PULASKI COUNTY SUPERVISORS OK BUDGET SCHEDULE

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 8, 1992                   TAG: 9201080116
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium
PULASKI COUNTY SUPERVISORS OK BUDGET SCHEDULE
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors met with the School Board on Monday and approved a schedule aimed at tentative approval of a 1992-93 budget by May 4, including the school budget.
A public hearing will then be held May 18, with formal adoption of the budget June 1.
The supervisors also considered scheduling a session to discuss future goals and priorities of county government.
"I think the board needs to go somewhere where we can hash over things without the newspapers. . . . They follow us everywhere," Supervisor Bruce Fariss said. "There are some people who just won't say anything if the newspapers are there. That's not my problem, but it sure would be nice if they would be kind enough to leave us alone for one day."
The supervisors will get initial revenue estimates Feb. 24. All budget requests are to be submitted to County Administrator Joseph Morgan by March 9. A public hearing on the real estate tax rate adjustment, following the county reassessment, is set for March 16. Morgan will make a budget recommendation to the board March 23.
Budget work sessions will be held from March 16 to May 4, probably on Monday evenings.
School Board Vice Chairman Ron Chaffin said Pulaski County had fallen from 40th among 132 school systems in the state in teachers' salaries since 1986-87 to 126th in starting salaries and 79th for mid-range teachers.
The county school system lost $750,000 in state funds last year, and delayed such purchases as new textbooks. Some of the books are so worn they are literally falling apart, Chaffin said.
Superintendent William Asbury said the school system has been reducing its administrators, too, but it is now becoming a question of how much longer cuts can be made. "I think we're about there," he said.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB