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

DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 1993                   TAG: 9311180355
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-16   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Charles Stebbins
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE                                LENGTH: Medium

CRAIG DELAYS SUPPORTING I-73 THROUGH ROANOKE

The highway is to run generally between Huntington, W.Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C. The original proposal would by-pass the Roanoke area, but the Fifth Planning District Commission is supporting a alternative route that would carry the highway roughly along U.S. 460 and 220.

The Fifth Planning District Commission is asking localities in the district to support the alternate.

"Improvements made to U.S. 220 as a result of being a part of I-73 are greatly needed and would contribute to more efficient and safer travel throughout that corridor," the commission's resolution said.

Such a route also would improve the safety and efficiency of those highways and promote economic development in area covered by the planning district, the resolution said.

On another matter, the supervisors were notified by Sen. John Warner that he and two other senators have pledged to work together in an effort to increase the federal government's payments to localities in lieu of taxes, under the PILT program.

PILT is a critical issue in Craig County because more than half of its land area is embraced by the Jefferson National Forest and cannot be taxed by the county.

In an effort to compensate localities for this loss of tax revenue on federally owned land, the federal government gives them the payments in lieu of taxes (PILT).

However, due to rising costs, rising expenses and budget cuts, this payment has been getting smaller and smaller.

The supervisors also endorsed the establishment of a proposed Institute of Government that would expand technical assistance and training opportunities for local government officials.

The Virginia Local Government Management Association is promoting establishing the institute, which has the endorsement of the Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Local Government Attorneys Association.

Supervisors also were told that the seventh annual Public Involvement Conference, sponsored by Jefferson National Forest, will be Dec. 11 at Virginia Tech from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.