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

DATE: MONDAY, January 27, 1992                   TAG: 9201280143
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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BACK REFERENDA ON UNUSUAL SPENDING

I COMMEND Aaron Smith, Catherine Wells and Charles Switzer for their Jan. 18 letter on the need to brake local-government spending. Before reading it, I was not aware that total expenditures for the past decade for the city of Salem exceeded the cash income by about $11 million. Except for the demands of some drastic emergency, spending that much more than is taken in is bad management.

I moved to Salem about 19 years ago from the county. My family and I have certainly enjoyed living here; we think it is one of the nicest areas in the Roanoke Valley. We like the people and the area we live in. The city's services are excellent; we can call its departments about any problem, and someone arrives within the next few hours to check out our concern.

I do think, however, that City Council and management get carried away sometimes with some of their projects - maybe, as the letter-writers stated, through someone's personal prejudice or under the influence of a special-interest group or individual.

According to this trio, Salem property taxes increased 42 percent per person during the past decade. Mine have more than doubled. My wife and I are retired. The growing difference between income and taxes causes undue hardship.

I definitely feel that in all fairness to the taxpayers, there should be local referenda on spending initiatives that are not usual or customary. Let's all get together and back the Virginia Referendum Advocates. GEORGE A. SAYERS SALEM

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