Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 17, 1992 TAG: 9201170179
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
TAYLOR WONDERS IF HE'S STRONG ENOUGH FOR 4 MORE YEARS
On some days, Roanoke Mayor Noel Taylor says, he thinks the time has come for him to retire.That possibility, unthinkable to many of Taylor's supporters just a few months ago, appears very real now.
Taylor already has told some people that he won't seek re-election in May, although he denies that he has made a decision.
"I think it's very doubtful that he'll run," said one source close to Taylor. It's becoming more likely each day that he won't seek a new term, another source said.
Both spoke only on the condition that they not be identified.
Health factors are playing a role in Taylor's decision whether to retire when his term ends June 30. He has undergone a series of medical tests recently and has consulted with doctors about health problems that he has not disclosed.
Taylor, a Republican who has been mayor nearly 17 years and a councilman for 22 years, said his health will be one factor in his decision, but not the only one.
"Sometimes I think this is the right moment to step aside," Taylor, 67, said this week. "There comes a time when you have to let others take over."
But on other days, he said, he has a strong desire to seek a new term. "There are times when I really want to do it."
Still, he wonders whether his health will allow him to serve four more years.
"It's not just a matter of getting through a campaign, but a question of whether you will be strong enough for another four years" of handling mayoral duties, he said.
Taylor hasn't told City Council members what he intends to do, but they wouldn't be surprised if he retired when his term ends in June. He has hinted several times in recent months that he was considering leaving the post.
Taylor, minister of High Street Baptist Church, said he expects to announce his decision in about a week to 10 days. He said he is aware that some potential candidates are waiting to see what he does before they decide whether to run.
Taylor's friends and supporters are urging him to seek an unprecedented fifth term. He said he has been touched emotionally by the outpouring of support, adding that he has received more encouragement to run this year than ever before.
"I have never had such a show of support by people just coming up to me and urging me to run again," he said.
But that, Taylor said, is making his decision more difficult.
Taylor said the unfinished items on his agenda include reopening the Hotel Roanoke and conversion of the old Jefferson High School into a center for the performing arts and community service agencies.
"These are things that I would like to see completed before I step aside, but there will always be unfinished things, regardless of when you step down," he said. "There will always be challenges, things that you would have liked to accomplish."
If he leaves the post, Taylor said he knows he'll miss it for at least five or six months.
"I have worked for the city for so long that it has become a part of my life," he said. "You just can't walk away from something like that without missing it for some time."
Because of the uncertainity about Taylor's status, GOP leaders have already started thinking about other possible mayoral candidates.
Former Councilman Robert Garland, a friend and political ally of Taylor's, has been mentioned as a potential GOP candidate.
But Garland, who retired in 1990 after 24 years on council, said he would have to "think long and hard" before getting back into politics.
Even if he doesn't run, Taylor said, he thinks both the Republicans and Democrats will have a full ticket for the three council seats and the mayor's post in May.
Keywords:
POLITICS