Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 27, 1990 TAG: 9004271005
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A4 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The real estate organization believes merger will help stimulate growth in the Roanoke Valley, said L.H. Moore, president.
"It is felt that this will be most beneficial to the growth potential for the entire valley and will spur economic development through increasing the business and industrial tax base at a faster rate," Moore said.
City and county officials submitted the consolidation plan to the circuit court judges in Roanoke and Roanoke County on Feb. 28 and asked them to set a referendum on it in November.
In the meantime, the General Assembly has approved a change in the charter for the proposed consolidated government that would enlarge the School Board from nine to 11 members. Under the plan, six board members would come from the former county area and five would come from the former city area.
Three Roanoke County supervisors - Chairman Dick Robers, Lee Eddy and Steve McGraw - have also asked for other changes in the plan:
That residents of Mason Cove, Bennett Springs and the Catawba Valley be given the chance to become part of Salem if the consolidation plan is approved. Now, only residents who live west of Virginia 311, between Fort Lewis Mountain and Poor Mountain, would get that chance and only if a financial settlement with Salem is approved.
That residents of subdivisions along Virginia 24 and Hardy Road in East Roanoke County get a chance to vote on whether to become part of the town of Vinton if the consolidation plan is approved. Now the plan allows Vinton to expand its boundary to include those subdivisions without a vote.
That current city-county boundary lines not be used for the "urban" and "suburban" service districts in the consolidated government.
by CNB