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

DATE: SATURDAY, May 12, 1990                   TAG: 9005120330
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ALTERNATE MERGER PROPOSAL UNVEILED

Some areas in Roanoke County could receive some services from Salem, but remain a part of a consolidated government for the county and Roanoke under a new type of local government structure that has been proposed by Supervisor Steve McGraw.

McGraw said Friday he envisions that the proposed arrangement would have similarities to the relationship Vinton will have with the consolidated government.

Vinton will remain a town, but be part of a merged city and county if voters approve the plan. Unlike Vinton, Salem will remain an independent city.

But McGraw, who represents the Catawba magisterial district, has suggested that some county areas could remain part of the new entity while receiving some services from Salem. The plan is intended to help ease concerns of west county residents who prefer to be a part of Salem rather than a consolidated government.

"It would be a kind of overlay government," McGraw said, so the residents would have a link to Salem.

Salem and the consolidated government could negotiate an agreement on sharing tax revenues in areas where Salem would provide services, he said.

McGraw has not discussed his idea with Salem officials. City Manager Randy Smith could not be reached Friday for comment.

McGraw said the proposal would require special state legislation, but the General Assembly would likely approve it. But it could not be approved before a November referendum on the consolidation plan.

"This gives Salem an option. Now it has nothing," he said, because it has not reached an agreement on a financial settlement to allow it to acquire the Glenvar area if consolidation is approved.

McGraw's proposal came at a closed meeting of city and county officials to discuss a request by three supervisors that residents of Mason Cove, Bennett Springs and the Catawba Valley be given the chance to become part of Salem if consolidation is approved.

Now, only residents who live in the Glenvar area 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.

Supervisors Chairman Dick Robers, Lee Eddy and McGraw also want residents of subdivisions along Virginia 24 and Hardy Road in the eastern part of the county to get a chance to vote on whether to become part of Vinton. Now the consolidation plan allows Vinton to expand its boundary to include those subdivisions without a vote.

McGraw said no decision was reached Friday on the three supervisors' request, but the officials will meet again Monday to review population figures for the east and west county areas to determine how many people would be affected by a second vote.

McGraw said he has not decided how he will vote on consolidation, but said he will not publicly oppose the plan. "I've told the supporters that the worst I will do is to say nothing," he said.

by CNB