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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 21, 1992                   TAG: 9203210284
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST
DATELINE: DUBLIN                                LENGTH: Medium

TOWN COUNCIL KEEPS REAL-ESTATE TAX RATE THE SAME

Councilman Sam Gregory wanted to lower the rate from 27 cents to 23 cents per $100 valuation to compensate for the new reassessment.

His motion seemed to have the support of at least half the council members, but a more cautious mood eventually prevailed. Gregory withdrew his motion for the time being.

Town Administrator Gary Elander said the reassessment increased Dublin's property valuation by almost $4.5 million to more than $40.2 million.

He said council legally could change the property tax rate to about 24 cents without holding a public hearing, but that would yield just slightly less revenue than the current $97,070. A rate of 23 cents would reduce revenue by $4,561.

"I think it will work to our advantage to go that way," Councilman Colbern Linkous said of the 23-cent figure. He said that represented a third of Pulaski County's real estate tax rate, which town residents also have to pay.

Linkous had seconded Gregory's motion, which also got tentative support from Councilwoman Elsie Repass.

But Councilman David Stanley disagreed.

"I think we ought to sit on this at least for another month," he said. He thought council should first see next year's draft budget before deciding on a new tax rate.

"To cut $4,500 off the top of that might well be a mistake," he said. "I think it's premature without looking at the figures more closely."

Councilmen Alden Hankla and David Farmer said they felt more comfortable with the 24-cent rate.

"I don't think any of you want the tax rate to go up at all," Mayor Benny Keister said. In the end, Keister suggested that Gregory withdraw his motion until next month when preliminary budget figures should be available.

In other business, council finally passed a subdivision ordinance that, by state law, was supposed to have been on the books two decades ago.

The unanimous vote came after the Planning Commission revised the proposal earlier this week to accommodate objections voiced at council's last meeting by a real estate agent.

Council also unanimously resolved to support three highway projects that could affect the town, including a proposal for a new road between Blacksburg and Pulaski County that would end near New River Community College off Virginia 100.

Elander said the new highway would be designed to link with the so-called "smart road" between Blacksburg and Roanoke.

Other road improvements in the resolution included four-laning Virginia 100 between Cloyds Mountain and Pearisburg and four-laning U. S. 11 between Dublin and Morgans Cut, near New River Valley Speedway.

In other matters, council voted 5-1 to draft a letter supporting the tourism-promotion efforts of a local coalition of chambers of commerce.

Council accepted the resignation of veteran Town Attorney Alan Groseclose. He has been the town's chief legal officer for seven years. He'll step down May 1.