newspaper headline than resolving the schools' need for more money.
"We need to sit down and discuss it rather than trying to deal with it through the newspaper. Just firing off a letter doesn't solve anything," Turner said.
Bowers apparently based his letter on news reports about the budget, Turner said, because the board hasn't delivered the budget or a letter detailing the need for additional funds to city officials.
Bowers reacted sharply to Turner's comments, saying the board chairman had "fired the first salvo and I responded with a broadside."
If schools officials are going to ask for more money, Bowers said, they should have "the guts" to tell city taxpayers that it will require a tax increase.
Last week, the board adopted a balanced budget that is based on a $3.6 million increase in state and local revenues in the next year. This includes a projected increase of $2.5 million in local tax funds and about $1.1 million in additional state money.
But the board also approved what it described as a fully funded, supplemental budget that would require an additional $2.1 million in local tax money to help fund higher pay raises for teachers and additional programs designed to bring city schools into parity with Roanoke County schools.
Bowers said he will bring the board's request for additional local funds to council's attention during budget study next month, but he will reserve the right to raise questions about the request because he considers it "flagrantly political."
At Bowers' request, council filed his letter without comment. The letter was intended only to notify council that he will raise the issue next month, Bowers said, so he didn't want it to be discussed Monday night.
On another matter, council approved Bowers' request that the city's internal auditor be authorized to investigate bingo operations to determine if the city is complying with state laws for licensing and regulating them.
Bowers, chairman of the city's Audit Committee, said he is concerned about news reports that two people who have been charged with running illegal bingo games on behalf of a charity grossed more than $150,000 at the Bonanza Bingo parlor on Williamson Road.
George Fox of Troutville and Patricia Hendrix of Buchanan have been charged with exceeding the state-mandated $1,000 limit on special jackpot prizes awarded during bingo games at the Bonanza Bingo parlor.
According to records filed in the Roanoke commissioner of revenue's office, Fox was conducting games on behalf of the St. Andrew's Church Youth Group - apparently without permission from the church.
Bowers said he wanted council and the public to know that he is a volunteer worker for the Knights of Columbus bingo at St. Elias Hall and a member of St. Andrew's Church.
City Attorney Wilburn Dibling said Bowers' involvement with the Knights of Columbus bingo and the church wouldn't prohibit him from supervising the audit he has requested.
The state's Conflict of Interest Act wouldn't require Bowers to refrain from discussion on the issue, Dibling said, but he suggested that Bowers might want to withdraw if the auditor's probe focuses on any organization in which is a member.
by CNB