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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 23, 1990                   TAG: 9006230310
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PEARISBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

GILES COUNTY OKS $16.7 MILLION BUDGET

The Giles County Board of Supervisors on Friday approved, by a 4-1 vote, a $16.7 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

A large portion of the $16,719,802 county budget is for schools.

The School Board's $11,630,172 budget is an overall 4.62 percent increase in funding, but keeps the county funding level at $3.9 million.

Supervisor Samuel G. "Ted" Timberlake voted against the budget after saying he wanted more accurate information about the county's financial situation when the current budget year ends.

County Administrator Ken Weaver said that whether the county will break even or have a surplus won't be known until the treasurer's office closes the books June 29, then reconciles them, a process that could take until mid-August.

But other supervisors expressed confidence in the budget, which calls for no increase in the real-estate tax rate of 68 cents per $100 or in the personal-property tax rate of $7 per $100. County employees will receive a 5 percent raise. The supervisors' pay remains $3,120 per year.

If a surplus is realized, Supervisor Willard Gowdy said, perhaps it could be fenced and used for appropriate projects. Two he mentioned were fire departments and the county landfill.

Representatives from the town of Pearisburg and other volunteer fire departments asked the supervisors at a June 14 budget hearing for more money to fund fire trucks and equipment. The departments in the five Giles County towns received $8,500 each from the county, while three departments in unincorporated areas received $10,000.

"I, too, am not in agreement with parts of this budget," board Chairman Bobby Compton said. "But you don't win them all.

"I think we have tried to give the departments more money this time without raising taxes."

Compton also mentioned that surplus money from this year possibly could help pay for landfill costs. The county plans to close the current landfill in 1992 and build a new one.

by CNB