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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 12, 1991                   TAG: 9103120399
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PARTNERSHIP GETS FUNDS

Two citizens groups that supported the consolidation of Roanoke and Roanoke County have donated $4,200 in unspent campaign funds to the Regional Partnership of the Roanoke Valley.

Roanoke's Citizens United for Progress and the County Alliance for Regional Excellence gave the money to Mark Heath, executive director of the regional economic development agency.

"The Regional Partnership is the one organization doing what we believed consolidation would - working together for a better Roanoke Valley," said Jim Hopkins, liaison for the citizens groups.

The Regional Partnership, established in 1983, is a public-private agency for economic development that includes governments and businesses in Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke counties, Roanoke, Salem and Vinton.

The leftover consolidation funds will be used for the partnership's marketing program in the Roanoke Valley.

Earlier, Citizens Against Merger donated $2,700 left over from its campaign to the county's 10 volunteer fire departments and eight volunteer rescue squads.

County voters rejected consolidation by more than a 2-to-1 ratio, while city voters approved it by nearly the same margin.

by CNB