DESPITE VOTE, DISSENTER BACKS COUNCIL CUT

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

DATE: THURSDAY, January 2, 1992                   TAG: 9201030369
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS WEST CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE                                LENGTH: Short
DESPITE VOTE, DISSENTER BACKS COUNCIL CUT
Thomas O. Zimmerman, the lone vote against a plan to reduce the size of New Castle Town Council, said he favors a smaller council but believes the whole town charter should be studied at the same time.
"I'm 100 percent in favor of reducing the number of council members," Zimmerman said. "But I think we should review the entire charter to see if there are other changes we should make."
His colleagues, however, apparently do not think that is necessary now. They did not discuss the charter review question when they approved the council reduction measure in a 5-1 vote in December.
Gertrude Lowery, New Castle mayor, said that reducing the size of council from six to four members would save the town more than $500 a year, mostly in salaries paid to council members.
New Castle council has six members plus a mayor who votes only when there is a tie.
Zimmerman said there is no hurry to reduce the size of council. In fact, he said, it can't become effective before 1994 because it will require a charter change, which must be approved by the General Assembly.
He argued that council should take a little more time and study the whole charter so all changes could be sent to the General Assembly at the same time.
But Zimmerman said his "no" vote did not mean he was against the idea of a smaller council.
"It was my way of expressing dissatisfaction over the way we were doing things," he said.
The smaller council proposal will not affect council elections that come up this May.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB