Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 26, 1994 TAG: 9407260068
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
J.H., Roanoke County A: Five people are appointed by Circuit Court judges to one-year terms on the Board of Equalization, which hears appeals from property holders who think they're being taxed unfairly.
The members are Jack Metcalf, chairman, and Hope Rector, Galen W. Conner, Betty Brewer and Harold Richardson. All but Rector, who is in her first term, have served several years.
Metcalf is semi-retired from the insurance business. Rector is a retired school teacher. Conner is a real-estate broker in Vinton. Brewer is assistant principal of Hidden Valley Junior High School. Richardson is property manager in the real estate company headed by Bob Johnson, who represents the Hollins District on the county Board of Supervisors.
The two members in the real estate business bring their expertise to the board, but they don't have a majority vote.
Conner and Richardson don't have any known ties to Steve Strauss or Len Boone, the developers whose Southwest County projects have produced zoning and tax-assessment headlines.
"We have no [other] connection with real estate companies or boards in any way," Metcalf said.
The Equalization Board has met eight times this year. Members are paid a set fee for the year.
The board does not answer to the supervisors or county government, although it does work closely with John Birckhead and the Real Estate Assessment office, whose appraisal of property produces the appeals.|
Southeast streets|
Q: When will the city of Roanoke finish repaving the streets that were torn up earlier this year for the new waterlines? I'm speaking specifically about 13th Street Southeast, Bennington, Riverland Road and Hamilton Terrace.|
|H.D., Roanoke A: The smooth topcoat of paving has been held up on those streets because of an elusive leak in the new lines, said John Peters of the city engineering department.
The leak has been traced to the Hamilton Terrace area, which allows work to begin on other Southeast streets.
Pavers started Friday morning on the smooth overlay at a shopping center on Bennington, but rain halted the work and the earliest the contractor could reschedule was Wednesday, Peters said.
The first area to get the disturbed lane smoothed over will be from Bennington Street to the Ninth Street bridge.
Elsewhere in this 13-mile project, the Oakland Boulevard area's new lines are being tested this week. After any leaks are patched, a 12-foot-wide course of asphalt soon will be laid on top.|
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.|
by CNB