Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 2, 1990 TAG: 9007030360
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHAEL A. CLEARY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The writer attacked the proposed unification of the Roanoke city and Roanoke County governments on three grounds. He states that the reason for consolidation is streamlining local government, and that if the referendum on this matter passes, the costs of government will actually rise and services will undoubtedly "slide" for the first several years.
The streamlining of governments is a reason for the merger. It is not the only reason, albeit a very important one.
The unification of Roanoke County and Roanoke city will not only eliminate the duplication of services which has plagued the valley for years, but will also facilitate regional planning in the areas of transportation, land use, public safety, economic development and water supply.
The government will also be an efficient government that can deliver services such as police, fire, rescue, waste collection, education, etc., at a lower cost to all residents. This would occur not through streamlining alone, but also by placing more of the tax burden on businesses and industry and less on the individual citizen.
The writer next states that a real consolidation of valley governments would also include Salem and Vinton. The fact of the matter is this consolidation does include Vinton, and Vinton will have the same relationship to the merged government as it presently does to the county government.
Unlike Kohinke, I would not appraise Vinton's role in this government as "token." Further, the fact that Salem is not included does not reflect on the efforts of Roanoke City or Roanoke County to include them, but rather on Salem's own choice to stay on the sidelines. While it would be nice to have Salem become part of the new government as well, two valley governments would be able to work much more closely than three presently can, and the new metropolitan government will be able to administer to a large majority of valley residents more efficiently.
The third reason the writer states that he is against consolidation is that the primary role of government is to provide services, and not to "be the front for an area's economic development." Perhaps all Kohinke is looking for is a government that will deliver services, but I believe that government offers a much wider and greater opportunity to help lead the way with quality growth that will enable all of us to have better jobs, and allow our children and grandchildren to remain in this region.
Finally, Kohinke states that those in favor of consolidation are trying to turn Roanoke into another Richmond, Tidewater or Fairfax County. This is not the case. We merely believe that Roanoke should take its rightful place as Western Virginia's center for industry, technology, and employment and remain a vital force which has a say in Richmond and Washington.
It is also interesting that in the same issue of your publication, there appears a letter by Lee Eddy stating that the purpose of the Spring Hollow reservoir is to share adequate water supply for the Roanoke Valley. If the county and city could have cooperated 20 years ago and had some regional planning on this basis, this new expense may not have been needed. Eddy also turns around in a fashion that has become typical of valley politicians and directs criticism toward the city of Roanoke and Salem, stating that they "backed out on their earlier commitment to help finance a water project that is clearly needed for the benefit of the valley."
Eddy is missing the point. This is precisely the problem. When cooperation does not work out, as numerous examples in the last 20 years show, the first thing that politicians do is point fingers at each other until none will accept responsibility for allowing another beneficial project to go down the drain. Meanwhile, it is the citizens of both the county and the city who have lost out on opportunity after opportunity.
As the debate on this issue continues, I would ask all citizens to pay close attention to the facts as presented by each side, and realize that the status quo will not get the job done and that our hope for the future is in unity.
by CNB