Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 28, 1994 TAG: 9404280148
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"My No. 1 priority is education," he said. "We already have a strong overall program, and my aim is to advance that wherever possible."
Tarpley, a candidate for re-election to Salem City Council in the May 3 election, said he also supports industrial and business development throughout the Roanoke Valley.
Tarpley is one of three candidates seeking two seats on council. The others are W.M. "Mac" Green, also seeking re-election, and Garry Lautenschlager, hoping to be elected to his first term.
Lautenschlager is the Republican candidate, but Tarpley said he opposes partisan politics on City Council.
An independent, like all members of council since 1974, Tarpley said anyone with party backing will owe allegiance to the party. And, he sees possible conflicts between party loyalty and doing what is best for Salem.
Commercial development in any of the localities helps all the others economically, he said.
This is in line with his third major aim - creating jobs.
"I'm ready to do almost anything to increase employment in the Roanoke Valley," he said. "We've got to do something to keep our kids at home, so they don't have to move to Charlotte or someplace to get a job."
But Tarpley - whose official name is Carl E. Tarpley Jr. - puts education at the top of the list.
And he believes Salem is living up to that commitment.
"Fifty-two percent of our total budget goes to education," he said. "And we've got a total program that ranks near the top. Student test scores are good, and we've got one of the best school musical programs in Virginia - if not the best."
Along the education line, Tarpley said Salem City Council puts $10,000 a year into a continuing education fund so city employees can upgrade their job skills. Also, Salem puts $10,000 a year into the Salem Educational Foundation, which grants scholarships to Salem High School seniors.
Industrial and business development, Tarpley said, is one of the keys to overall economic development throughout the valley. He said Salem is doing what it can on this but is hampered in not having much more land for commercial development.
However, he is proud to point out that Salem's three industrial parks have created more than 700 jobs.
Intervale, with a real estate valuation of more than $7.5 million, has created almost 500 jobs; Dillard Drive Industrial Park, with a real estate valuation of $3.3 million, employs about 110 people; and Apperson Drive Industrial Park has created more than 100 jobs.
Another big issue facing Salem is whether to build a new baseball stadium. This seems to boil down to a question of whether Salem voters want to keep a professional baseball team, because the owner of the Salem Bucs has said he cannot keep the team in Salem without a new, more modern stadium.
Tarpley supports a new stadium, but he thinks it should be only at the mandate of voters. It was he who initiated a referendum that is to be held on this question. He wants a referendum because a baseball stadium would not be open to public use in the same manner as a public park, but would be leased to a commercial enterprise, he said.
The baseball question brings up the image that Salem is a "sports town." Tarpley denies that it is any more so than any other locality.
"We have a good program, good facilities and a lot of pride and enthusiasm," he said.
Tarpley, himself a former track and football star, said that in 1993 Salem put 4.8 percent of its total budget into parks and recreation. And that was a decrease of $2.25 million from 1992.
"We have no more sports than any other municipality," he said.
Tarpley said he supports an active sports and recreation program because he thinks it ranks along with education as a key factor in the development of young people.
Tarpley also said he wants Salem to continue improving its level of municipal services, which he rates as among the best anywhere. And he wants to do this without having to increase taxes.
\ NAME: Carl E. Tarpley, better known as "Sonny."
\ BIRTHDATE: Dec., 13, 1941, in Salem.
\ OCCUPATION: Executive vice president, Salem Bank & Trust.
\ FAMILY: Wife, Joyce, is a reading teacher at Andrew Lewis Middle School; daughters Elizabeth, of Roanoke, and Vickie, of Salem; two grandsons.
\ EDUCATION: Andrew Lewis High School; Tennessee Wesleyan College; School of Banking at University of Virginia.
\ OTHER PUBLIC OFFICES: None.
\ CIVIC ACTIVITIES: American Institute of Banking; tenor in choir at First United Methodist Church in Salem.
by CNB