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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 5, 1994                   TAG: 9402050195
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Karen Barnes STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD                                LENGTH: Short

DISQUALIFIED NAMES DELAY BEDFORD PETITION DRIVE

Organizers of a petition drive supporting consolidation of Bedford and Bedford County received a minor setback Friday as it was discovered that too many signatures that had been collected were unverifiable.

According to Bedford County Registrar Marie Batten, the petition requires 3,450 signatures - 15 percent of the county's registered voters. More than 3,600 signatures were turned in, but 261 names were disqualified.

However, across the street at City Hall, the Bedford petition reached the benchmark it needed with no problems, said Bedford Registrar Nancy Bower.

Bedford County Administrator Bill Rolfe has asked County Attorney Johnny Overstreet to find out whether more signatures can be collected since the petitions have already been submitted, and if so, how much time organizers have to obtain the required number.

H.F. and Anita Garner of Forest have spearheaded the petition drive and said they do not think this setback will derail the consolidation effort.

Last November, the Garners began the petition drive to consolidate the two municipalities based on their fear that Lynchburg might annex the affluent Forest area that borders the city.

by CNB