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

DATE: MONDAY, October 25, 1993                   TAG: 9310290352
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ROANOKE CITY

But while the city GOP failed to come up with a candidate to succeed Howard, Roanokers will have a choice on their Nov. 2 ballots. The Democratic nominee is Marsha Compton Fielder. On the ballot as an independent is Howard Musser, the long-time city councilman who in the past has run as a Democrat.

Given the nature of the office (chief tax collector), the campaign has been unusually eventful. Fielder, aided by labor support, surprised many party leaders by wresting the Democratic nomination from David Anderson. Anderson had defeated her for the nomination four years ago to run against Howard.

It was only after Fielder's victory at the mass meeting that Musser declared as an independent candidate for the general election. As the race was gearing up, however, he suffered a stroke that has kept him on the sidelines.

Even without all that, Fielder would be an unconventional candidate. Her father, Wayne Compton, is the high-visibility commissioner of revenue in Roanoke County. If Fielder is elected, it would mark the first time in Virginia that a parent and child have served as revenue commissioners at the same time. It would also improve prospects for city-county cooperation in this area of local government.

If elected, Fielder says, she'll (1) ensure that the business-license tax is levied, as provided for by law, on out-of-town contractors working in the city; (2) recommend to City Council that the income ceiling for elderly homeowners to qualify for a real-estate tax freeze be raised from $24,000 to the $30,000 allowed by state law; and (3) locally process, at the option of the individual taxpayer, state income-tax filings.

We have reservations about the wisdom of raising the tax-freeze income ceiling (which in any event would be council's decision), but her other two points are good ones.

Promising evenhanded enforcement of the business-license tax was a way to win labor's support. But, besides generating additional revenue for the city, it's also the fair way to enforce the law.

And in addition to providing a taxpayer service, local processing of state income-tax filings might help reduce the state's overall tax-processing costs and cement continued state funding of the local commisser's office. (The office already is on line with the state computer, Fielder points out.)

Fielder has given thought to the job. With 13 years experience in her father's office - she is now chief deputy commissioner in the county - Fielder appears to possess the background necessary to do a creditable job. We recommend a vote for her.

Keywords:
POLITICS ENDORSEMENT