Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 10, 1990 TAG: 9007100543
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
One change would increase the size of the school board for the consolidated government from nine to 11 members. Initially, six members would come from the county and five from the city.
Earlier, the General Assembly approved a revision in the proposed charter for the consolidated government to allow a larger school board, but the consolidation agreement needed to be changed to coincide with the charter.
The second change would make it clear that the same level of police, fire and emergency rescue services would be provided in both the urban and suburban service districts in the consolidated government.
The original plan indicated that a higher level of police and fire protection might have been provided in the urban district, the territory now in the city.
A third revision would expand the area that would be given a second vote on joining Salem to include most of the Catawba Magisterial District. The original plan called for only the Glenvar area to be given a second vote.
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors has approved the revisions informally, but plans to hold a public hearing and vote on them today.
The changes were sought by supervisors Chairman Dick Robers and Supervisors Lee Eddy and Steve McGraw after the city and county completed negotiations on the merger pact.
Only one person spoke at the city's public hearing on the revisions Monday night. Cindy Dossett, a parent and substitute teacher, urged city officials to be strong defenders of city schools in consolidation talks.
"I am tired of hearing that the county has better schools than we do. We don't have to take a back seat to anyone. We are proud of city schools," Dossett said.
Dossett said she favors consolidation because she thinks it would help the Roanoke Valley be competitive with other metropolitan areas.
Vice Mayor Howard Musser, who represented the city in the negotiations, said city officials strongly defended city schools during the closed talks with the county, but probably should have done so more often publicly.
The original plan called for the consolidated government to have a school board with nine members with one from each of the nine voting districts. This would have given the city five members and the county four.
Under the revised plan, there will be one member from each of the nine districts, one from Vinton and one from the locality with the largest school enrollment. Initially, this would be the county.
by CNB