Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 11, 1990 TAG: 9007110350
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
As they have in the past, Chairman Dick Robers and Supervisors Steve McGraw and Lee Eddy voted in favor of the changes. Supervisors Bob Johnson and Harry Nickens, who helped negotiate the original consolidation plan, voted against.
One of the changes - approved unanimously Monday by Roanoke City Council - increases the number of seats on the consolidated government's school board from nine to 11. Initially, six members would come from the county.
Another makes it clear that the same level of police, fire and rescue services would be provided in the new government's urban and suburban service districts.
And the third would expand the area that would be given the chance to become part of Salem if Roanoke and Roanoke County consolidate. That might be moot, however, because Salem and Roanoke County have been unable to agree on a financial settlement for the area.
Only one consolidation supporter spoke during a public hearing on the changes. Lee Blair of the County Alliance for Regional Excellence told the supervisors she was there "simply to let you know that there are citizens of Roanoke County who support" a merger.
"A united Roanoke would be in a stronger position to address the future needs and challenges" facing the Roanoke Valley, she said.
Don Terp of Citizens Against Merger was among the consolidation opponents who spoke. "You've got people so confused," he said. "People are calling me on the phone and asking me to explain [the plan]. . . . You've got a lot of people very upset out there."
Winton Shelor, a longtime civic leader who is president of the Fort Lewis Civic League, said rural residents of the county are asking, "What can Roanoke city do for me, west of Salem, on top of Bent Mountain? . . . Nothing, we believe."
McGraw suggested that County Administrator Elmer Hodge come up with a plan for disseminating information about consolidation to county voters. But after Johnson and Nickens objected - saying the county already had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours of staff time on consolidation - McGraw dropped the suggestion. "This issue has been divisive enough for this board," he said.
Also Tuesday, the supervisors:
Approved a letter to state Sen. Granger Macfarlane, disagreeing with his remarks last week that state funding for Explore will jeopardize state funding for other projects in the valley.
The letter called Macfarlane's claim "unsubstantiated" and said Explore "is one of our top economic development priorities."
Renamed the park behind Penn Forest Elementary School the "C. Darrell Shell Memorial Park." Shell, the county's first parks and recreation director, died this spring. He had worked for the county 23 years.
Re-elected Nickens chairman of the Roanoke County Resource Authority, which is overseeing planning for, and construction of, the new regional landfill.
by CNB