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

DATE: SUNDAY, October 23, 1994                   TAG: 9410240072
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PAY AS YOU RUN IN THIS CAMPAIGN

They get no special treatment. Not even when they want a copy of the school budget so they can become better informed about school finances.

Like everyone else, they have to shell out from $6.50 to $8 for the budget, depending on the number of pages and accompanying documents.

Two candidates in the Windsor Hills District, Lisa Merrill and Thomas Leggette, have bought copies, according to their campaign finance reports.

When Leggette bought his copy, school employees didn't have change for a $10 bill, so he donated $2 to the schools.

Copies of the school budget are placed in county libraries, but the distribution had not been completed this year when Leggette wanted one.

The winning candidates will become the bosses of school administrators who collect the budget copying fee.

But that doesn't make any difference, because everyone is treated the same, said Martin Robison, executive assistant for county schools.

"We used to provide copies of the budget and other records free, but printing costs have increased so much that we had to start charging a fee," he said. "We charge everyone the same regardless of whether they are School Board candidates."

The schools charge 10 cents a page for copying documents.

Leggette and Merrill said they didn't object to the fees, but Merrill said the cost seemed high. And Leggette said he didn't protest because school finances are tight.

Both Leggette and Merrill have financed their campaigns with their own money and had not received any contributions as of Sept. 30, the ending date for the latest reports.

Leggette had spent $81 for the budget, printing costs and other campaign expenses.

Merrill has spent $545 on signs, fliers, bumper stickers and other campaign expenses.

The finance reports show that all of the candidates are running shoestring campaigns, as they predicted in the summer.

The biggest spender is Michael Stovall, a candidate in the Vinton District, whose expenditures total $1,329. He has raised $2,085 in contributions, by far the most.

Richard Cullinan, a Windsor Hills candidate, has received no contributions and spent nothing on his campaign.

Vinton District candidate Evelyn Ball has spent $267 of her own money with no contributions. Robert Rouse, also a candidate in the Vinton District, has received $200 in donations and has spent $156.

Wayne Newman, a Windsor Hills candidate, has spent $306. He has received $150 in contributions and financed the rest with his own money.