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

DATE: THURSDAY, May 20, 1993                   TAG: 9305200172
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

TAXES SAME, SOME FEES UP IN BUDGET PLAN

Christiansburg's budget for the next fiscal year, which Town Manager John Lemley unveiled Tuesday night, contains no tax increases, but it does include fee increases for water and trash collection.

Water rates will go up by 11 percent because of higher fees charged to the town by the Blacksburg-Christiansburg & VPI Water Authority, and trash collection fees will be increased to $10 a month because of a landfill fee increase by Montgomery County.

Lemley was careful make a distinction between taxes and fees.

"Fees pay for a service and taxes pay for general government," he said. "Most people understand the difference when you explain it to them."

The $8.9 million budget, up from $8.4 million last year, includes funds for one additional police officer to conduct DARE classes in county schools located in the town, $275,000 for street paving, $235,000 for a new fire truck, $230,000 for sewer service to annexed areas, $100,000 for the rescue squad building fund and a 4 percent raise for town employees.

Real estate taxes will remain at 14 cents per $100 value and personal property tax will stay at 45 cents per $100. Town residents also pay Montgomery County real estate and personal property taxes.

Town Council members said they were able to increase the budget without raising taxes because of continued strong showings in property, sales and meal tax revenue.

Revenues from these sources were $183,000 more than expected this year.

"This, throughout the years, has helped us maintain our status quo," said Scott Weaver, a member of council's finance committee.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the town Municipal Building. The budget is set to be adopted June 15 and will go into effect at the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1.

by CNB