Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 14, 1993 TAG: 9305140204
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But Bell acknowledged that his March proposal to consolidate the efforts "has met fierce resistance from local officials."
He said he's had mostly positive response in a mail survey to his suggestion that the economic development departments be merged with the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership.
He asked respondents to check one of three statements: Support for combining economic development operations for a unified approach to job creation; support for forcing a combination if localities do not act voluntarily; and support for remaining separate while working harder to cooperate.
From a mailing of 2,000 survey forms, he received 255 replies, slightly more than 10 percent. Of those, 104, or 41 percent, favored consolidation; 25, or 9 percent, supported forcing the merger; and 17, or almost 7 percent, want the programs to remain separate.
Bell said he will forward the results to local government officials and business leaders.
The senator said he sees a need "for a more efficient way to do economic development more cohesively." But the people of the valley must recognize they have to do it together, he added.
Bell said questions on how to get a more collective effort for economic development have been asked after his recent talks to civic and business groups.
"I stress that if we do anything, we've got to do it by building consensus," he said.
by CNB