Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 6, 1994 TAG: 9404060064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Ask the candidates for Roanoke City Council their views on regional cooperation, and they frequently refer to sewage and trash.
Candidates cite the sewage treatment plant and the regional landfill as two examples of the city's working with other localities on projects that benefited them all.
But regional cooperation is one of those things that most people say they're for, yet when it comes to specifics, there's less unanimity.
"It's going to be hard for someone to come up with something I would say `no' to," said Republican John Parrott, a construction engineer. "It would be a really great thing if the corresponding departments or agencies just formed joint committees to explore ways of better cooperation."
When asked what services they would support operating cooperatively, either with Roanoke County or valleywide, all seven candidates in the May 3 election said they support cooperation or consolidation of libraries and industrial parks.
And all but Democrat William White, an accountant, supported having a single economic development office in the Roanoke Valley.
"You have to cooperate regionally to prosper," said Democrat John Edwards, a lawyer who is running to keep the seat he was appointed to last fall. "When people fly into Roanoke, they don't see jurisdictional lines; they see one nice valley."
But when it comes to an issue that has been suggested by a neighboring locality - a request by Salem for $1 million for a baseball stadium for the minor-league Buccaneers - no candidate was strongly supportive.
"It would have to be a stadium that was more centrally located" for him to support it, Parrott said, although it doesn't have to be in the city.
"If you're going to take taxpayers' money and give it to another locality, there ought to be some formula by which the city gets back its investment," said Democrat Nelson Harris, a minister. "I'm not in favor of a $1 million giveaway."
Republican Barbara Duerk, a homemaker and neighborhood activist, suggested a truly cooperative venture. "The city should donate land at Public Works [near the Roanoke Civic Center], and Salem could build it," she said.
Since local governments aren't consolidated, Edwards said the best way to work cooperatively is through authorities, such as the ones running the airport and the landfill.
Parrott, a member of the soon-to-be-defunct landfill board and its replacement, the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority, said the old landfill board is an example of cooperation working well. He said the valley needs to start one project at a time.
"Someone said about 25 years ago it's going to take some first-class funerals around here before we'll have regional cooperation," Parrott said. "There's still some resentment or hard feelings. I don't think it would work to jump in and do everything together."
That's one point where there's a clear distinction between the candidates. Most say valley governments should try to cooperate on the easy things first.
But incumbent White said the jurisdictions need to start by consolidating the hardest things - schools and public housing - and everything else would fall in place.
"We should start with social services, public housing, infrastructure - like the sewage treatment plant and the airport," White said. "We can't just let the suburban communities pick off the infrastructure and not share in social services. It should be hand-in-hand. We share the good, we share the bad."
For that reason, he strongly supports a unified school district. "If we try to isolate people in pockets [in the city] based on race or income, we're not going to be in better shape 20 years from now."
Harris, a member of the School Board, opposes consolidating schools. The rest were willing to look at some cooperation; Parrott said programs such as special education and vocational training would be good places to start.
Democrat Linda Wyatt, a teacher, said the valley school systems already have open enrollment for children in all jurisdictions, but she said transportation is a major obstacle.
Harris said combining social services is worth looking at. She believes the city bears an "excessive" amount of the burden for the valley, because surrounding localities don't provide as much low-income housing.
"I'd very much appreciate, as a resident," Harris said, " . . . [having] a regional housing plan so it's not all being centered in the city."
Most agreed that industrial parks - wherever they're located - help the whole valley, and most said they'd be willing to support a joint venture built in the county.
But Harris said he believes if the city puts up money for a combined industrial park built in the county, there needs to be a revenue-sharing formula so the city gets its investment back.
"I don't believe in writing blank checks," he said, although he said everyone "has got to realize a rising tide can lift all boats."
"We've got to look toward aggressively going out and seeking industry," Wyatt said. "If we bring it to the county, [the people who work there] are going to shop and live all over the valley."
White opposed a consolidated economic development office at this time because, he said, there is too much distrust among jurisdictions.
Duerk suggested consolidated garbage and recycling pickup and an expanded bus system out into the county.
"Another thing I'd like to see, either on an annual or semiannual basis, is a `state of the valley' conference," Harris said. The conference would work on setting goals on valleywide issues such as infrastructure, economic development and "where we want to be in five years, in 10 years."
All said they would be willing to make the first move in bridging the gap with Roanoke County.
"I think there are invisible barriers that don't have a lot to do with the reality between the city and county, that are based more in emotionalism than reality," Wyatt said. "The other part is educating the public about what we have in common areas; there's far more commonality than differences."
Memo: ***CORRECTION***