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

DATE: TUESDAY, July 24, 1990                   TAG: 9007240360
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SIZE OF HODGE RAISE IS QUESTIONABLE

The supervisors stated that Hodge deserved the raise and it had nothing to do with his applying for the job in Prince William County. It is a strange coincidence that the salary offered for that position was approximately the same as his new salary.

I am a businessman and give raises to my employees based on their performance, but I have never received or given an 11.5 percent raise to any of my employees, and they do a super job. If Roanoke County had taken over the city of Roanoke, I would say that the salary increase would be justified.

Hodge stated that he had no desire to leave Roanoke County, so why did he apply for the job? I assume nobody twisted his arm.

It is stated each year that the county is not increasing our real-estate taxes, but this is not true. Our property is being reassessed each year, and the increase is so large that they have to advertise in the newspaper that it is a tax increase. If they really want to help citizens, they can reassess the property but lower the tax to compensate for some of the reassessment.

Just think of the new taxes the board has put on us in the past several years (meals tax, lodging tax and proration of the personal-property taxes). I surely hope that the supervisors will soon begin to show the citizens who elected them that they can manage in a responsible manner. DON DAVIS VINTON