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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 5, 1990                   TAG: 9004041310
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

RESIGNATION'S TIMING CALLED `MANIPULATIVE'

William White, a Roanoke School Board member who is running for City Council, charged Wednesday that the timing of Guy Byrd's resignation from the board was linked to an effort to manipulate the procedure for choosing School Board members.

White claims that school Superintendent Frank Tota and City Councilman James Trout, one of White's opponents in the May 1 election, played key roles in council's decision to fill Byrd's unexpired term from among the pool of applicants for two other seats.

White said Trout led the move to fill Byrd's seat from the current applicants because he wanted to help ensure the appointment of board members who are "acceptable" to Tota.

"Trout is tied right into this. I question his role in it," White said. "I think this is a direct manipulation of the process, and I think the school superintendent is behind it."

Trout said Wednesday that White's charge is "so far out in the twilight zone" that it is absurd.

On Trout's motion, council voted Monday to fill Byrd's unexpired term from the nine applicants for the board seats held by White and Sallye Coleman.

Trout denied that he was involved in any attempt to prevent others from being considered for Byrd's seat. "I just picked up on the mayor's suggestion that we consider filling Mr. Byrd's seat from the applicants we have," he said.

Tota said he does not understand the basis for White's charge. "I don't know how we could have limited or controlled the number of people who applied," he said.

Tota said he had nothing to do with the timing of Byrd's resignation or council's decision to fill his term with a current applicant.

Byrd has denied that his decision to give up his seat now was part of a strategy to limit the number of applicants to fill his unexpired term.

Byrd said there was no hidden motive for him to change the effective date for his resignation from June 30 to March 28. He discounted speculation that he timed his resignation to try to keep supporters of Tota on the board.

"They are making a more sinister interpretation than the facts warrant," he said.

by CNB